CommuterPageBlog

Future of Transportation: Notes from a Workshop

 

Yesterday, I spent a lively afternoon with a diverse group investigating the Future of Transportation at a workshop hosted by GovLab of Deloitte in their Arlington, VA, offices. The conversation was similar to many others I have been part of in the transportation industry. But the discussion confirmed that the vision of Arlington County's Mobility Lab is on the right track. Here are the ideas discussed at the workshop that I found compelling:  

• Adam Greenfield of Urbanscale said that there is no such thing as a seamless transportation system. In fact, what we are trying to acheive is a system with "beautiful seams".
• Reducing waste, whether through Collaborative Consumption such as Avego's real time ridesharing community or through GM's EN-V, should be a focus in designing future systems.
• Improvements in connections and reliability through provision of real-time transportation information on multiple mode choices and advances in design of technology are of prime importance. While much can be done on the policy and funding levels to encourage innovation and advancement, there is no need to wait. All sectors, but especially the private sector, can start on this critical job today.
• Behavioral economics can help identify the reasons for mode choice by various types of travelers. This knowledge can help design a system that better serves travelers' needs, and help travelers make good mode choices for their trips. 

At the end of the day, the most popular "solution" for the future of transportation was the one that was simple - one based on a single philosophy, easy to explain and understand, flexible enough to serve all types of trips, and as reliable as possible in a world replete with technology and information.

Sonali Soneji, AICP, Research Manager, Arlington County Commuter Services (ACCS). Mobility Lab is an initiaitve of ACCS.

Your Help is Needed to Turn Rail~Volution DC 2011 Ideas into Action

Wait! Don’t turn the page yet on Rail~Volution DC 2011, a conference about transportation and urban planning. The conference is finished and has left town - it will be held in Los Angeles, CA in 2012. But the lessons and impacts from the conference are still reverberating in the region. 

Three concurrent Local Program sessions held on the last afternoon of the conference were well-attended and lively. Each session began with a panel discussion, followed by break-out discussions. These sessions gave local experts and professionals in the D.C. region a chance to ruminate over new ideas sparked during the conference and turn them into action items that could make a big difference to how local projects and issues played out. To everyone’s relief, there was hardly any kvetching as old sores were reexamined. And we are left with some great nuggets of wisdom and innovation. Check out the notes from these sessions (listed below) to see how you can play a role in the future of our region. 

Managing Change and Being Good Neighbors with Federal Properties in the DC Region ( Download FINAL Federal Local Program Session Notes)
This session addressed the coordination of policies and creation of partnerships between local and federal agencies. The session identified lessons learned from recent BRAC experiences in the DC region that can help manage the impacts of policy changes and direct resources appropriately for future federal actions. Challenges and successes from various federal properties around the region were also highlighted. New ways to integrate large secure campuses into existing communities in a way that helps revitalize neighborhoods and promote economic development were discussed.

Complete Communities – Creating and Achieving Livable DC Area Communities 
How do you create affordable communities at the neighborhood level? The elements of an affordable community include a range of housing and local business opportunities and necessary services (transit, grocery, healthcare, banking, etc.). Several D.C. area locations with excellent potential for affordable neighborhoods due to existing or planned rail transit stations were examined: Tysons Corner, VA (Metrorail); Purple Line communities; Manassas, VA (new commuter rail station); and East of the River, DC (existing Metrorail stations and planned DC Streetcar stops).

The Jobs-Housing Balance in Metro DC: A Region Undivided 
What if the Washington, DC region’s growth patterns were redirected to reduce lengthy commutes and driving time, increase access to jobs, and offer more mixed-income housing opportunities and great walkable neighborhoods? How can the DC region capitalize on its potential for transit-oriented development on its east side? How will the next generation of transit link jobs and housing throughout the region? This session examined these questions -- and possible answers – with local and national experts.

Sonali Soneji, AICP, Research Manager, Arlington County Commuter Services.

Arlington Residents Walk Everywhere

Arlington County’s latest transportation survey showed that Arlington residents walked to a wide range of destimations. About a third of all walking trips made by survey respondents were for work or work-related travel. Many respondents also walked to shop/run errands and for meals away from home.

