Transit on Tuesday: The Mileage Dip Edition
The amount of miles logged by Maryland, Virginia, and District drivers fell sharply in May, contributing to a national drop of more than 9.6 billion miles, the third largest slide in the country's history. The decrease saw local drivers notching between 1.7 and 4.2 percent fewer turns of the odometer. So, you might ask, what's this got to do with Metro?
Well, lots. The conclusions that we can draw from this drop are many - first, the painfully obvious: the increasing cost of gasoline is causing drivers to eliminate some usage of their automobiles from their daily lives. This, taken in itself, is not a terrible thing. It's obvious, too, that the drop in mileage is likely helping to raise ridership on public transportation. Again, it seems all well and good. But if we go a bit further, we can draw more meaningful conclusions - and just like a hole in the ground, the further you dig, the messier it gets.
Photo by Bullneck.
First, the issue of highway and transportation funding. It's quite a volatile time for funding debates, what with Virginia's legislature seemingly in an unending stalemate and that wily Tom Coburn running around derailing every piece of funding legislation in sight. The news that people are driving less means that there's fewer funds coming in through gasoline taxes - consequently, the primary source for funding everything transportation is drying up. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters notes that the 2009 Federal Highway Trust Fund is currently running at a $3.1 billion deficit, even though highways get inordinately more funds than transit ever has. As this trend continues, funding for light rail, streetcars, and bus transit might become even more strained than normal, as governments struggle to find alternate funding sources for suddenly cash-poor highway system.
Additionally, it's notable that many of the trips that people are cutting out of their lives now are not commutes to and from work, but short trips. Let's use Virginia as an example. Virginians aren't using their gas allocations for trips to the movies, the grocery store, and the beach. Instead, a majority of Virginians are using their gas to commute in and out of work every day. (Consider that currently, only 415 Federal employees take advantage of telecommuting options provided to them). Conceivably, Metro could get some (if not most) of those people to work, enabling them to use gas for everyday errands. Instead, what happens is that at the same time that funding goes down, rush hour congestion stays at the same. The balance is shifting in a awkward direction, leaving transit technically "underused," and roads experiencing high volumes with little resources to maintain them properly.
So, what are the options? Of course, one solution is responsible personal gas usage - but what about publicizing auto-independent communities? Perhaps individual jurisdictions should take a cue from Loudoun County and attempt to find localized funding for transportation projects.
What do you think could be done to solve this oncoming problem? Let's hear it in the comments.
Metro To Get Even Greener: One of mass transit's greatest selling points is that it's far more environmentally sound than driving to work - hence, Metro's endorsement of National Dump The Pump Day back in June. So it follows suit that Metro's board would approve a resolution last Thursday to ensure that all new and rehabilitated facilities will be LEED certified. There's no word on what level of certification that agency is aiming for, but it's a good start none the less. Metro's got a pretty good track record for being environmentally-friendly, but it's nice to see that they want to continue that trend into future infrastructure development.
Engines and Cabooses: New Variable Speed Limit program starts tonight on a portion of the Beltway - the Post explains how it works... The bridge that connects the Clara Barton Highway Parkway to the Beltway will be closing for construction next Monday - it won't reopen until the fall... The escalators at Foggy Bottom on Monday were quite the mess... Metro contracted as part of FTA program to develop an emergency transit management system... Bus fare increases proposed in Prince William County.