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.
trends
Recent VMT trends changing DOT investments
Oregon is set to save an estimated $6.2 million by scaling back part of a Eugene area interchange expansion project on Interstate 5. The first three phases of the I-5/Randy Papé Beltline Interchange project have proceeded as planned but the final phase is being scaled back based on the recommendations of two government advisory boards and a 2011 traffic study that forecast 20 percent lower traffic on the facility than was estimated in its environmental study.
Fitch urges policymakers to plan for changing travel demands
Fitch Rating—the third largest credit rating agency in the U.S.—acknowledged earlier this month that we may be entering a new era in travel demand, which will likely have a major impact on transportation infrastructure spending. In a recent commentary article, they point to record transit use and multi-family home construction as two key trends affecting this change.
California travel surveys show big shift away from driving
Last year the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) released the findings from its decennial household travel survey. The 2012 survey shows that the average California household made about 25 percent fewer trips by automobile than it did in 2001, and 65 to 75 percent more trips by walking, biking, and public transit. Those changes mean the shares of the three non-auto modes doubled. While the new survey better accounted for non-auto trips that may contribute to the increase in those modes, the major factor in the mode shift seems to be a decline in driving, a mode that was measured with GPS in both surveys.
U.S. DOT highway travel demand estimates continue to overshoot reality
In December, as USDOT was preparing its updated Conditions & Performance report, we took a look back at previous reports and found a consistent pattern of overestimates of motor-vehicle travel demand. We wondered about the new estimates: Will they be accurate this time? Now we know. The answer is “no.”
Per capita VMT drops for ninth straight year; DOTs taking notice
Estimates released by FHWA on Friday suggest that per capita vehicle miles of travel dropped again in 2013, making it the ninth consecutive year of decline. Total VMT in the United States increased by 0.6 percent from 2012, hovering just below 3 trillion, and per capita VMT dropped to 9,402. Unlike other past dips in driving, this recent downward shift has had no clear, lasting connection to economic trends or gas prices. Evidence suggests that the decline is likely due to changing demographics, saturated highways, and a rising preference for compact, mixed-use neighborhoods, which reduce the need for driving. Several state recently updated long-range transportation plans reflect this shift.
Per capita VMT drops for ninth straight year; DOTs taking notice
Estimates released by FHWA on Friday suggest that per capita vehicle miles of travel dropped again in 2013, making it the ninth consecutive year of decline. Total VMT in the United States increased by 0.6 percent from 2012, hovering just below 3 trillion, and per capita VMT dropped to 9,402. Unlike other past dips in driving, this recent downward shift has had no clear, lasting connection to economic trends or gas prices. Evidence suggests that the decline is likely due to changing demographics, saturated highways, and a rising preference for compact, mixed-use neighborhoods, which reduce the need for driving. Several state recently updated long-range transportation plans reflect this shift.
Rise in 2012 pedestrian-bicycle traffic deaths prompts call for safety metrics
Even as fatalities of drivers and passengers in private autos continue to decrease, there has been a steep rise in deaths of pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists. The rise in pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities led Oregon Representative Earl Blumenauer, a consistent advocate for bicycling and walking, to introduce H.R. 3494, a bill to require states to set separate safety standards for motorized and non-motorized transportation. While fatalities for pedestrians and bicyclists now make up a higher percentage of roadway fatalities, only 1 percent of federal safety funding is devoted to pedestrians and bicyclists, despite the continued rise in bicycling for transportation.
Increasing “reverse commuting” inspires innovative transit programs
Over the last decade, “reverse commuting”—travel from central city residential areas to suburban jobs—has increased significantly. Two trends—increased movement of employment to suburbs and growing preference by some employees for central city living—are driving the reverse commute. While in-migration to walkable and transit friendly cities has reduced driving for non-work auto trips, many workers still need to travel to jobs in the suburbs during peak hours, posing new challenges for transit planners. Transportation planners, employers, and commuters around the country are attempting to adjust to these changes in a number of ways.
Millennials & Mobility: Understanding the Millennial Mindset (APTA, 2013)
Recent news reports and studies have outlined changes in how Millenials travel and live. These have focused on the implications for all transportation modes as well as land use and economic activity. This APTA/TCRP report seeks to further understand the mindsets behind the trends and understand their implications for public transportation in the United States. This study utilizes a mixture of in-depth interviews in five cities and a survey of 1,000 people in six cities that are representative of the types of cities Millennials find attractive.