The distinction between transit and transportation network companies got smaller in early December, as Uber rolled out a version of “slugging” and fixed-route services.
commuting
WSDOT’s longstanding TDM program getting much deserved recognition
Since 1991, the Washington State DOT has been working with employers to reduce the number of people driving to work alone through the Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) program. The program has had a significant effect on congestion and the rate of solo commuting among employees at large companies in the state, as highlighted in a recent CityLab article.
San Francisco Bay Area MPO launches interactive performance measure portal
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which has drawn attention for its rigorous performance measure-driven transportation plan, is expanding its use of performance measures with a publicly accessible portal called Vital Signs. Launched on January 28, Vital Signs is “an interactive tool that Bay Area residents can use to track the region’s progress toward reaching key transportation, land use, environmental and economic policy goals,” MTC said in a press release.
Commuter tax benefits: Who wins and loses?
A new report from TransitCenter shines a light on the federal Commuter Tax Benefits program and the impact the program has on mode choice. While the concept of excluding from taxation income spent on transportation to work may sound reasonable, in practice the program is heavily skewed in favor of drivers, provides a disproportionate benefit to the wealthy, costs taxpayers billions of dollars per year in uncollected revenue, and adds over 800,000 car commuters, driving over 4.6 billion additional miles per year to the nation’s road system.
Private transit services offer commutes with amenities
Cities around the U.S. are seeing a new style of transit that is a cross between the (in)famous Google buses, smartphone-driven Uber and Lyft, and standard city transit systems. Neither exclusive to one company nor attempting to cover the city, these “pop-up bus services” are geared to those who live in certain neighborhoods and work downtown, have smartphones and a few extra dollars, and desire a direct commute and pleasant atmosphere.
Bicycle data: Filling the gaps
A decade’s worth of data now shows bicycle commuting and trip-making continuing to rise around the nation. And yet, by most measures, funding and infrastructure for bicycles have not kept pace. Neither have data collection and analysis. Recognizing the problems associated with missing data, transportation, researchers, and independent enthusiasts are all stepping up to fill that gap.
New Bay Area TDM mandate expands benefits to commuters
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission have launched a joint pilot program requiring employers with more than 50 full-time employees in the District’s nine-county area to offer one or more commuter benefits to their employees by the end of September 2014.
The commute trade-off: Impacts on productivity and health
Americans are making trade-offs between commuting time, housing costs, and health related activities. The trade-offs push individuals to make decisions negatively affecting personal health (physical and psychological), which in turn correlates with reduced productivity in the workplace. “People should recognize that long commutes may siphon away time that could otherwise be spent on healthy activities, potentially [leading to] adverse health impacts,” said the author of a study in the Journal of Urban Health.
In commuting world, traditional gender roles detrimental to women’s health
While still in the early phases of being incorporated into transportation policy making, the health effects associated with commuting are becoming more apparent to public health officials and transportation researchers. And the effects may hit women harder than men, especially when it comes to stress due to commuting. Building on the commuter stress studies, a recent Washington Post article points out that the stress of driving is disproportionately affecting women.
CDOT study tests methodology for systematic bicycle traffic measurement
As bicycling and walking have become more popular methods of transportation, cities and states are searching for better techniques for estimating traffic from these non-motorized modes. Both on individual corridors and throughout transportation systems, traffic volumes are essential for planning and performance measures. But measuring non-motorized traffic can be more difficult than counting cars and trucks, so new techniques are needed to estimate traffic patterns. Colorado DOT worked with researchers at the University of Colorado-Denver to establish Colorado-specific methodologies for estimating bicycle and pedestrian volumes via a limited sample of existing counts.