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Public Transportation (TL 786)

Course Description

This course focuses on public transportation issues and models used in urban and rural settings. The course is categorized into seven modules: The history, governance, planning and design, service delivery, management, trends, and future. Students will work on projects directly related to transit systems. Each student will be assigned an industry mentor (3 credit hours).

Course Objectives

The objective of this course is to provide the student with an understanding and knowledge of the history, policy, and practices within the public transportation industry.

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 / in-class discussions and a final project / paper.

The assignments and papers will be weighted as follows

DescriptionPercentage
Online discussions20%
Seminar25%
Homework assignments25%
Final paper / project30%

The following scale will be used to assign letter grades.

Numerical ScoreLetter Grade
90-100A
80-89B
70-79C
60-69D
Below 60F

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

WeekTopic
Week 1Module 1
What is Public Transportation?
The History of Public Transportation; and The Business of Public Transportation
Week 2Module 2
Governance and Organizational Structure; Funding and Economics; and ADA / Civil Rights
Week 3Module 2
Social Change and Justice; and Environmental Sustainability and Livability
Week 4Module 3
Travel Behavior and Transit Travel Demand; and Modal Characteristics and Impacts;
Week 5Module 3
Network Planning; and Corridor Planning and Analysis of Alternatives
Week 6No Class - NDSU Spring Break
Week 7Module 3
Transit-Oriented Development: Coordinating Public Transportation and Land Use
Week 8Module 4
Service Planning, Operations Planning and Scheduling; Families of Service; and Operations
Week 9Module 4
Human Service Transportation; Rural Transportation; and Marketing
Week 10Module 5 - Management:
Organizational Models; Functions Performed by Transit Management; and Internal and External Stakeholders
Week 11Module 5
Performance Measurement and Benchmarking; Organized Labor in a Transit Operation; and Ethical Challenges
Week 12Module 6
Public Transit Trends:
New Paradigms; and Changes in How to do Business in Public Transit
Week 13Module 6 - Public Transit Trends: Technology in Transit; Impacts and Responses to External Factors
Week 14Module 7
Future of Public Transit
Week 15Presentations

Required Student Resources

Students must have access to a computer and the internet. The instructor's lecture notes will be made available. 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 (PDF).

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NDSU Dept 2880 • P.O. Box 6050 • Fargo, ND 58108-6050
(701)231-7767 • ndsu.ugpti@ndsu.edu