May 2012- Transit News and Events

MovePGH

 MovePGH is the transportation component of the City's initiative to reinvent and redesign its neighborhoods as modern, vibrant , global and diverse communities. A series of workshops that invites community members and stakeholders to the discussion table, MovePGH is looking for ways in which it can redesign the city's transportation infrastructure in order to improve traffic flow. The design is considering alternative modes of transportation such as improving cyclist and pedestrian safety and access.

The Community Workshop #2 that took place in South Side between May 14- May 17 focused on transportation issues related to Downtown, Lower Hill, Uptown , South Side Flats and the Second Ave corridor. Ana Bayne , the Chair of the PR/Marketing Committee participated in a interesting discussion about ways to improve cyclist safety in the South Side Flats with  two members of BikePgh and two members of the Plan Study Team. Another topic that was covered during her hour long conversation with the MovePGH team was the Downtown-Oakland BRT project and its potential to improve peak traffic flow Uptown. 

If you are interested in the city's transportation future and you think that your opinions and experiences can make an impact, we suggest that you attend the third MovePGH community workshop , scheduled for mid- June. For more information on the Community Workshop #3 click here.

If you are interested to find more about the Downtown-Oakland BRT project and its impact on Uptown traffic flow or Hill District's development,  you should visit the Get There PGH website and attend a public meeting.

ConnectCard

The Port Authority started its customer pilot program for the ConnectCard. The pilot program will test market the ConnectCard before the new product will be officially launched for all riders this fall.

If you are a regular rider you can participate in this program and test the ConnectCard before everybody else whether you use monthly, weekly passes or you purchase tickets or pay cash. In order to participate in the program you need sign up online at ConnectCard.org .

Riders chosen to be part of the pilot program will receive a free card by mail,  instructions on how to use it and where to load it. The  participants  in the pilot program will also receive a booklet they can use in order to provide the Port Authority with input on the ConnectCard. Participants are also eligible to be entered in a drawing for a free monthly pass.

Harrisburg Trip

On May 22 ACTC members joined PA Interfaith Impact Network  on their trip to Harrisburg, where they confronted Governor Corbett on two hot issues for Allegheny County- transit and education cuts.  For more  information on PIIN's transit task force click here.

Public Transit is beneficial to us all - regardless of income

We are glad to note that more and more people - young educated professionals - are coming forward with their stories as public transit riders. Because stories such as the one shared by Andrew Fournaridis with us (via the Post-Gazette) are changing the conversation around public transportation and Port Authority's funding crisis.We are long used to think that public transportation is some type of social service that benefits only those people with disabilities or in the lowest income brackets. When in fact it is used by most of us - regardless of income, social background or race - and it is beneficial to the whole Pittsburgh region.

"Third and most important, many seem to view public transit as a social program. This couldn't be further from the truth. My wife and I are both 26-year-old working professionals with several educational degrees between us. Public transit is a convenient, affordable and safe way to commute to work and experience the city."


From a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Letter to the Editor

Transit Initiatives in Pittsburgh

The North Shore Connector

As the project is is nearing its end, North Side commuters from downtown will soon be able to avoid road traffic during their daily trips. Better news even - riders traveling between the Wood Street and the PNC Park stations will be able to do so at no cost to them, thanks to a contract between the Port Authority and Allegheny Garage.

The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Oakland Project

BRT would provide faster, more frequent transit service along major corridors using special buses to provide a smooth, comfortable travel experience. Basically, it offers almost the same benefits as rail but it can be developed at a lower cost.

Several aspects to characterize Pittsburgh BRT service (as compared with traditional bus service) :

• Dedicated lanes for buses to allow them bypass traffic.
• Traffic signal priority for buses.
• Real-time transit information (real-time bus arrival data at the stop).
• Offboard fare collection to reduce time at bus stops.
• Modern, comfortable buses with increased accessibility features offering a comfortable space for riders.
• Added amenities for the bus stops and complete streets.
  

The project is supported by over 30 community planners, innovators, nonprofits, community leaders, cyclists, city officials, educators, investors, neighborhood developers, business leaders, and civic partnerships. One of the project supporters and stakeholders is our own organization : ACTC.

For more information on the project visit the project's website : Get There Pittsburgh.

Bus bike racks, kind of a big deal

Pittsburgh's Port Authority of Allegheny County bus system announced last Friday (Sept. 23, 2011) that it had completed outfitting each of its buses with racks that can hold two bicycles. As one who's been trying to use the Rack-Ride-Roll system since its earliest days, I can provide some helpful perspective.

First of all, for many of us, bicycles are transportation, not recreation. Tools, not toys. Whether we own cars or not (a good many of us do not), or whether we even have driver's licenses or not (you might be surprised how many of us choose this, emphasis upon choose), the bike is an integral part of how we get around. Ignore our backstories. We bike by choice.

More on Anything but the car

How do you get to your bus stop?

