| SES # | LECTURES | RECITATIONS | KEY DATES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Course overview, different perspectives from the instructors Transport modes and characteristics (speed, capacity, LOS, external impacts…) Traffic counts Energy use at MIT, "Walking the Talk" | Assignment 1 out: Gateways to MIT | |
| 2 | Transportation planning as a tool for urban design Traffic calming: Design and implementation | Mind-mapping, communications, scenarios | |
| 3 | Thumbnail history of Boston transportation and analysis of historical developments: Interstate system, aviation, rail and transit The planning method | Assignment 1 due Assignment 2 out: Massachusetts avenue/MIT | |
| 4 | Transportation and land use — chicken and egg The transit challenge | Student presentations on Assignment 1 | |
| 5 | Highway revolt. Resurgence of transit. Was the revolt a rebellion or a revolution? Discussion of emerging transportation issues and strategic planning model to "map" different approaches. | Screening of "Divided Highways," a PBS documentary on road building in America. | Assignment 2 due Assignment 3 out: South Boston |
| 6 | Quantitative methods: GIS, 4-step model, traffic models, NEPA | Student presentations on Assignment 2 | |
| 7 | Transit and parking policy Employment policies, housing finance, tax code Transportation and industrial policy | Transportation modeling exercises | |
| 8 | Environmental concerns: Air quality, energy consumption, global warming NEPA, environmental review Infrastructure sufficiency analysis | Screening of "Public Spaces," a video by urban designer Jan Gehl. | Assignment 3 due Assignment 4 out: Millennium cities database |
| 9 | Spending other people's money — what are the rules? Economic evaluation, financial evaluation, programming, fiscal constraint, job generation, industrial policy, constituencies, Jack Sprat, and organization choices. | Student presentations on Assignment 3 | |
| 10 | Project selection Cost-effectiveness, prioritization, institutional roles MPOs and modal agencies FTA cost-effectiveness FHWA system completion method Guest Lecturers: Laurie Hussey and Tom Rossi, Cambridge Systematics Inc.; Astrid Glynn, Massachusetts office of Commonwealth development | Screening of video on the Big Dig | Assignment 4 due Assignment 5 out: Final project — Energy at MIT |
| 11 | Discussion of Final Assignment Student presentations on Assignment 4 | ||
| 12 | Intelligent transportation systems Congestion pricing Infrastructure reconstruction Operations and maintenance Airport access and international access | ||
| 13 | "Megacities" perspective Holistic approach to transportation and land use Course evaluations and wrap-up Information on Mikel's IAP modeling workshop | Final Assignment due Student presentations on final assignment |