 

These are the early results from the Household Travel Survey conducted by Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) and Arlington County. The survey collected data from over 1,000 Arlington households with about 2,300 residents. Each household member was asked to record all trips made during one 24-hour day in a trip diary. Trips made by children were recorded by an adult. Trips were made for work, school, shopping, recreation, meals, and all types of daily needs.

For more ACCS Research, see: www.commuterpage.com/research

Sonali Soneji, AICP, Research Manager, Arlington County Commuter Services.

Transportation Theme Continues at VA Planning Conference

On Day 2 of the American Planning Association Virginia 2011 conference, I learned that congestion, affordable housing, and mass transit were major topics at the National Conference on City Planning held in Washington, D.C. in 1909. We are still discussing these topics today, but with a difference. The Housing Affordability session by the Virginia Housing Development Authority included transportation costs as a component of affordability. Some really cool web tools to evaluate afforadability were presented:

• Virginia Housing Search
• Sourcebook by Housing Virginia
• Transportation and Housing Alliance Toolkit
• H+T Affordability Index
• HUD User

The hallmark of good planning, we are taught, is communication and coordination. So the 2035 Virginia Surface Transportation Plan received the Planning Innovation Award since it was the first time in the history of Virginia that VDOT and DRPT released multimodal planning recommendations in a single document. The plan can be viewed in a web-based format and also includes an easy-to-read map that summarizes the report.

But the highlight of my day was the session by the City of Falls Church on their process for developing a comprehensive pedestrian and bicycle plan. The City used a web-based crowdsourced map along with field investigations by their team to identify the universe of problems (opportunities?). Then working with a citizens' advisory committee, they identified community values and prioritized recommendations. I was impressed by the tools of public participation used as well as the logical and objective methods of selecting projects for funding. But most of all, I think it is commendable that the City looked at sidewalks as a complete system and intends to have a coordinated plan for installation (capital) and maintainance (operational) funding in the future. Download Falls_Church_PedBike_Plan_ppt


I realize that each of these projects may have drawbacks. The housing affordability tools are limited by the available data, so the analytical reports may not be as specific or accurate as you may need them to be. And it is great to have a well-crafted, publicly supported, and even award-winning plan, but implementation will still be a challenge. However, every journey begins with the first step, and it is heartening to learn about so many projects that are headed in the right direction.

Sonali Soneji, AICP, Research Manager, Arlington County Commuter Services.



Long-Distance Commutes in the I-95 Corridor Discussed at the APA Virginia Conference

It is a little strange being at Wintergreen Ski Resort in the summer. The landscape is green instead of white, and its squirming with urban planners. I'm here for the American Planning Association (APA) Virginia 2011 conference. My day was off to an early start since I was moderating a panel discussion first thing this morning. The topic was "Integrating Multi-modal Options for Long Distance Commute Modes in the I-95 Corridor". Four experienced and enthusiastic panelists gave brief presentatations and then fielded questions.

Al Harf, Executive Director of the Potomac and Rapahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC), gave an overview of the existing commute options and patterns in the I-95 corridor between Fredricksburg/Spotsylvania County to Northern VA/Washington DC. He outlined the major changes that are underway and the obstacles posed by limited rights-of-way for highway widening, transit capacity, commuter parking, and public funding. Download Al_Harf_Long Distance Commute Panel

 

 

Marc Oliphant, Department of the Navy, has a special interest in Slugging/Dynamic Carpooling. He explained the process of slugging and where it occurs in this corridor as well as other cities in the U.S. He mentioned the latest developments related to dynamic ridesharing including the AVEGO pilot project in Seattle, the FHWA pilot project in Santa Barbara, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) on automated HOV reporting, the FHWA Dynamic Ridesharing Primer, and multiple entrepreneurial start-ups. Download APA_VA_I-95_OLIPHANT

Alex Lee, Communications Program Manager for Northern VA Megaprojects (consultant to VDOT), updated us on the status of the major road projects in Northern VA including the I-495 High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes, I-95 widening, road projects related to BRAC (Fort Belvoir and Mark Center), and the I-95 HOV/HOT lanes. He highlighted some innovative solutions being implemented to maximize facility capacity such as dynamic tolling and active traffic management (real-time incident information, surveillance by cameras, enhanced emergency vehicle access, etc). Download Alex_APA VA I-95 072011

 

Amy Inman, Manager for Transit Planning for Department of Rail and Public Transportation presented the I-95 Transit and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan that is being developed to help increase use of HOV commute modes (and telework) to maximize the return on investment in the HOV/HOT facility.

