Blog going on hiatus

Greetings. Due to staffing transitions at Jefferson County Public Works, this blog is going on hiatus.

The snippets of other transportation-related blogs to the right will continue to be automatically updated.

Check again in the future to see if things are "rolling" again here on the Visionary Transport Blog. Thank you for checking in on us.

Public Hearing August 13 for 2013-2018 Transportation Improvement Program

The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Monday, August 13, 2012, at 10:00 AM in the Commissioners Chambers at the County Courthouse in Port Townsend, in consideration of the proposed Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for 2013 through 2018.

Update: The Board adopted the 2013-2018 TIP unanimously on August 13 through Resolution 49-12.

Oak Bay Road culvert replacement, milepost 8.947, April 2011

The 2013-2018 TIP is a list of capital transportation projects that Jefferson County Public Works anticipates undertaking in the corresponding six-year period. The list includes secured and anticipated funding sources for each project.

For more information, visit the TIP webpage. 

Example project map. Click here for the TIP wall map.

The text of the August 1 media release follows after the jump...

Say "wow" to VOWS?

The Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC) has launched a new program for soliciting public input. It's called Voice of Washington State (VOWS) and it takes advantage of new web-based techololgy. Read about it here:

• news release
• VOWS website
• Transportation Issues Daily blog post

The program includes:

1. seven regional Online Discussion Forums to publicly voice opinions, post ideas, and interact with other citizens
2. online Survey Panel to participate in occasional online surveys

Jefferson County is in the Western Washington Forum.

Anyone is welcome to participate in the discussion forums and survey panel. One must create an account using an email address and password in order to participate.

According to the WSTC news release dated June 28, 2012:

The ultimate goal is to gather public input on Washington state transportation policy and funding, and to inform the statewide discussion and decision-making process. Topics for discussion will focus on all things transportation: highways, mass transit, freight and high-speed rail, ferries, barges and aviation. The governor and Legislature will be briefed on the ideas and data generated through the online discussion forums and surveys.

The combination of the online survey and the regional online discussion forums is a new outreach strategy for the WSTC. While the Commission has conducted successful phone and email surveys through the Ferry Riders Opinion Group for a few years, the primary community input tool has been public meetings. The online tools remove the distance and travel barriers inherent to public meetings; this increases the opportunity for everyone – no matter where they live – to participate and share their views.

MAP-21 mapped out

After 33 months of wrangling, Congress finally agreed late last week on a transportation package to replace SAFETEA-LU. It's called MAP-21 -- Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act -- and will direct $105 billion worth of federal surface transportation funding for the next 27 months, through October 2014.

MAP-21 addresses multiple issues. Although there is general relief that something has been passed, not everyone is happy with the result. For summaries and perspectives, try the following:

• Easy-to-digest summary posted by a Washington, DC blogger
• Cheat Sheet part 1 & part 2 and MAP-21 Learning Center supplied by Transportation Issues Daily (TID)
• US Department of Transportation MAP-21 web portal
• Quotes from Congressional leaders (TID) about the compromise
• Joint Explanatory Statement from Congress describing the final bill negotiations
• Chart comparing final Conference Report version to original Senate and House versions (Politico)
• Congressional Budget Office (CBO) cost estimate
• The Secretary of Transportation says that "this is a good bill that will create jobs, strengthen our transportation system, and grow our economy"
• National Journal asks transportation experts whether it's "an early Christmas present or a lump of coal"
• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy suggests the bill is "a step back"
• Transportation for America says it's "a clear step backwards"

More opinions and perspectives are bound to be issued in the coming days, weeks, and months as the details of the package are poured over and the implications are put into play once signed by President Obama.


What's your take?

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?

Quimper Peninsula Transportation Study

The Quimper Peninsula Transportation Study is now posted on the Jefferson County Public Works website.

The Port Hadlock "Crossroads"

A few years back Jefferson County hired Transpo Group of Kirkland to build a travel demand model for the Quimper Peninsula. We shared the data with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to contribute to the SR 19/20 Corridor Plan and we initiated our own study that covered a larger area and focused on the Irondale & Port Hadlock Urban Growth Area (UGA). We have now completed the contract with Transpo Group and the final products are up on the web.

The Quimper Transportation Study, Study Appendices and the 2008 Travel Demand Model Documentation can be found here: http://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/publicworks/trans_planning.asp.

An anticipated next step is to scope a “UGA Roadmap” project that will use the Quimper Transportation Study as a foundation for further transportation planning. Refer to initial goals, deliverables and outcomes below (after "the jump").