There is a very good reason why transit service providers and transit advocates need to get more involved in the discussion regarding pedestrian safety and access. You can design a transit system that provides service with less than a mile from most areas with high population concentration, yet if pedestrians cannot get to it safely then it will be useless.

The issue went beyond pedestrian safety, as shown by this story about a mother from Georgia who was convicted of vehicular homicide this week for having to cross the street with her children in an unmarked place, as Tania Snyder details in the Streetsblog Capitol Hill.

Fortunately, compared to Marietta, GA, our own Pittsburgh is quite safe for pedestrians, according to this Transportation for America study. But it may not remain as safe as we used to know for long if we do not request safe pedestrian access for every new development, for every transit stop. It is our right as pedestrians, and if we are to insist on the matter, we shall see positive results.

Look at this bus shelter on an isolated patch of grass. Beyond it stretches a newly built parking lot and shopping center. Located on Freeport Road, the bus stop is served by four routes - 1 Freeport Road (7 days per week), and 78, P16, P78 (on weekdays). Yet in spite of being in place before Target built its new store and adjacent parking lot in 2006-2007, there was no effort to build a pedestrian pathway or sidewalk from the shopping center to the shelter until very recently. And, since it is Target and not the Port Authority of Allegheny County which has the right of the way, it is only Target which can build those pathways and/or sidewalks.

Picture credit: Michael Sypolt

However, after the picture above was posted on ACTC’s Facebook page and led to an animated discussion on the issue, we were able to contact the Port Authority. Soon we were informed that after receiving numerous complaints, they had contacted Target and the store’s management committed to build the proper pedestrian access. About a month and a half later, there was a sidewalk along Freeport Road, a pedestrian pathway across the parking lot, and access ramps by the most recent ADA Title II standards.



Picture credit: Michael Sypolt



And if we end up asking ourselves how hard was it to provide pedestrian access to the Freeport bus shelter from our story, the answer should be – as hard as we want to make it.



Picture credit: Michael Sypolt



Picture credit: Michael Sypolt



"Pittsburgh is currently the only BRT system in the United States that operates a direct service model, meaning that local, limited and express services share the East Busway, accommodating a wide variety of transit needs. As the  buses serving suburban routes enter the main corridors, they transfer onto the dedicated bus lanes via connection ramps, making transfer-free trips for passengers. The BRT buses can also exit the busway and use city streets to deliver passengers to destinations."

States Stephanie Lotshaw on the “Streetsblog Capitol Hill”. [Read more here: http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/06/20/profiles-in-american-brt-pittsburghs-south-busway-and-east-busway/]

Are you a South Busway or East Busway Rider? How does this work for you?

Do you consider  that bus service on the above mentioned Busways meets the FTA requirements

“BRT is an enhanced bus system that operates on bus lanes or other transitways in order to combine the flexibility of buses with the efficiency of rail. By doing so, BRT operates at faster speeds, provides greater service reliability and increased customer convenience. It also utilizes a combination of advanced technologies, infrastructure and operational investments that provide significantly better service than traditional bus service."

(http://www.fta.dot.gov/assistance/technology/research_4240.html )

 

Transit and Multimodal Solutions (2)

South Side-
sidewalk repairs are completed in a way that both pedestrian flow and vehicle traffic are maintained.

What I like most about Derrick's rider story is the way it highlights a different perspective on riding transit. The storyteller is not exclusively a transit rider, he is equally a car driver, cyclist and pedestrian. His choices are not motivated by personal finances or commitment to a cleaner, more social mean or transportation - but by pragmatism. Because depending on the goals of each urban dweller there is a transportation service or another that will fulfill the customer's needs best. Sometimes is driving a car, sometimes is riding transit - and sometimes is the ability to walk to your destination safely on a designated pedestrian pathway.

South Side is one of the city neighborhoods where people can choose freely between different transportation modes without having to get out of their way - such as walking a mile unsafely on the side of the road or cycling among inattentive drivers. But South Side is one of the few neighborhoods ,where one can access a diversity of transportation means. There are several city neighborhoods where one or more of these options may not be as easily available, and that is without even counting most suburban areas which are in fact the areas where most Pittsburghers live. [1]

And the reason why, sometimes, there is no access to all the transportation means mentioned above in city neighborhoods, is n the initial car-oriented design of the local infrastructure as in the case of suburban areas. The reason is our misunderstanding of the real value that multimodal transportation options do hold in urban areas. "And our priorities are so skewed that , even in the old city neighborhoods where pedestrian pathways survived the last six decades, we tend to ignore the fact that their role is not ornamental but quite pragmatic."

Note:

[1] According to the Census 2010 data, only about 20% of Allegheny County Residents live in the city of Pittsburgh. The remaining 80% are living in the 130 suburban municipalities that are part of the county.

