Joint PhD Program in Urban Systems
- New Jersey Institute of Technology
- Rutgers University Newark
- University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
Aditi Sarkar
Track
Urban Environment
E-Mail
rakras@gmail.com
Work Position
Institutional Research Analyst
Date passed dissertation defense
May 26, 2009
Biography
Aditi Sarkar received a PhD in Urban Systems in 2009, a Master of Architecture degree (1993) from NJIT in 1994, and Master of Science degree in Physics from New York University in 1989
Title of the Dissertation
Accessibility in Metropolitan Transportation Planning: Visualizing a GIS-Based Measure for Collaborative Planning
Dissertation Abstract
Passed by the US Congress in 1995, the Sage, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), required Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to further the trend of collaboration by employing visualization techniques for Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs). In the first part of this two-part research, three New Jersey MPOs are investigated to understand how accessibility is considered by their organizations, how TIPs are evaluated, and how collaborative planning and visualization techniques are used to evaluate TIPS. In the second part of this study, a small segment of a MPO’s jurisdiction is selected to develop a visualization of the change in accessibility brought about by a TIP.
Suitability analysis, a method commonly used for collaborative decision making in land use planning, is employed to develop the accessibility measure from services areas generated by ArcGIS Network Analyst. Service area values are calculated by gravity-type model that decay inversely to network distance and network time and are dependent on the travel mode desires of the residents of the region. The resultant accessibility raster, a product of collaborative planning, is dependent on the physical characteristics of the region and the people residing there. This accessibility raster is used to visualize change inaccessibility before and after a TIP. Zonal statistics may be applied on this raster to evaluate environmental justice concerns by MPOs.