I think we left the audience with an understanding of the immense amount of planning and infrastructure investment that is going on in this corridor, as well as the innovation required to surmount the hurdles being faced. We also tackled the question of how technology and coordination/integration can help link all these modes into a single comprehensive system that offers the commuter some real and feasible choices to travel while making the commute experience more convenient and pleasant.

Sonali Soneji, AICP, Research Manager, Arlington County Commuter Services.

Rail~Volution 2011 Comes to D.C.

Have you heard that Rail~Volution 2011 will be held right here in Washington, D.C.? The conference will explore topics related to transportation and urban planning. Join elected officials, planners, developers and advocates to take the vision of vibrant communities to the next level.

Why bring Rail~Volution to Washington?
Our region is constantly striving to create a balanced, integrated transportation system and well-connected neighborhoods.  Rail~Volution is the perfect chance to showcase our efforts on a national stage. It is also an opportunity to raise awareness locally about the relationship between land use and transit, and increase local support for transit and livability projects around the region. 

Conference Information:

October 16-19, 2011 at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel

Registration is now open!   

To get involved or volunteer, contact Regional Host Chair Marti Reinfeld at (202) 423-3734 or railvolution@dc.gov. Contact To become a sponsor, contact Karyn LeBlanc at (202) 661-7560 or karyn@downtowndc.org. Keep in touch by following the Twitterfeed (@RailVolutionDC) and checking out the blog.

Sonali Soneji, AICP, Research Manager, Arlington County Commuter Services.

The Good News About Congestion - And The Solutions

Yesterday, at a presentation hosted by the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, Dr. Timothy Lomax, co-author of the 2010 Urban Mobility Report, was asked why the Washington, D.C. region has risen to 1st place in congestion over the years. He answered, “You’ve been afflicted with a pretty good economy”. He also listed lack of adequate capacity for river crossings and cross commuting in suburbs as other important contributors to congestion.

While solutions to congestion were varied, he said the answer was some combination of the following:

• Accept some congestion
• Diversified development pattern
• Less construction delay
• Increase commute options
• Improve system efficiency
• Build more capacity

The solution will also vary within a region. In the Inner Loop, he recommended more emphasis on increasing travel options and increasing efficiency of existing systems. Increasing capacity and efficiency would form the larger share of the solution for the Outer Loop.

 
 

While congestion is never appealing, reliable congestion and predictability of delay is more acceptable to travelers. This implied that better communication of real-time traffic information and construction timelines should be part of the solution. The return on investment of accelerating construction timelines should also be considered in light of the cost of extra time and fuel expended by travelers.

Presentation Slides: Download NVTA June 2011 Timothy Lomax   

Sonali Soneji, AICP, Research Manager, Arlington County Commuter Services.

ACCS Benefits the Environment, Public Health, Quality of Life, and Local Economy

The mission of Arlington County Commuter Services (ACCS) is to help make transportation easier. But did you know ACCS also helps reduce traffic, gas-consumption and pollution?  On an average workday in FY 2010, ACCS helped reduce traffic by about 40,000 vehicle trips. That is roughly the number of cars coming into D.C. on I-66 and I-395 during morning rush hour!  

ACCS provides transportation information and services that help people switch from driving alone to using rail, bus, bicycling, walking, carpooling or vanpooling. Some trips are eliminated completely by helping employees telework.  Using a more sustainable mode of transportation results in less fuel consumed, which in turn reduces costs of transportation, as well as reduces production of climate-changing greenhouse gases (GHG) and lung-damaging ground-level ozone.

Each work day, the impact of 40,000 fewer cars on the road is a savings of about 26,500 gallons of gas used, over 72,000 tons of carbon dioxide produced, 144,000 pounds of nitrogen oxides (NOx) produced, and 81,000 pounds of volitile organic compounds (VOC) emitted into the atmosphere.  Thus ACCS supports Arlington’s green initiatives such as the Community Energy Plan and Fresh AIRE. It also supports our nation’s vision of energy independence.

