Reprinted from the January-February 2010 Citizen newsletter.
Arlington County's efforts to encourage residents, workers and visitors to consider means of travel other than one-driver-one-car are yielding big benefits, according to a recent study.
"Making an Impact: ACCS Annual Report FY 2008" shows that Arlington County Commuter Services' efforts to help people find easier, cheaper, more efficient ways to travel cut 38,000 car trips from roads in Arlington on the average day. That equates roughly to the number of vehicles on all eight inbound lanes of I-395 and I-66 during the morning rush period.
The reduction in car trips pays many dividends. It eases traffic congestion, and means that each day in Arlington:
- Vehicle miles of travel are cut by more than 500,000
- Gasoline consumption is cut by 23,000 gallons
- Greenhouse gases emitted are cut by 255 tons or 64,000 tons per year.
- We make progress toward achieving the County's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
About ACCS
ACCS is a bureau within the Department of Environmental Services Transportation Division. The Bureau encourages use of transit, carpooling, biking, walking, telework and other alternatives to driving, especially during rush hour.The report on the effectiveness of ACCS's efforts show that we all benefit from these services, whether or not we use them directly.
About the research
LDA Consulting of Washington and Southeastern Institute of Research of Richmond conducted extensive surveys over several years, culminating in the impact assessment. LDA Consulting carried out the research on behalf of ACCS using data from a variety of studies of ACCS customers, as well as results from regional studies conducted by other organizations, such as the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Survey methodologies included telephone surveys, web-based surveys and intercept surveys depending on the study.
According to the data, ACCS helps thousands of residents, workers and visitors shift their trips from driving alone to other modes, or avoiding trips altogether through telework. The surveys reveal many benefits to individuals and the community including improved mobility, higher ranking of quality of life and high rankings of Arlington as a business location. The full report and many other studies of interest can be found on the ACCS' Transportation Demand Management Resource Center website at www.commuterpage.com/research.
Sorry that's not more clear. 255 tons per day which equals 64,000 tons per year.
Posted by: Chris Hamilton | January 08, 2010 at 09:21 AM
"Greenhouse gases emitted are cut by 255 tons or 64,000 tons per year." Umm, which is it?
Posted by: Jim Arlingtonian | January 08, 2010 at 09:16 AM