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.

Once again, Washington state ranks as the most "bike-friendly"

For the 5th year in a row, the League of American Bicyclists has ranked Washington state as the most bicycle-friendly state in the nation.

For more information:

• Vist the League's Bicycle Friendly State Program webpage for a complete look at the the 2012 state rankings.
• Read about the results on the League's blog.
• Review the report card specific to Washington.

In particular, the League says that, "Washington is the model for all other states on utilizing federal funds for bicycle and pedestrian projects." Also, the state passed a safe passing / vulnerable user law in 2011 that demonstrates recognition of the importance of sharing the roads.

“People in the Pacific Northwest embrace bicycling as part of a lifestyle that honors the environment, healthier living and transportation choices,” said Washington Governor Christine Gregoire. “This title once again confirms that we’re on the right track, supporting bicycling as a transportation option in our communities.”

Update:

• WSDOT press release re: Washington state's ranking (5/25/12)
• For 2010, the most recent data available, Washington was ninth highest in the nation for bicycle safety and our bicycle fatality crash rate was 0.89 bicyclists per 1,000,000 – the lowest in the state’s recorded history.
• The League named Port Townsend a silver-level Bicycle-Friendly Community, up from bronze status last year. 

Overall Bike-Friendly Ranking of States (League of American Bicyclists 2012)

The mission of the League of Amercian Bicyclists is:
To promote bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation and work through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America.

The League was founded as the League of American Wheelmen in 1880. Bicyclists, known then as "wheelmen," were challenged by rutted roads of gravel and dirt and faced antagonism from horsemen, wagon drivers, and pedestrians. In an effort to improve riding conditions so they might better enjoy their newly discovered sport, more than 100,000 cyclists from across the United States joined the League to advocate for paved roads.

The League continues its advocacy efforts today.

  

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?

The ReCyclery re-opening is Earth Day

This Saturday, April 21--also known as Earth Day 2012--is the grand re-opening of The ReCyclery at its new location at the intersection of Blaine Street and Kearney Street in Port Townsend.

A "bike parade" starts from the Farmers Market in uptown Port Townsend at 2:00 PM and heads to the new site adjacent to the community facilities on the Mountain View campus.

The mission of The ReCyclery is Positive Social Change Through Bicycles.

Visit The Recyclery website for details about the event and the organization.

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...

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...

"The Transportation Prescription"

A coalition consisting of PolicyLink, Prevention Institute and Convergence Partnership has published a report entitled, The Transportation Prescription: Bold New Ideas for Healthy, Equitable Transportation Reform in America that accompanies an edited volume of detailed transportation and health policy advocacy.

The policy perspective addresses a wide variety of issues and choices in the broad field of transportation, while continually returning to public health as a focal point.

The Foreward to the report is contributed by Congressman James Oberstar, Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Congress is currently considering a successor to the current surface transportation legislation, last enacted in 2005. This legislation will directly affect the investment of billions of dollars in transportation infrastructure and programs.

“Environmental sustainability, access, and our collective well-being must combine with mobility and safety as the cornerstones of our transportation investments. The following report represents an important contribution to our emerging understanding of the connections between transportation and public health and is an invaluable resource for policymakers and all those interested in building healthy communities. With a greater recognition of the strong linkage between public health and transportation, I believe we can build a network that supports our mobility and creates access and economic strength while promoting equity, sustaining our good health and quality of life.”

Representative Jim Oberstar

Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

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

NJ FIT: Future in Transportation

New Jersey is developing a new program oriented toward creating greater synergy between land use and transportation, which will yield environmental and health benefits. It's called Future in Transportation.

The program was developed after an Integrated Land Use and Transportation Plan for Route 31 in Flemington, New Jersey, included a robust trip reduction program in connect with public transit. Extensive public involvement was key to the corridor planning process. The project was recognized by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) with a "Best Project Award." The Project for Public Spaces (PPS) has also offered congratulations to the New Jersey Department of Transportation for this exemplary work, and included Route 31 as a case study in its Building Community through Transportation program.

Question: While recognizing that we are in a different geographic and demographic context, can we still learn something valuable from effort on the other coast?

What does your crystal ball show?

What do you see in the future? What happens after peak oil? What will fuel our transport modes? Will water transport once again play a significant role for our local ports?


* * * *

Background info on the "peak oil" theory:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil
• http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/
• http://www.peakoil.com/
• http://www.peakoil.net/
• http://www.oildecline.com/
• http://www.theoildrum.com/
• http://www.hubbertpeak.com/
• Blog discussions about peak oil
• Peak oil theory debunked

Experimental Blog

Welcome to the "Visionary Transport Blog" for Jefferson County, Washington. These pages are managed by the transportation planning program at Jefferson County Public Works. Our hope is that this blog fosters an exchange of ideas about the future of this part of western Washington state. Jefferson County residents and interested parties are welcome to contribute. Public Works will provide links to information and conversations happening in the world at large. Let us discuss whether and how these cutting edge ideas could be applied here. No idea is too "out there" in terms of thinking ahead and envisioning what this place may be like many years from now.

Feel free to comment to get the dialogue started. If you are interested in being added as blog "author," enabling you to post entries, contact the "blogmaster" directly at jpeters@co.jefferson.wa.us.