The unified program of transportation services increase mobility and access for all Arlingtonians as well as those who work and visit here. Surveys show that the popular ACCS services, CommuterDirect.com and the Commuter Stores, have some of the highest net promoter scores across all industries!

  
The ACCS impact model has tried to conservatively quantify reductions in vehicle miles traveled and pollution due to our services. However, benefits to the community also include reduced traffic congestion, improved public health and a higher quality of life for everyone. Businesses enjoy the benefits of improved access to jobs and services, easier recruitment and retention of the workforce, better morale and productivity of workers, and improved access for freight. Thus ACCS also helps promote economic development and enhance the business climate of Arlington.

Sonali Soneji, AICP, Research Manager, Arlington County Commuter Services.

Capital Bikeshare takes off in Crystal City

This is part 11 of an ongoing series about Crystal City.  Click here for part 10.

Capital Bikeshare, the hot new mode of transportation in the DC area, was officially launched on September 20, 2010. But membership applications had started pouring in weeks before the opening date. By December, there were a total of 5,127 annual Capital Bikeshare members, and 7% of these were Arlington residents. In addition, there had been 11,332 casual (i.e. daily) members in 2010. 
 
 
 
A glance at the Capital Bikeshare map tell us that while the greater part of the system is within the District, Arlington now has 14 stations in Crystal City/Pentagon City, i.e. 12% of stations in the system. The 2010 usage map shows that in Arlington, the highest number of trips were taken between the stations at 18th & Bell Sts. and 27th St. & Crystal Drive. 

 

Demand for bikes on weekdays is highest during the morning and evening peak hours, and fairly steady throughout the day on weekends. The average trip is below 30 minutes and less than a mile. So it seems that members use bikes for both, work commutes and non-work trips (like running errands or going to the gym.)  We will soon know more about how members use Capital Bikeshare, and how it has impacted their travel choices based on the member survey conducted on January 01, 2011. Results of the survey will made public shortly. The survey also asked about what worked well and what could be improved in the future to make the program more useful and convenient, especially with the online map, bikes and bike stations, and mobile phone applications.

The 2010 numbers are testimony to the success of the program, but Capital Bikeshare will not rest on its laurels. Improvements based on customer feedback are being planned, and the program is gearing up for a springtime surge in ridership and membership. New stations have been proposed to fill gaps in the DC network and to expand the Arlington system to the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. So stay tuned in 2011, the first full year of operation for Capital Bikeshare, for an even more amazing performance.

Sonali Soneji, AICP, Research Manager, Arlington County Commuter Services.

ACCS Makes a New Year's Resolution

Major surveys have been conducted by regional and national agencies in recent months. We recently saw news items on demographic trends and travel pattern analyses based on the 5-year American Community Survey. Expect to see more analyses next year based on 2010 census data, and two Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments surveys - 2010 State of the Commute and the 2010 Arlington oversample of the Household Travel Diary.

The ACCS research team eagerly awaits the publication of these data and analyses, so that we can corroborate our conclusions using multiple data sets. For example, the State of the Commute surveys have historically shown steady reductions in drive alone commutes (primary mode) by Arlington residents, from 63% in 2001, to 56% in 2004, to 54% in 2007. Similarly, the 2006-2008 American Community Survey shows an average of 54% of Arlington residents drive alone to work, and the 2009 ACCS Resident Survey shows a drive alone rate of 55%. Although survey methodologies differed slightly, it is encouraging to note that these findings support one another.

 

ACCS has been conducting surveys to monitor and evaluate our programs for many years. We are now able to use our rich treasure trove of data to calculate the impact of each program. We can show that on a typical weekday in 2010, ACCS programs encouraged 41,000 drive alone trips to be made by other modes. In 2011, we hope to do more analyses on impacts and return on investment (ROI) of our efforts.

2011 promises to be a year of introspection and revelations, and our New Year’s resolution is to kick our transportation research up a notch. We promise to share plenty of interesting research and be even more enlightened before the year is out. Cheers!

Sonali Soneji, AICP, Research Manager, Arlington County Commuter Services.