Study Released on "Transportation and the New Generation"

Fronier Group--a non-profit, non-partisan, multi-issue research and public policy organization formed in 1996--published a transportation-related study in April 2012 with help from the US PIRG Education Fund.

Photo: Regional Transit System (RTS) for the City of Gainesville, Florida

The study is called Transportation and the New Generation: Why Young People Are Driving Less and What It Means for Transportation Policy. 

See the Frontier Group's portal page for the study. The Executive Summary is presented, as well as links to the complete study and a webinar slide presentation.

Here are the basic facts:

• From 2001 to 2009, the average annual number of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for young people (16 to 34 yrs) decreased by 23%.
• The share of this age group without a driver's license increased by 5%.
• They walked to their designations 6% more often.
• Their transit miles jumped by 40%.
• They took 24% more bike trips during this period.

Why? Generational research indicates that young people's transportation priorities and preferences differ from those of older generations.

• They would prefer to replace driving with alternative transportation.
• They prefer to live in areas that are walkable.
• They would prefer to text and use social media than to meet friends via car.

Here's a key graph from the report illustrating VMT per capital since 1970.

Figure ES-1: Vehicle-Miles Traveled Per Capita Peaked in 2004

The central conclusion of the report is the following:

America has long created transportation policy under the assumption that driving will continue to increase at a rapid and steady rate. The changing transportation preferences of young people – and Americans overall – throw that assumption into doubt. Policy-makers and the public need to be aware that America’s current transportation policy – dominated by road building – is fundamentally out-of-step with the transportation patterns and expressed preferences of growing numbers of Americans. It is time for policy-makers to consider the implication of changes in driving habits for the nation’s transportation infrastructure decisions and funding practices, and consider a new vision for transportation policy that reflects the needs of 21st century America.

Question:

What do you think are the implications for this trend for transportation planning and policy?

WSDOT approves SR 19/20 Corridor Plan

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has completed a Corridor Plan for State Route (SR) 19/20 from SR 104 to the Port Townsend ferry dock.

The plan outlines a vision for the future of the highway corridor and recommends improvement strategies.

The WSDOT Olympic Region Administrator approved the February 2011 document on March 27.

Visit this website to download the Corridor Plan: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr19/corridorplan.

The key question for those of us who use this highway corridor is how best can we work together to implement the Plan. How can we see to it that the priority improvements happen?

Jefferson County Public Works will be working toward meeting the goals of the Plan and we look forward to working with you.

WSDOT report on impacts of VMT reduction strategies

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) commissioned a study by the Washington State Transportation Center (TRAC) concerning the Impacts of VMT Reduction Strategies on Selected Areas and Groups (December 2010 - 1.8 MB PDF).  The study is released in the context of RCW 74.01.440, which in 2008 established statewide benchmarks to achieve per capita vehicle miles traveled (VMT) reductions over the next 40 years.

The VMT benchmarks are per capita reductions of 18% by 2020, 30% by 2035, and 50% by 2050, based on an estimated VMT baseline of 75 billion miles in 2020.

The purpose of this study is to identify and assess current reports, studies, and academic literature about potential VMT reduction strategies and their economic impacts on five geographic areas, populations and business groups as specified in RCW 47.01.440(4).

For background information and ideas about VMT reduction strategies, visit the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Encylopedia maintained by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute (VTPI).

Report on "Driving and the Built Environment"

A recent report from the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and the Board on Energy and Environmental Systems (BEES), both subsets of the National Academies, analyzes the effects of compact development on motorized travel, energy use, and carbon dioxide emissions.

The results are presented in a full report (Special Report 298) and a four-page PDF summary.

Quoting from the study overview:

The committee that produced the report estimated that the reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT), energy use, and CO2 emissions resulting from more compact, mixed-use development would be in the range of less than 1 percent to 11 percent by 2050, although committee members disagreed about whether the changes in development patterns and public policies necessary to achieve the high end of these estimates are plausible.

TRB will conduct a web briefing or "Webinar" on Wednesday, October 21, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT that will explore Special Report 298: Driving and the Built Environment: The Effects of Compact Development on Motorized Travel, Energy Use, and CO2 Emissions. There is no fee to join this webinar. Space is limited, so they encourage participants to register 24 hours prior to the start of the webinar.