EPA Releases Guide to Sustainable Transportation Performance Measures

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports a State and Local Climate and Energy Program that provides technical assistance, analytical tools, and outreach support to state, local, and tribal governments. The following information was delivered recently via email listserv: 

EPA's Office of Sustainable Communities has published a Guide to Sustainable Transportation PerformanceMeasures. The guide describes opportunities for transportation agencies to incorporate environmental, economic, and social sustainability into decision-making through the use of performance measures. Performance measures allow decision-makers to quickly observe the effects of a proposed transportation plan or project, or to monitor trends in transportation system performance over time. The guide describes 12 performance measures that can readily be used in transportation decision-making, and for each, it presents possible metrics, summarizes analytical methods and data sources, and illustrates its use by one or more transportation agencies.

The Guide to Sustainable Transportation Performance Measures is available at http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/transpo_performance.htm.

Solar Highways? Out-of-the-box idea explored...

Talk about an out-of-the-box idea: Solar Roadways.

Watch this video to hear the description directly from some folks working on the concept.


"How Stuff Works" provides some information on the concept of solar highways.

The State of Oregon has tried out a similar concept, utilizing space in the public right-of-way for solar panels.

What do you think?



Embedded video below...

2012-2017 Transportation Improvement Program

The Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on June 20, 2011 at 11:00 AM at the Jefferson County Courthouse in consideration of the proposed Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for 2012-2017.

For details and documents, visit the Public Works TIP page.

Public Works issued a media release on June 8 with information about the process by which the proposed TIP is developed. Read the text after the jump or jump to a PDF of the release.

* * *

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).

2011-2016 Transportation Improvement Program subject of Oct. 18 public hearing

The Quinault River threatens the South Shore Road.  Jefferson County frequently faces road management challenges resulting from winter storm damage.

The Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) will hold a public hearing on October 18, 2010 as a step in the process to consider and adopt a Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for the period from 2011 through 2016. The TIP is a list of capital transportation projects that the Jefferson County anticipates undertaking in the next six years.  It includes cost estimates and secured or planned revenue sources for each project.


Jefferson County Public Works issued a press release this week that pertains to the proposed TIP and upcoming public hearing.


Visit the Jefferson County website TIP page for more information and access to documents and maps.


You are welcome to comment on this blog.  In order for your comment to reach the BoCC as part of the public hearing and TIP adoption process, please email the Commissioners directly.

How about a peddle-powered monorail?

Perhaps a peddle-powered monorail is not a fit for Jefferson County, at least at this point in time...

Check out the Shweeb from New Zealand.

It's creator calls it "the most efficient vehicle on Earth."

At the very least, it's an interesting invention that could find a transporation application somewhere.

Tesla, the Ferrari of electric cars, visits PT

Photo by Charlie Bermant/Peninsula Daily News

Local enthusiasts hosted fellow members of an electric vehicle club this week in Port Townsend. The feature vehicle is the $110,000 Tesla, considered the Ferrari of electric cars and able to do 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds.

No need to shift gears. Quiet as the wind. 200-mile range. Sounds neat. Maybe someday these vehicles will be slightly more affordable...

Well, at least you can get the Nissan Leaf for around $30,000.

"Nimble Cities"

Slate.com recently gathered ideas for making transportation in and between urban areas more efficient, safe and pleasant. See the results here. Several plans involved specifc "bicycle highways." Imagine...

New Transportation package still on hold

According to this story, the White House continues to prefer extensions to SAFETEA-LU rather than take up a new 6-year transportation investment package. This isn't sitting well with Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn), Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Apparently, the Surface Transportation Authorization plan proposed by Oberstar in the spring of 2009 is in line with the administration's policies; the debate is over how to fund the investments (and how this plays out in an election year).

Final Open House for SR 19/20 Corridor Plan

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will host the final SR 19/20 Corridor Plan Open House on Thursday, November 19, 2009, at the Chimacum Middle School Commons, 91 W. Valley Road. The public is invited to stop by anytime from 3:30 to 6:30 PM.

The agency plans to share its final transportation improvement recommendations for the corridor from SR 104 to the Port Townsend ferry terminal. The plan is expected to be adopted early next year. For more information, visit this website: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr19/corridorplan.

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.

USDOT Transportation Secretary addresses energy & the transportation sector

The US Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, spoke to the Council on Competiveness National Energy Summit & International Dialogue on September 23 about the role of the transportation sector in our energy challenges, and the steps the US Department of Transportation is taking to address those challenges.

See Secretary LaHood's blog entry about the event.

Thumbnail updates of his "Welcome to the Fast Lane" blog, as well as other transportation-related blogs, appear on the right side of this blog. Scroll down to see the list.

5 years of Washington State climate action summarized in one place

The Washington State Department of Ecology has summarized all of the legislation and executive orders passed or issued in Washington State over the past five years that serve to reduce our state’s greenhouse gas emissions or otherwise address climate change. The text of the bills and executive order are linked to the summaries. Here is a link: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/docs/2009_ClimateChangeActions_071509.pdf

Jefferson County, the City of Port Townsend, and other local partners have joined together to plan and implement climate action. Visit this webpage for more information:

http://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/commdevelopment/ClimateChange.htm