Driving Ambivalence

2019 ◽  
pp. 101-117
Author(s):  
John Macdonald ◽  
Charles Branas ◽  
Robert Stokes
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Public Transit ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
Transit Systems ◽  
Human Scale ◽  
Active Lifestyles ◽  
Negative Impacts

This chapter assesses the role of transportation and street environments in people's lives and how reliance on the automobile has shaped the United States and other parts of the world. The century-long evolution into a car-dependent culture has had its benefits in terms of commerce and regional mobility, but has also had devastating effects on people's health and safety. Rather than discuss the negative impacts of cars on air pollution, the chapter focuses on the place-based health impacts of reducing people's reliance on the automobile by increasing the walkability of areas and expanding access to public transit. Younger adults are increasingly ambivalent about whether they should even own a car and are moving to cities in search of more efficient and human-scale mobility options. These options include having access to a street network with safe and efficient pedestrian and bike infrastructures as well as public-transit options. Meanwhile, public officials in numerous cities are talking about the benefits of expanded transit systems and walkable street grids to encourage more active lifestyles and attract tourists, families, and entrepreneurs who are tired of traffic congestion and car commuting and interested in a lively street experience that is not simply seen from behind a windshield. The chapter then highlights case studies showing how new place-based transportation and streetscape changes can be a tool for improving health and safety.

scholarly journals How do Public Officials Learn About Policy? A Field Experiment on Policy Diffusion

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Miguel M. Pereira
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Interest Group ◽  
Policy Diffusion ◽  
The United States ◽  
Causal Link ◽  
Policy Learning ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
Non Profit

Abstract Prior research suggests that partisanship can influence how legislators learn from each other. However, same-party governments are also more likely to share similar issues, ideological preferences and constituency demands. Establishing a causal link between partisanship and policy learning is difficult. In collaboration with a non-profit organization, this study isolates the role of partisanship in a real policy learning context. As part of a campaign promoting a new policy among local representatives in the United States, the study randomized whether the initiative was endorsed by co-partisans, out-partisans or both parties. The results show that representatives are systematically more interested in the same policy when it is endorsed by co-partisans. Bipartisan initiatives also attract less interest than co-partisan policies, and no more interest than out-partisan policies, even in more competitive districts. Together, the results suggest that ideological considerations cannot fully explain partisan-based learning. The study contributes to scholarship on policy diffusion, legislative signaling and interest group access.

21st Century Citizen Pharma: The FDA & Patient-Focused Product Development

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 309-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan Paradise
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Public ◽  
United States Food ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
States Food ◽  
And Control ◽  
Patient Advocacy Groups

Perpetual debate regarding the delicate balance between access and innovation and the protection of the public health and safety dominate discussions of the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). Established chiefly as a command and control federal administrative agency, iterative changes in legislation have shaped the FDA's activity in drug, biologic, and medical device regulation over the course of the last one hundred plus years. The most recent fundamental reframing of the agency's authority and directive presented itself in the 21st Century Cures Act, reflecting an important role for patient perspectives in the regulatory process. This Article explores recent developments in patient-focused product development efforts at the FDA and offers modest insights on the increasing role of patients, and patient advocacy groups, in agency decision-making. The Article terms this era “21st century citizen pharma.”

Assessing the Existing Bursa Light Rail Transportation System

2020 ◽  
Vol 2674 (10) ◽  
pp. 250-260
Author(s):  
Mehmet Rizelioğlu ◽  
Turan Arslan
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Transportation System ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
Bus Rapid Transit ◽  
Light Rail ◽  
Rail Transportation ◽  
Transit System ◽  
Transit Systems ◽  
Negative Impacts

As car ownership soars, traffic congestion and its associated negative impacts have become real concerns in many cities around the world. Therefore, transportation systems that perform better in eliminating or reducing traffic congestion and related problems to tolerable levels have become imperative. Alternative transit systems should be assessed properly to accommodate the expected demand in the long term, at least, to some significant extent. However, this is generally neglected in developing countries and, among many possible alternatives, a popular transportation system is usually preferred within the available budget. As an example, Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, Turkey, has recently implemented a light rail transportation system (LRT) on its major east–west corridor as the main transit system. In this study, the existing LRT is assessed and its performance is compared with a hypothetical bus rapid transit (BRT) system, which is a strong contender and comparatively a lower-cost alternative. This is done to assess whether the LRT was the better choice in relation to the current demand. Therefore, in this study, the existing LRT system is first defined in the PTV VISSIM simulation environment. Then, the hypothetical BRT system is considered on the same route with the current demand. The capability and capacities of the existing LRT and the BRT system are assessed and compared in many aspects. The results are compared, and important findings are outlined.

