In August, I moved into a high density apartment complex just 1.5 miles from my office and a five minute walk to a bus stop. One of the central advantages of the building's location was its access to alternative transportation modes. While I could park my car for "free" (the real cost is built into the lease), I was interested in keeping it parked as much as possible. Now, after nearly three months of experimentation, I'm ready to give up the bus, and the reasons are central to understanding the future of transit in the US.
Commuting
Philadelphia Leads the Largest Cities in America for Bicycle Mode Share
A new report from The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia shows that Philadelphia's bicycle mode share is more than double that of Chicago's (the big city with the second-greatest share).
philly.com
To Stay Connected to Jobs, New Yorkers Need Better Bus Service
The new jobs in New York City aren't in Manhattan, but in the boroughs. For low-income workers to be able to access those opportunities, improved bus service will be necessary, says a new report.
Streetsblog
Car Pooling on the Decline in the U.S.
The amount of people commuting in car pools has nearly halved since 1980.
The New York Times
The Motorist's Identity Crisis
Bicyclists and transit riders are losers - right? Or are they elitist, sneering yuppies? Brian Ladd says that people's attitudes and transportation choices are shaped by deep-seated feelings about respectability, and it planners should pay attention.
The Nation's Best and Worst Commutes, By Cost
TheStreet and Bundle have ranked the best and worst commutes in 90 American cities, based on costs and time.
Bundle
Wasted Oil, By Design
This episode of public radio program 99% Invisible looks at oil, and how the way people move from work to home has been seemingly designed to waste fuel.
99% Invisible
Streetcar Revival on its Way to Atlanta
Atlanta's $72 million streetcar plan is taking shape, with lines expected to open in 2013. But not everyone in the city thinks the project is worth the cost.
Los Angeles Times
Transportation Research Helped Create Sprawl, New Report Says
We've been measuring traffic congestion all wrong, a new report shows, and that's been making more highways look like the solution to long commutes. They're not.
Streetsblog
More Companies Moving Back to the City
The suburbanization of business headquarters may be coming to an end.
Harvard Business Review
From Bedroom Communities to Jet Engine Communities
More and more people working in the San Francisco Bay Area are opting for cheaper housing outside the region. Some are going way outside the region, commuting by airplane from Portland or Seattle.
The Wall Street Journal
Extreme Commuting Still Commonplace
There are more extreme commuters (a minimum of 1.5 hrs round trip) than ever, with a 95% increase since 1990, says Michael Graham Richard at Treehugger.
Treehugger
'Drive 'til You Qualify' Foreclosures on the Rise
Long commute + High Fuel Costs = Home Losses in Exurbs.
Marketplace
American Commutes, in Font Form
Graphic designer Martha Kang McGill took commuting data from several American cities and made an easy-to-compare representation of the information using no more than a font and some colors.
The Infrastructurist
Are Passenger-Miles a Valid Measure of Anything?
Fri, 01/15/2010 - 09:30
Every so often, one sees an article arguing that one mode of transportation is cheaper, more efficient, or less dangerous than another because it uses less energy/kills more people/costs more per passenger-mile. (1)
It seems to me, however, that per passenger-mile comparisions are flawed in one key respect: they assume that trips on any mode of transportation will involve the same mileage, so that if the average driver lives 20 miles from work, the average bus rider will also live 20 miles from work.
The Longest and Most Frustrating Commutes
This chart from The Economist lists how frustrated international workers are with the commute times in their countries. The U.S. ranks surprisingly low.
The Economist
Alternative Fuels Won't Change the Expense of Driving
One of the conclusions of a new study in the San Francisco Bay Area is that switching to electric and alternative fuel cars won't reduce the burden on households because ownership is the most significant expense. Thus, density is the only way out.
Streetsblog San Francisco
Transit Use is Growing, But Not Where You Think
Transit saw some big ridership increases over the past few years, but maybe not where you'd expect. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows the top ten metropolitan areas where transit use has increased the most.
Cities With the Shortest Commutes
U.S. News and World Report selects "15 Cities for People Who Hate Driving and Long Commutes," choosing the cities with shorter than average commuting times and high percentages of non-auto commuters.
U.S. News And World Report
Drive A Hot Rod, Save The Planet
How can a Porsche be better for the environment than a Prius? If you use transit to commute, and only take the hot rod out on the weekends. Slate writer Joe Eaton sold his Volvo for a combination of transit and fun.
Slate