Transit and Multimodal Solutions -A rider story about the benefits of access to diverse mode of transportation

The following story is not only about riding transit and its shortfalls and benefits as experienced by the storyteller. Instead of choosing on transportation mode or another, this storyteller decided to combine the options that were available to him to maximize the benefits.
When one has different transportation options available, one can become more productive and efficient than when that same person had just one option. If he (or she) had to drive to get to the truck’s pick up point , he (or she) would’ve had to deal with more traffic issues and also pay for parking while loading the bricks and driving the truck. The way Derrick did it –combining riding transit, driving truck and riding his bike home – saved him time and money. And his free brick-load deal, got even better:

"One of the great local resources available to the person wishing to save money is the Freecycle list. When a couple pallets of bricks were offered, I took the opportunity to collect them. This entailed a trip to North Washington Township, Westmoreland County, and would require a truck. As a Zipcar member I have trucks at my disposal, so I reserved onefor as long as it was available the next day. This meant going to Oakland to collect the truck, then heading on to get the bricks, returning home and unloading, and returning the truck. The 75 Ellsworth bus begins a few short blocks from my house, and dropped me across from my Zipcar. About 15 minutes before my reservation was to start, the previous driver returned it, so I took the free extra few minutes as Zipcar allows, and departed.

The trip out of the city was simple. Loading the bricks by hand was tedious,and I loaded about a ton. Then I drove back into the city on the Parkway East, an experience which is often as it was that afternoon quite unpleasant. Upon reaching the end of my street, I moved my car,which had been left to reserve the space I'd need to unload, and reversed the process I'd done over an hour earlier, again using my hands to transport the bricks.

In order to get home more quickly, my bike was deposited in the truck, and a short drive later, the Zipcar truck was awaiting its next driver, and I was bicycling home. I am multimodal. I use the tools at mydisposal to optimize my trips, saving both time and money. You can, too. Be aware of your options, and use them as best you can. "

Derrick B. works as a software developer for a local company. He lives with his wife in their South Side home.

Public Transit and a Social Pittsburgh. A rider story . Oakland

Do you recall our story about social cities, the way in which a city's walkability and its social desirability were interconnected? A place where events do happen is a place where people can walk to these events, or from event to event since walking spaces maximize our ability to interact socially.
The following rider story tells us how important is transit for a social Pittsburgh. And how her daily commute helped her develop not only a social network but also better social skills:


"I began my love of bus riding when I was in elementary school and had been chosen to attend the Carnegie Museum’s Tam O’Shanter art classes. Every Saturday morning you could see me catching the 67F (now the 69) to get into Oakland. I have been riding the bus to and from work for 20+ years now. Over the years riders have come and gone but those of us that have been riding the same routes for years I refer to them as my mobile family. The commute in the morning is usually quite quiet but on the way home more conversations take place. We catch up on what people are involved in, ask about their true family members, and comment on things taking place around the city and country – or just settling back and relaxing. I recall one time when we had a baby shower for one of the passengers, another time there was concern for an ailing rider who soon was no longer with us and last of all when a passenger gave out candy canes during the holiday. There is something to say about sharing the ride with others and yes, you are never alone!"


Laraine H. is a former ACTC member and a University of Pittsburgh employee.

So you built a green house because you care. Have you considered transit access as well?

To quote from the New Urban Network:

Transit-oriented development is the key to cutting energy consumption — even
more so than Energy Star construction or green cars, according to a
peer-reviewed study supported by EPA.

You decide to build a “green”, energy-efficient house because you really care about energy conservation and preserving the environment you shall build it where there is access to transit. Green cars are not as energy-efficient as transit. Car-sharing, thus maximizing the use of fuel and vehicle is a new concept, and its effectiveness is still tested.

Urban , ‘Brownfield’ developments, have a greater “green” potential than Greenfield ones, because they usually offer greater access to transit. And each new urban development should be in sync with investments into transit infrastructure.

That was once the case in Pittsburgh when land developers also invested in public transportation infrastructure - if we look up the histories of our oldest suburbs and neighborhoods we will note that they were built around or at the same time with a T line or bus route. Maybe that will be the case again in the 21st century though, this time, it will be the buyer to let the land developer know that he cares about transit as well.

ACTC members made a good impression at Transportation Camp East

The Transportation Camp is an “unconference” or participant-led conference organized by OpenPlans in order to bring together technology developers, urban planners, policy makers and marketing and social media experts to the same discussion table.


Transportation Camp East took place in New York City, March 5th and 6th, bringing together people from a wide variety of backgrounds to present their work covering a multitude of transportation issues –from cost to access and from mobility to safety issues.

The camp presented a unique opportunity for ACTC members to interact with policy makers and other advocacy groups. We also got an overview to the new paths that the Department of Transportation is planning to follow. Most notable were keynotes presented by H. Giovanni Carnaroli, Senior Accountable Official for USDOT and Chris Vein, the new Deputy US CTO for Government Innovation. We would also like to point out the presentation about DOT’s research on connected vehicles given by Christopher Pangilinan , P.E., Special Assistant to the Deputy Administrator during the #IGNITE night. He brought humor and a human touch to technology. *

A core issue for transportation is urban congestion. Heavy traffic in urban areas has a multitude of negative consequences: delays, costs due to time loss , safety, and higher stress. A multitude of solutions were discussed from transit to cycling and from car sharing to bike sharing, however one solution was remarked by most : multimodality. And we had the unique opportunity to listen to Susan Zielinski from SMART describing how owning five cars is so last millennium. And perhaps even owning one if car sharing will make a good, reliable vehicle to be more accessible.