Examining the role of ageing-in-place organisations in building older adults’ disaster resilience

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Claire Pendergrast ◽  
Basia Belza ◽  
Ann Bostrom ◽  
Nicole Errett
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
The United States ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Disaster Resilience ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Ageing In Place ◽  
Building Activities

Abstract Older adults are more susceptible to adverse health outcomes during and after a disaster compared with their younger counterparts. Ageing-in-place organisations such as senior centres and Villages provide social services and programming for older adults and may support older adults’ resilience to disasters. This study examines the role of ageing-in-place organisations in building disaster resilience for older adults. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 14 ageing-in-place organisation leaders in King County, Washington in the United States of America. The sample included representatives of five government-run senior centres, seven non-profit senior centres and two Villages. Interviews were audio-recorded and professionally transcribed. We used a combined inductive and deductive approach to code and thematically analyse the data. Ageing-in-place organisation leadership recognise disasters as a threat to older adults’ health and safety, and they see opportunities to provide disaster-related support for older adults, though the type and extent of participation in resilience-building activities reflected each organisation's unique local context. Organisations participate in a variety of disaster-related activities, though respondents emphasised the importance of collaborative and communication-focused efforts. Findings suggest that ageing-in-place organisations may be best equipped to support older adults’ disaster resilience by serving as a trusted source of disaster-related information and providing input on the appropriateness of disaster plans and messages for the unique needs of older adults ageing-in-place.

scholarly journals Calibration of Transit Operations Planning (TOP) Model and Evaluation of Bus Transit Route Performance in Riyadh

1997 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
P.A. Koushki ◽  
G.A. Ali ◽  
Y.A. Al-Nuaim
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Public Transit ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Transit Systems ◽  
Bus Transit ◽  
Transit Ridership ◽  
Operational Variables ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The Impact

Public transit systems provide mobility for a large percentage of urban residents very cost-effectively and with minimum negative impact on the environment. ln spite of their vital and indispensable services; however , The majority of transit systems worldwide suffer from financial neglect and are forced to rely heavily on government subsidies for survival. In response to the rapidly shrinking funds and subsidy levels transit managements have to focus attention on ways to improve service operations. The management of public transit systems in Saudi Arabia is no exception to this trend. This study is aimed at evaluating the service performance of a sample of regular (fixed-route, fixed schedule) bus transit routes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Utilizing a microcomputer-based program, the bus transit service operational measures of fare, headway, vehicle size and routing were analyzed. To account for the socio-economic and cultural differences of transit ridership in Riyadh, time/cost elasticities of demand as well as walk time and bus travel time parameters of the model were calibrated. Evaluation of the impact of changes in service operational measures suggested that no change in operational variables could improve the very low productivity of one of the sample study routes. A cost-reduction strategy which includes the use of smaller vehicles and less-frequent service runs should improve the low productivity of this route. Findings also indicated that a small increase in fare would pay for the total operation and maintenance costs of the other routes. The authors, however, do not recommend an increase in fare for a variety of reasons; the low income level of the captive riderships, the enormous financial resources of the country , and the multi-dimentional role of transit systems in providing urban mobility with minimum negative impacts on the  environment.

scholarly journals Health and Safety Concerns os Migrant Workers: The Experience of Tunisian Workers in Modena, Italy

Finisterra ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (77) ◽  
Author(s):  
Faïçal Daly
Keyword(s):  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
The United States ◽  
Migrant Health ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Safety Awareness ◽  
Personal Accounts ◽  
Minority Workers

This paper examines the relatively under-researched field of healthand safety of migrant workers, with special reference to Tunisian construction workers in the city of Modena in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. The empirical material comes from questionnaires and interviews with Tunisian migrants, plus smaller numbers of interviews with employers and trade union representatives in Modena. The paper starts by critically reviewing the scattered literature onthe health and safety of minority workers, most of which refers to the United States and the United Kingdom. The discussion then moves to a consideration of migrant health and safety questions in the contexts of racism, discrimination, social class, working conditions, labour market segmentation and (non-) regulation. Specialattention is given to the failed role of trade unions in defending the rights of minority workers, in advanced countries generally and in Italy in particular. A case study is then made of the construction sector in Italy, enriched by personal accounts of the experiences of Tunisian migrant workers in Modena. Employer and tradeunion interviews reveal a lack of concern and ability to tackle the relevant issues. Barriers to health and safety awareness training are outlined. In the conclusion, recommendations are made for policy initiatives in this area.

