Abstract

The public transport service in Rochester, NY, is inefficient in terms of reliability, safety, comfort, security, waiting, transfer, and longer commute hours. The public transportation system needs significant transformation to overcome this alleviating issue and relieve the burden on low-income residents, pedestrians, and non-motorized vehicle users. The research objective of this thesis is to advance and discover a connection pattern between transportation, urban sprawl, poverty, and unemployment in Rochester, NY. It targets the low-income resident’s detachment from diverse uses, residential settlement, locations of jobs, and transportation options. The research analyses how-: people commute to work, how long the commute takes, the rate of car ownership, and the financial burdens of owning a car. Furthermore, the research goes deeper into the energy demands and emission reduction caused by the transport sector. The data collection method used for the analysis is metanalysis, gathering data from local authority websites, organizations, research papers, and media. Sustainable transport can be a catalyst for urban development that prioritizes equity, accessibility, and time savings for the low-income commuter while reducing emissions and increasing traffic safety. Thus, all benefactors are a modal shift to lower-carbon transport systems such as walking, cycling, public transport, alternative fuel vehicles, modifying roads, and minimizing travel time. The scope of this study is to assess the environmental, social, and economic impacts caused by car dependency in Rochester, NY. As a result, the research probes the opportunities and challenges of leveraging Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) while introducing a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Transportation--New York (State)--Rochester; Transportation--Environmental aspects--New York (State)--Rochester; Local transit--New York (State)--Rochester; Sustainable transportation--New York (State)--Rochester

Publication Date

12-16-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Architecture (M.Arch.)

Department, Program, or Center

Architecture (GIS)

Advisor

Alissa De Wit-Paul

Advisor/Committee Member

Dennis A. Andrejko

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

Plan Codes

ARCH-MARCH

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