Ana Bayne suggested a similar concept during the #IGNITE night presentation - integrating transportation modes such as transit and personal vehicles with bicycles, sidewalks, etc., is not just “increasing access even as it reduces our need for mobility” but increasing mobility overall. Another session co-lead with TransportGooru Andy Palanisamy, YPT’s vice-chair for Communication, focused on social media applications to transportation. A few key words ensuing from the conversation: Credibility, Transparency, Marketing Potential, Mobile Government. And an interesting case study for transit agencies and local governments dealing having to deal with vertical hierarchies making them slow to react and less transparent : the US Army tweep.


Michael Sypolt and Stu Strickland talked about “Getting Non-Riders to Use Transit” by “Designing a System to Meet Demand”. Some suggestions ensuing from this conversation – the utility of system maps; interlining two routes with odd frequencies in order to meet demand but reduce cost instead of eliminating service in the area altogether; streamlining routes. More about technology and development can be read in: "Highlights of TranspoCamp! (includes Travel Log) "

Some other focal points for the conference were a discussion with Ellyn Shannon from the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA on how they are funded and how they are able to influence transit related decisions. Also Tana Green made an interesting presentation on High Speed Rail and we were able to discuss how transit and High Speed Rail advocates can support each other.

Our participation in the Transportation Camp also raised the interest of potential investors, and for our technology whizzes, an opportunity to develop networks of connections with developers from the North and North-East.

* Peter H. Appel the Administrator for DOT's Research and Innovative Technology Department with whom we had the occasion to exchange a few ideas is also "to blame" for the research.

Riding transit with children and having fun...

If we would try to debunk transit related myths the one myth we would deal often when parents are involved is that transit and kids are definitely not a match. Because…
Why? Because it is not safe, buses stink and you may expose your children to unwanted social influences… Or simply because children and transit it isn’t fun …

Michael Sypolt however, disagrees:

“Yesterday, I decided to take my five year old twin girls out to Phipps via
transit. Looking at the title, you might say, how can a day be "beautiful" when
trying to take five year old girls on mass transit. Even more interestingly, I
took them out alone while my wife was having some much needed time away from the children. The day was really enjoyable, for both Dad and the children.”

News and Updates. January 2011

service cuts
On Wednesday January 12, Port Authority’s Board of Directors approved a 15% service cut starting with March 27th, 2011. Even though it will have a less disastrous impact on the region than the 35% service cut projected last year, it will still affect negatively many areas around Pittsburgh. If you are not sure if your bus route will be affected, Port Authority offers a detailed list on its website.

Another Board of Directors meeting was called by the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) on Friday January 28th in a last attempt to reverse the Board's previous decision regarding a 15% transit cut. ACTC president Jonathan Robinson and ACTC senior member Stu Strickland were registered speakers at this event. Stu's speech is here.

The ACTC speakers leaned towards supporting ATU's suggestion to use the $45 million temporary funding in order to cover the entire budget shortfall for this fiscal year. Under this scenario the Port Authority will have to deal with the possibility of 35% cuts come June 2011 when the current fiscal year will end. On the other side Port Authority's CEO, Steve Bland stated that a 35% cut will be devastating for the region and unavoidable since the "tea leaves aren't reading well" in terms of potential state funding.

But there was one point on which all speakers agreed : transit needs dedicated, lasting funding sources otherwise transit programs across the whole state will continue being shortchanged.


New magnetic card fare system

On the upside Port Authority’s new fare system is back on the right track to be completed by its target date – January 2012. The new system, called Connect, will use rechargeable magnetic cards. Vending points will be situated in accessible spots across Allegheny County.

We hope that the new fare system will allow riders to purchase daily passes as well. Right now a person that may consider using transit from time to time instead of driving, the current system seems to do everything to discourage them as Stu notes in : We need a Day Pass.

The new fare system will also eliminate one of the alleged causes for the T's Red Line delays during the first week of January. Wednesday Jan 26th, at the meeting called by the Allegheny County Council in an attempt to settle a dispute between the Port Authority's administration and its union, ATU made the point that January 3rd being the first weekday for a new fare delays were a very probable consequence. Inbound operators had to spend more than the allotted stop time in order to explain the new fares to cash paying riders.

Building relations with other professionals involved in developing technology solutions and alternatives for transportation

ACTC members Michael Sypolt, Ana Bayne and Stuart Strickland will attend TransportationCamp East in New York City. The event will take place March 5-6, bringing together transportation professionals, technologists and others interested in finding the best alternatives in urban transportation.

