Citation

Loukissas PJ, Gancarz R. Transp. Res. Rec. 1978; 686: 1-4.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1978, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper discusses a study conducted in the Delaware Valley Region to evaluate the effectiveness of automoible-restricted zones as a transportation system management strategy for improving mobility in activity centers. Attitudinal surveys were used to compare two automobile-restricted zones in the region: the Chestnut Street Transitway in Center City in Philadelphia and the Trenton Commons Mall in downtown Trenton, New Jersey. The case of the Trenton Commons has shown that restricting automobiles cannot by itself reverse a situation or a trend of decay in downtown areas that are no longer viable centers; instead, solutions should aim to improve the unsafe image of the city and to strengthen the retail and service base. In Philadelphia, a relatively healthy and viable environment, the transitway survey has shown that people see automobile restriction as an effective tool in preserving and further improving the commercial vitality and the environmental quality of the downtown area. The problems with the Chestnut Street Transitway lie in the fact that certain physical and operational improvements aimed at utilizing the project have not yet been taken.