Public Transportation (TL 786)
Instructors and Contact Information
Dr. Jill Hough, 430 IACC Building
Phone: (701)231-8082
E-mail: jill.hough@ndsu.edu
Office hours: 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. most weekdays, or by appointment
Course Description
This public transportation course will include concepts and models used in the transit industry, for both rural and urban settings. Policy issues, government's role in transit, transit planning, demand forecasting, performance evaluation, and system costing will be discussed. Students will have the opportunity to work on projects directly related to a transit system. (3 credit hours)
Course Objectives
To provide the student with an understanding and knowledge of the history, institutions, terminology, and the issues particular to public transportation policy, planning, and management
To provide an introduction to employment opportunities in the transit industry for those students with career interests in the area.
Course Content
See calendar of events
Evaluation Procedures and Criteria
The course grade will be determined from online and in-class discussions, seminar discussion/presentation, and a class project.
The assignments and papers will be weighted as follows:
| Description | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Online and in-class | 20% |
| Seminar presentation / discussion | 30% |
| Class Project | 50% |
The following scale will be used to assign letter grades:
| Numerical Score | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 90-100 | A |
| 80-89 | B |
| 70-79 | C |
| 60-69 | D |
| Below 60 | F |
Note: Students with disabilities or other special needs that require different accommodations are invited to share these concerns or requests with the instructors as soon as possible.
Course Schedule / Calendar of Events
The course will be scheduled for Monday mornings Mondays, 9:00-11:45 a.m. Central Time. The first class period will be held January 28, 2008. Generally, the first half of the course will include lecture and discussion and the second half of the class will include seminar presentation and discussion by students.
| Week | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1 – Jan. 14 | No class scheduled due to the Transportation Research Board |
| 2 – Jan. 21 | No class due to Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday |
| 3 – Jan. 28 | Class Overview History of the transit industry Urban transportation problems |
| 4 – Feb. 4 | Rural transportation problems Discuss Class Project |
| 5 – Feb. 11 | Para transit/ demand response – ADA Services Seminar by student or class project discussion |
| 6 – Feb. 18 | No class due to President's Day |
| 7 – Feb. 25 | Livable cities, transit friendly land use, Transportation Demand Management |
| 8 – Mar. 3 | Performance of U.S. transit industry Government's role in transit |
| 9 – Mar. 10 | Policy issues (mobility needs, air quality, etc) |
| 10 – Mar. 17 | Seminar |
| 11 – Mar. 24 | Transit Planning and Demand Forecasting |
| 12 – Mar. 31 | Transit System Costing and Performance Evaluation |
| 13 – Apr. 7 | Marketing |
| 14 – Apr. 14 | Fare policy/fare collection |
| 15 – Apr. 21 | Group presentations |
| 16 – Apr. 28 | Group presentations |
Required Student Resources
Students must have access to a computer and the Internet. The instructor's lecture notes will be available at the class website. Additional references will be identified on the Web.
No textbook is required for this course – handouts will be made available.
Academic Honesty
All work in this course must be completed in a manner consistent with NDSU University Senate Policy, Section 335: Code of Academic Responsibility and Conduct at www.ndsu.edu/policy/335.htm