From the event's website http://transportationcamp.org/

"Transportation is a major metropolitan issue, with direct impacts on economic strength, environmental sustainability, and social equity"[...]
"TransportationCamp will raise awareness of this opportunity and build
connections between disparate innovators in public administration,
transportation operations, information design, and software
development."

Tweeps @lndaley, @bus15237 and @jimlokay have contributed to this story.

Do you know how much you really spend driving to work

In this post I will try to address a personal finance issue, the costs of using your personal car when commuting for work and several resources that enable you weigh your transportation alternatives. What I won’t discuss here is the cost of car ownership because I think that considering the local geography and specific needs of the contemporary American family, car ownership is a necessity when it comes to activities such as shopping and family trips.

The obvious

The two costs that are obvious to every car owner are one’s car payments and gas. While you may consider buying a used car in order to eliminate car payments for his budget, you have to consider that when you drive to work every day the main quality you are looking for is: reliability. A car does you no good if it breaks down when you needed it most. And when browsing through Kelley Blue book for used vehicles that are no more than 5-6 years old and have less than 100,000 miles on board, I realized that the price tag on a reliable vehicle will probably be around $5-6000. This is an amount that most people cannot afford to pay cash for. However if you do not drive the car every day, you may be able to negotiate and purchase a car for a couple thousands instead and eliminate car payments from your budget.

If your vehicle uses traditional fuel, that is gas, the price trend for it shall worry you. The average gas price in Pennsylvania is little over $3 and unlike 2007 it will not go down. In fact according to president’s Obama State of the Union speech if oil companies lose their subsidies, gas prices will reach the feared $4 /gallon sooner than expected. A way to save on fuel and still drive to work is to switch to a hybrid or electric car. But the price tags for hybrids and alternative fueled vehicles are still much higher than for the average gas fueled car. So while from an environmental point of view these alternatives are great, from a personal finance point of view the trade is not worth since at the current prices one may expect to recoup its investment at best but there is no proof yet that considering both the car price and fuel costs there are significant savings with respect to gas fueled cars.

The not-so-obvious

The three costs most people tend to ignore when writing down a budget are car maintenance, toll roads and parking. And from these three most important is car maintenance. Given the climate of the North East and the Midwest a cautious driver will consider using snow tires during the winter instead of the typical all weather tires.  And even if you can get away with only using all weather tires, as long as you drive the car every day you will need to change them every two years. Same goes for your breaks, rotors and there are the regular oil changes, alignments and registration fees. Now get your bank statements and add all your expenses that are related to car maintenance in last two years. I’ll bet you an oil change that your yearly average is somewhere between $3-500 per year, unless you drive a brand new car with a high price tag.

Of course, if you do not drive the car every day there will be less wear and tear on its breaks and tires and thus your maintenance costs will also be lower.

Rural costs versus urban costs

For most rural dwellers who deal with little or no congestion in their daily commutes the cost of driving to work is a simple equation. They say - I drive x miles round trip  and my car’s mpg is y  and the price of fuel is this z so to figure out how much it costs me to get to work I divide x miles to y and multiply the result with z and that’s the cost per day . So ok , using x, y, z makes it look more complicated than it is but you all get the drill. The main cost related issue that most rural commuters do have is the distance they have to drive to work.

For urban dwellers is a little bit more complicated because the closer they live to the city center the worse is the traffic congestion. And traffic congestion is the worse during peak hours when everybody drives to work and back home. Thus if you figure out your costs  using the simple equation above you are going to miss the time and money you spend slowing down, restarting the car and sitting in traffic. That amount is not that easy to figure out but fortunately the Texas Transportation Institute figured out this type of data  for you. So what does congestion cost you?

To focus only on Pennsylvania:

·         if you live in Philadelphia or the surrounding urban area you are likely to spend another $919 a year due to congestion

·         if you live in Pittsburgh or the surrounding urban area you are likely to spend another $778 a year due to congestion

·         if you live in Allentown or the surrounding urban areas you are likely  to spend $628 a year due to congestion

So, if we disregard the data for Harrisburg, York and the surrounding urban areas that was not available to us, on average the Pennsylvania urban resident spends $775 due to congestion.

Now, assuming you are a PA resident, let’s go over your new car-related expense spreadsheet:

	Rural driver	Urban driver
Car payment [1]	$352.3	$352.3
Maintenance	$35	$35
Gas	$100	$30
Parking and Tolls[2]	$20	$50
Congestion	$0	$64.6
Total	$507.3	$531.9

                                                        [1] For a $15,000/ 48 moth loan at an interest rate of 6% - bankrate.com auto loan calculator

                                                        [2] A rough estimate since parking and toll expenses will vary from widely from case to case

So, it looks that driving to work can easily cost you over $500 a month. Costly, you think? Very much so indeed, but what alternatives do you have:

Commuting alternatives

For urban residents the first option is public transit - visit your region’s public transit agencies website now

If you live in a small city or on a campus you may consider alternatives that are cheaper and more reliable than public transit such as biking and driving to work.

