CHITTENDEN COUNTY LAND USE - TRANSPORTATION DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM

A Cooperative Effort of the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission and the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization

CCMPO worked collaboratively with the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission to develop a more integrated approach to land use and transportation modeling. The Chittenden County Land Use - Transportation Decision Support System (DSS) integrated the CCMPO transportation model with a specialized land use allocation forecasting model. The DSS is no longer in active development as the MPO and RPC continue to use the Land Use Allocation Module of the regional transportation model and look forward to the potential of using the UrbanSim model now in development for Chittenden County at the University of Vermont.

The Decision Support System was a joint project between the two agencies which will provide local citizens and policy makers better tools to examine the relationships between land use and transportation. The project included the development of a computer tool to analyze interrelationships between transportation infrastructure and land use and development patterns.

A diverse group chartered through a partnership of the CCMPO, CCRPC, and the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) developed an approach and scope of work for undertaking this process in late 1999. In 2000 a project steering committee convened to refine the initial scope of work and oversee the implementation of the project. The steering committee participated in selecting the consultant team and continues to meet regularly to provide oversight and participate in the development of policies and tools associated with the project.

DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM PROJECT INFORMATION:
*DSS Powerpoint Presentation* (11/19/2003) (8.0 mB) Presentation to the CCMPO Board of Directors
*DSS Snapshot Module Information* The Snapshot Module can support community planning processes. A “snapshot” is a static, or single point in time, analysis of a given situation. The other method of operation using the DSS is the Forecast Module. The Forecast module predicts the location of future housing and employment based on transportation accessibility and local land use policies. Separate tests of the Forecast module are underway and will be posted on this website as testing is completed. The snapshot module of the DSS is a support tool to help stakeholders and decision-makers: • Create plans through issue identification, alternatives analysis, and goal-setting. • Implement plans by evaluating development consistency with goals. • Achieve plans by measuring cumulative progress toward goals. At the heart of snapshots are a set of indicators that are used to benchmark existing conditions, evaluate alternative courses of action, and monitor change over time. Indicators are measurements of key community characteristics that provide insights into overall conditions. For example, the residential indicator of “dwellings per acre” is a useful measurement of an area’s suitability for transit service because of its spatial representation of potential ridership density. The premise of the DSS is that plan formulation and implementation can be valuably informed by a standardized set of indicator measurements that are used regularly to gauge actions. Several reports on the Snapshot Module are available for download below: Snapshot Module Getting Started Guide (10/16/2003) (1,014 kB) Snapshot Module Indicator Dictionary (10/16/2003) (338 kB) Snapshot Module Community Process Guide (10/16/2003) (305 kB) Snapshot Module Test Report (4/3/2002) (8.1 MB - WARNING! Large File)
*DSS Forecast Module Information* The Forecast Module predicts the location of future housing and employment based on transportation accessibility and local land use policies. Testing of this module is currently underway on historic development patterns in Chittenden County and a number of hypothetical projects made up for testing purposes. Once testing and refinement is complete, the forecast module will be a valuable tool for informing regional discussions of transportation and land use into the future. The forecast module also has a standardized set of indicator measurements that are used regularly to gauge actions and compare results across alternative land use and transportation scenarios. Several draft reports and background information on the Forecast Module are available for download below: Forecast Module Getting Started Guide (10/16/2003) (956 kB) Forecast Module Indicator Dictionary (10/16/2003) (357 kB) Forecast Module Community Process Guide (10/16/2003) (327 kB) Forecast Module Sensitivity Test Report (5/1/2002) (148 kB)
Report on Transportation and Land Use Influences (10/24/2001) (438 kB) This report served two goals in the DSS development: 1. The study provided background on the influences on transportation behavior and land use in Chittenden County, and 2. The study helped assess whether the indicators being proposed for use in the Decision Support System captured the important influences on transportation behavior and land use (see below for more information on the indicators).
* Please contact David Roberts (CCMPO Staff) or Melanie Needle (CCRPC Staff) if you have any questions or comments regarding this project.
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