Introduction

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Sarah H Cleveland ◽  
Paul B. Stephan
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
International Law ◽  
Foreign Relations ◽  
Political Process ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
The Third ◽  
History Of

This introductory chapter serves as a foreword for the volume. It sketches the history of past restatements and the evolution of the latest one. The first (confusingly called Second) Restatement of the Foreign Relations Law of the United States brought widespread attention to the term “foreign relations law.” It staunchly defended the proposition that foreign relations, no matter how imbued with discretion and prerogative, still must rest on law. The Third Restatement, prepared during a period of what to many seemed constitutional retrenchment and a loosening of judicial supervision over public life, offered a robust defense of the proposition that, “In conducting the foreign relations of the United States, Presidents, members of Congress, and public officials are not at large in a political process; they are under law.” Moreover, it insisted that the judiciary, as much as the executive and Congress, creates and enforces this law. To the extent that the Third Restatement rested its claims on its view of the state of customary international law, other influential actors pushed back. The Fourth Restatement revisits the Third’s claims, especially about the central role of the judiciary, in light of the evolution of both U.S. and international law and practice.

scholarly journals Competition and Cooperation between Shared Bicycles and Public Transit: A Case Study of Beijing

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1323
Author(s):  
Haitao Jin ◽  
Fengjun Jin ◽  
Jiao’e Wang ◽  
Wei Sun ◽  
Libo Dong
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Public Transit ◽  
Transportation Mode ◽  
Transit Systems ◽  
Competition And Cooperation ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Transit Services ◽  
Highly Correlated

As an eco-friendly transportation mode, shared bicycles provide a new option for public transit users in urban areas. China’s bicycle-sharing market began flourishing in July 2016 and reached a plateau in 2017. How shared bicycles influenced public transit systems during this period is an interesting topic. A case study of Beijing is conducted. This study aims to identify the competitive and cooperative influences of shared bicycles on public transit by exploring the changes in public transit trip distances before and after the upsurge in bicycle-sharing. A histogram shifting method is introduced to examine the influences of shared bicycles on public transit services from a travel distance perspective. A spatial correlation of bicycling usage and public transit changes is calculated using units of gridded cell spaces. The results show: (1) overall transit usage continued growing after the shared bicycles market reached a plateau; (2) short public transits within 2 km decreased while transfers within 2 km increased; and (3) the decrease of short transits and increase of transfers within 3 km were spatially highly correlated to the usage of shared bicycles. Hence, the role of bicycle-sharing systems is competitive for existing public transit systems during short trips and cooperative for connecting transits.

Cost–Benefit Analysis of Rural and Small Urban Transit in the United States

2015 ◽  
Vol 2533 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ranjit Prasad Godavarthy ◽  
Jeremy Mattson ◽  
Elvis Ndembe
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Public Transit ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cost Ratio ◽  
Urban Transit ◽  
Transit Systems ◽  
Benefit Cost Ratio ◽  
True Value ◽  
Benefit Cost

The true value of transit systems in rural and small urban areas in the United States has been largely unmeasured, and there are often effects that go unidentified. Many studies have documented the benefits of urban transit systems with benefit–cost analysis. However, not many have looked into the benefits of transit in rural and small urban areas, where there is a great need for public transit, especially for transportation-disadvantaged individuals. This study focused on evaluating the qualitative and quantitative benefits of rural and small urban public transit systems and analyzed the benefit–cost ratio for rural and small urban transit areas for fixed-route and demand-response services in the United States. Data for rural and small urban transit systems from the national transit database (NTD) and rural NTD were used for calibrating the transit benefits and costs. Results were presented at a national level to show the effects of transit investments in rural and small urban areas nationally. Transit benefits in the United States for 2011 were found to be $1.6 billion for rural transit and $3.7 billion for small urban transit, not including the economic effects. Results showed a benefit–cost ratio of 2.16 for small urban transit and 1.20 for rural transit in the United States. Sensitivity analysis showed that increasing the percentage of forgone trips to 50%, increasing the cost of forgone medical and work trips by 25%, and increasing the percentage of medical trips to 30% substantially increased the total transit benefits by 88%, 20%, and 158%, respectively.

scholarly journals Subways, Strikes, and Slowdowns: The Impacts of Public Transit on Traffic Congestion

2014 ◽  
Vol 104 (9) ◽  
pp. 2763-2796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael L. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Regression Discontinuity ◽  
Public Transit ◽  
Choice Model ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Regression Discontinuity Design ◽  
Transit Systems ◽  
Transit Service ◽  
Net Benefits

Public transit accounts for 1 percent of US passenger miles traveled but attracts strong public support. Using a simple choice model, we predict that transit riders are likely to be individuals who commute along routes with severe roadway delays. These individuals' choices thus have high marginal impacts on congestion. We test this prediction with data from a strike in 2003 by Los Angeles transit workers. Estimating a regression discontinuity design, we find that average highway delay increases 47 percent when transit service ceases. We find that the net benefits of transit systems appear to be much larger than previously believed. (JEL H76, J52, L92, R41)

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