If you reside in a rural area or a suburb that was affected so badly by the most recent transit cuts that you cannot take advantage of public transportation it may be more difficult to find an alternative. Some people may still bike over 10 miles to work but let’s face it most of us cannot even think about biking that far… But there are alternatives such as vanpools and carpools and several websites that provide comprehensive resources on how to go about it. After all you want to know with whom you share your ride. For start these are the two websites I suggest:

PACommutes a website developed and supported by PENDoT

CommuteInfo a website focused on South-Western Pennsylvania residents and a SouthWestern Pennsylvania Commission initiative

Both websites offer a diversity of options from biking trails and lanes/roads to public transportation providers and vanpools and carpools in your area. You can also use their calculators to figure out which option is the best for you time wise and cost wise.

Using one or more of these transportation alternatives instead of driving to work does not mean that you have to give up your car. This is not about waging a war on cars; it is about gaining back the ownership of your car instead of letting the car own you. It is about having multiple transportation alternatives… And to have access to different transportation alternatives in the end it is about having choices…

Notes and resources

Caveat:  Average expenses for things such car maintenance and fuel are based on my discussion with diverse car owners from across the US. I did not collect or analyze this information as statistic data for the purpose of this paper.

The Urban Mobility Report 2010 developed by the University Center for Transportation Mobility, Texas Transportation Institute and retrieved from: http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/mobility_report_2010.pdf  

Bankrate.com

To locate public transportation options in your area
 you can use this map.

Why “ Public Transportation service cuts will affect only bus riders” is a myth...

If you are among those who still think that Port Authority’s service cuts will only affect bus and T riders, you may want to read this post carefully. Because we have enough information at this point to draw quite a complex and accurate picture of the impact that the lack  public transportation services will have on drivers, the air we breathe and the local economy.

Drivers

What if your daily commute will take 3 minutes longer? After all 3 minutes does not seem to be that much time and a trip of 30 minutes does not seem to be much longer or costlier if it lasts 33 minutes...[1]

According to a study developed by Tim Lomax and David Shrank from the Texas Transportation Institute (Developing a Total Travel Time Performance Measure ) those 3 minutes will cost you more than you may think.  The study offers a better measure for the way traffic congestion will cost commuters in terms of travel time and wasted fuel. Instead of matching fuel costs with miles traveled or time spend in traffic, Lomax and Shrank use the Travel Time Index (TTI) as measure. TTI is the ratio between the actual travel time and travel time in ideal traffic conditions or free-flow in an urban area.

For now Pittsburgh does not fare that bad - with a Travel Time Index of 1.17- it is the  29^th most congested  areas among the 101 urban areas evaluated in 2009.  For Pittsburgh TTI of 1.17 implies that each auto commuter wasted 27 gallons of fuel due to congestion and spent $778 per year just for being stuck in traffic. But if the average auto commuter will have to spend 3 more minutes in traffic, the area’s TTI will also be higher and so Port Authority's 35% service cut would’ve caused a 0.08 increase in the region’s TTI from 1.17 to 1.25. Now I know that bare numbers are hard to translate into real traffic conditions, but I will use the information from the   National Congestion Tables  to draw a more tangible picture of what congestion would mean to someone who would  live in Pittsburgh's urban area for a TTI of 1.25*.

·         A Travel Time Index of 1.25 will make traffic congestion in the Pittsburgh Urban Area comparable with Chicago rather than with Charlotte as it is now.

·         Among urban areas of similar size, i.e. large urban areas, only Austin and Las Vegas are likely to have worse traffic than Pittsburgh.

·         The average auto commuter will waste about 5-6 more gallons of gas on average and spend $161.5 more for being stuck in traffic.[2]

·         The situation will be much worse for those commuters who spend most of their commute time within the city limits.

Us, our children and the air we breathe

According to  the Clymate Analysis Indicator Tool in 2005 USA accounted for 18.33% of the global yearly greenhouse emissions, second only to China and it is ranked as number one for cumulative emissions in the 1990-2005 period. The main factor beyond poor air quality is no longer an industry - as once were the manufacturing, chemical and mining - but our traditional fuel powered vehicles . The more the vehicles on the road the higher the emissions … [3]

The local economy

On the short term the most visible impact – two weeks ago I accompanied a coworker in order to help with a conference downtown and he drove in circles trying to find a parking place as three garages and a parking lot we had passed were already full by noon.

On the long term – if the study quoted by AP and Yahoo! News is even remotely correct -crude oil reserves will be depleted before an alternative energy personal vehicle will be available for the mass markets. And investors will avoid putting their money in area that do not offer multiple alternatives for their employees to commute or in other words economic growth will stagnate in areas where the main option for commuters is a personal vehicle.

Fortunately

...Port Authority's service cuts will only be 15% come this March. Thus less routes will be affected and impact could be somewhat limited during peak hours. So, there shall be less car trips than we feared and Pittsburghers will not experience Chicago like traffic this spring. But without a long term solution for dedicated funding for local public transit and multimodal networks the day when traffic in Pittsburgh will be as bad as in Houston may not be that far.

