Abstract:At present, the City of Davis, surrounding communities, and the UC Davis campus are struggling with many of the same transportation problems that plague larger urban centers including increasing traffic, limited parking, and challenges to effective operation of the public transit system. The campus is expecting to grow by 6,000 students in the next ten years (plus approximately 3,000 faculty and staff) and is developing a Long-Range Development Plan (LRDP) that will serve to guide this growth. This plan will include housing, traffic control, parking, alternative transportation modes, and interactions with the broader community.

The development of the LRDP provides a unique opportunity for the Institute of Transportation Studies-Davis (ITS-Davis), the University of California (UC)-wide Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways (PATH) program, and Caltrans to provide input and advice on mobility options that will help the campus accommodate the expected growth while minimizing negative transportation impacts. The integrated nature of the LRDP also provides an opportunity to look at transportation options from a broader perspective then is usually possible under traditional planning scenarios. Thus creating an opportunity to evaluate a variety of innovative advanced information and mobility packages that could be implemented on a pilot scale in the coming years. These advanced technologies include dynamic ridesharing, carsharing, neighborhood electric vehicles, linkages between housing and access to shared-use automobiles, integration between modes, information kiosks, and other mobility packages that might prove effective at reducing the demand for single occupancy vehicles associated with campus.

This report reflects an initial scoping that is intended to inform a broader multi-year project. The goals are to:

• 1) Participate in the campus LRDP process and provide advice on reducing transportation impacts.
• 2) Evaluate a range of advanced information technology options that might increase mobility with minimal impact.
• 3) Initiate pilot projects for demonstrating the viability of a few of the most promising mobility packages, utilizing advanced information technologies.

The development of pilot projects would create partnerships among academia, government, private industry, and public interest groups. Many factors are converging that would indicate this project has a high likelihood of success.

• 1) The California Air Resources Board has recently indicated that automobile manufacturer's that place advanced technology cars in shared-use applications could receive additional zero emission vehicle (ZEV) credit. This has created the potential for partnerships between automobile manufacturers and the operators of shared use systems.
• 2) Information technologies are rapidly advancing to a stage where these technologies can contribute to new mobility options and reduced traffic and negative impacts of single occupancy vehicle transportation.
• 3) The UC Davis campus is excited about new opportunities created by the LRDP and the participation of ITS-Davis.
• 4) State and local regulators responsible for reducing congestion and improving quality of life are looking for new ideas and approaches to accomplish their mandates.

The purpose of the more limited project (the subject of this report) is to:

• 1) Begin a general assessment of the campus and the City of Davis.
• 2) To introduce the project to key players and develop potential partners.
• 3) To make recommendations for how to proceed with the broader project.