Improving relationships between public transit authorities and medical centers : case studies and applications to the Illinois Medical District (Chicago, Illinois) and Centro Medico (Sun Juan, Puerto Rico)

Abstract

This thesis addresses transportation and mobility at urban medical centers, concluding that prioritizing transit access at medical centers has the potential to fundamentally transform the hospital experience by reducing congestion, increasing efficiency, improving the built environment, avoiding the deadening effect of parking garages, and improving quality of care. The thesis considers the implications of improved public transportation on medical centers, as well as the impact of hospital ridership on transit authorities via a softened peak service period, increased off-peak ridership, and the availability of origin-destination data. The institutional structure and physical design of four major medical research centers are examined for successes and flaws, as are the policies and service of the associated transit authority. Observations from these case studies are then applied to Chicago's Illinois Medical District and San Juan's Centro Medico, areas currently undergoing major capital investments in transportation infrastructure.