Notes:

[1] According to a study we had mentioned here and here , if former governor Ed Rendell  was not able to prevent the 35% service cuts by finding a temporary  funding solution the average  commute time during peak hours within the Region was estimated to increase by 3 minutes.

[2] Considering a 9% increase in vehicle hours (Transit Operators Committee: Request for Data retrieved from KeepPGHmoving grace to the Downtown Partnership.)

[3] or more details see table -Transit Operators Committee: Request for Data

* these numbers are rough estimates

Will Pittsburgh make this "best of " list another year?

I am browsing the local news this morning when I notice this article in the Tribune-Review: “Pittsburgh fares well in commuter-cost survey” . According to its author, Rick Willis, Pittsburghers spend less time and money commuting than many other urban-dwelling Americans : “An analysis of commuting costs and trends by the investment website TheStreet.com and bundle.com, a personal finance site, ranked Pittsburgh 18th-best among 90 U.S. cities.” [1]

So, I did a quick on-line search and, probably because I did not put much effort in it, I did not find the exact source quoted by the Tribune-Review but I did find this list on bundle.com. As you note Pittsburgh is among the bottom four cities for gas expenses, i.e. Pittsburgh is the fourth cheapest big city when coming to gas expenses for driving around. Which given the projected increase in gas prices is good news for Pittsburgh commuters.

One of the reasons why Pittsburgh is such a friendly city for commuters, according to the Tribune-Review article quoted above, is “affordability of living”. Because housing is still cheaper here when compared with other major metro areas, most people can afford to purchase or build houses within the city or not that far from the city limits, and thus have lower commute times and costs [2] .

Another reason for lower fuel costs across the region is smarter suburban design [3]; the highway network connecting the suburbs around Pittsburgh helps locals take advantage of their cars better mpg fuel economy for highway driving. And it is interesting to note that Pittsburgh is not among the cheapest cities when it comes to car and car related expenses such as maintenance and parking, perhaps because to spend less on fuel, one has to spend more on the vehicle and its maintenance.

But, perhaps the most important reason why Pittsburgh made this “best of “ cities for commuters list is its public transportation network. Or what is still left of its public transportation network. Interestingly the Tribune –Review article mentions that the analysis of commuting costs it costs found that cities at the top have higher walkability rates and good public transportation networks but it does not comment on this finding . Yet walkability and public transportation are essential factors for keeping commuting costs and times down in urban areas. We had previously covered on this blog the impact that Port Authority’s projected cuts will have on commuting times here. Also considering The Carfree Census Database , we note that eight out of the ten cities mentioned by bundle .com for low gas costs are among the top 25 cities with most public transit commuters. Pittsburgh is number 8 , and according to Mike Lewyn’s “Auto Free Most Livable Cities” in the US it ranks as number one.

Now that is great news. Not only that Pittsburgh is number one in the most livable cities in US according to Forbes.com but it is also first on the top when it comes to Carfree Most Livable Cities in US. Unfortunately the Census Database we quoted considers 2000 data, and that was before the Port Authority reduced its services by 15 % and projected further service cuts for this year. I wonder where does Pittsburgh rank based on 2010 data. I am almost certain that Detroit, which was 25^th on the previous list, will rank higher now and it will only go up once its M1 light-rail line is project will be finished and functional. I fear that Pittsburgh will rank lower.

The point I was trying to make above is quite simple. Pittsburgh worked hard on its way to recovery from the collapse of steel industry in the eighties and it is, one more time, a great place to live in. But its new status is still frail and Pittsburghers cannot afford to ignore any of the factors contributing to the recovery of the city. Yes, Pittsburgh offers more affordable housing than most major cities and growing business opportunities in those industries that fare well even through a recession: research, technology, alternative energy, secondary education and healthcare. Yes Pittsburgh has a great potential for cultural events and an active social life and among its suburban school districts are several who were nominated as best in US for the quality of education in their public high schools. However, to a certain extent, all these advantages were re-built around the accessibility of the city cultural district from its suburbs, the walkability any university has to make sure that students can get to school even though most of them do not drive or afford a car. And to attract green businesses one cannot advertise a polluted city of drivers. And we had a covered the relationship between sociability and walkability here.

So I am afraid that while Port Authority struggles to get enough funding to maintain its ongoing operations, cities such as Detroit and even Cleveland are starting to attract more capital investment and develop new projects. I fear that all the work we had put into re-building this city will not amount to much if our public transit falls to pieces…And at that point the least we would have to worry about will be that Pittsburgh will no longer rank among the top twenty cities when it comes to the average cost and time of commuting.

Notes and Sources

[1] Wills, R. - “Pittsburgh fares well in commuter-cost survey” published 12.30.2010 in the Tribune-Review

[2] As we all know, what one deems as affordable is always relative ...Yes housing costs are lower , but so are incomes.

[3]As I read in the a Time Magazine's edition dedicated to the rebirth of Detroit. The featured article The Future of Detroit: How to Shrink a City is also available on-line.

Bundle.com the ten cities with the lowest gas expenses:

Detroit: $755
Jersey City: $993
New York: $1,078
Boston: $1,111
Philadelphia: $1.207
Washington, D.C.: $1,240
Pittsburgh: $1,246
Chula Vista: $1,290
Toledo: $1,291
Honolulu: $1,378

Where do you want to live that day when the car fuel will be sparse?

A study by researchers at UC-Davis, and quoted by AFP and Yahoo! News , predicted that oil reserves are likely to run out 100 years before effective fuel alternatives will be developed. Given that: “Nearly two-thirds of crude oil is used to produce gasoline and diesel to run vehicles”[1]. So, if this prediction is to become reality, it is really bad news for car commuters.

This prediction is based on two assumptions:

1. When considering the amount of crude oil reserves that we know of and can exploit and given a growth in oil consumption for a constant 1.3% year , these reserves will be depleted by 2041(or 2054 by the most optimistic estimates).

2. By analyzing the share prices for alternative energy companies versus oil companies we note that oil companies have a considerably larger market share than alternative energy companies. Meaning that today’s market is still an oil hungry market. And if the market share for alternative energy companies grows at a steady pace, it is estimated that there will be not a widely available alternative to oil fuels until 2140.

I can hear the critics pointing out that, as it is the case with most companies built on innovative technologies, alternative fuels may start to register sooner than expected a rapid growth leading to more investment and their ability to grab a larger share of the market. And they are correct…But, on the other side, considering the growth of car ownership in developing countries, oil consumption is not likely to grow steadily either…

The most likely scenario is neither a car-less world, nor oil depletion. But a world in which using the traditional car as our main mean of transportation is not going to be cost effective, and that is considering that we can afford to pay for fuel. And, in this scenario, the cities that are most likely to thrive are the ones providing the best transportation alternatives from buses to regional railways to bike lanes and sidewalks. And this is one of the reasons why Allegheny County Transit Council stands for a viable public transportation alternative in Pittsburgh. This is why we need you to make your voice heard. We need your support for public transportation.

[1] Zeitvogel, Karin Oil will run out 100 years before new fuels developed: study. AFP. Nov 15 2010.

Retrieved from Yahoo!News

Social Cities

The blog post bellow reminded me of another post I read not too long ago : Archipelago. When describing the maps of social clusters in London, NewYork and Paris developed for URBAGRAM, Anil Bawa-Cavia notes that:

"The modern metropolis can often feel like a social archipelago – fragmented islands of social activity separated by large areas dedicated to commercial workplaces, flows of vehicles, residential sprawl or industrial sites"

These maps show that the pedestrian network and the social hubs are superposed. Therefore walkability plays a focal role in the social space of modern urban areas. In spite of the fact that all the cities above do have a comprehensive public transportation network.

And if you already started to wonder why...Why did this post about urban pedestrian networks got published on a blog advocating public transportation? Well, it is elementary…When transportation is mainly assured by privately own vehicles, the only way to avoid traffic congestion is suburban sprawl. But sprawl areas are less likely to develop pedestrian networks because of distances. On the other side, public transportation can work effectively in concentrated urban areas.

This is why the stories on this blog cannot be limited to stories of using public transportation. We are talking about a multimodal network in which public transportation can provide an effective connection between the urban social hubs that make any city, Pittsburgh included, an event city. A city where social life sprawls.

Acknowledgement : Anil Bawa-Cavia 's Archipelago

Is Pittsburgh in the eye of (the) TIGER?

Yes, we can say that Pittsburgh made it finally – it is in the eye of the TIGER. Of course, we do not mean the striped feline but the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery or, in short, TIGER.

On October 20^th, DOT’s Secretary Ray LaHood announced the second series of grant recipients through the TIGER initiative. From nearly 1000 applicants, only seventy-five projects did receive any grant money in the final. Forty –two capital construction projects and 33 planning projects will share about $600 million in grants from the TIGER II program. [Read the press release here]

And our own city of Pittsburgh has received $825,000 towards a project focused on developing an existing six-mile riverfront rail corridor right-of-way to a multimodal transportation network including pedestrian and bike trails as well as passenger-rail operations. Called the Allegheny Riverfront Green Boulevard, it will start downtown Pittsburgh and stretch eastbound towards Westmoreland County. The project will use industrial land in order to promote viable transportation alternatives (and all the drivers on the Parkway East know how much these alternatives are needed) and “supports partnerships and best practices that could provide cross-cutting lessons for other communities” [1]. Therefore, the grant will also be used to support research for the best way to win a community challenge.

Way to go, Pittsburgh!

[1] For a complete list of TIGER II recipients for planning projects here : http://www.dot.gov/docs/tiger2planninggrantinfo.pdf

Details about the “Allegheny Riverfront Green Boulevard”on p.6