87% of commuters travel by private car.

Stand up and be counted!

In 1960, the United States was home to 179 million people. With 64 million Americans in the workforce, the average household owned one car and more than 12 percent of workers commuted via some form of mass transit. As the century progressed, travel patterns, job centers, and housing trends became less aligned, and transit was no longer as easily accessible, convenient, and in some cases, available. By 2000, average family size decreased, but car ownership increased by more than two-thirds.  Private vehicle usage grew from 64 to 87 percent, while transit use by commuters fell to a staggering 4.7 percent.

Commuters weren’t the only ones who changed travel behaviors over the past 40 years.  Whereas 90 percent of children who lived within a mile of school walked or biked in the 1960s, only 31 percent of today’s children do. Inadequate sidewalks and bike paths, as well as dangerous intersections and other safety issues limit children’s transportation alternatives. 

The 2000 census highlighted notable differences in the way Americans travel compared to the 1960s. However, in recent years there has been a resurgence in mass transit use. Gas prices and congestion have motivated many commuters to leave their cars for rail and bus lines.  In 2008, more than 10 billion trips were taken on mass transit – the industry’s best year since 1957. Increased transit ridership also has sparked public support of new transit infrastructure initiatives.  In the past seven years, nationwide, ballot measures that fund new or expand existing mass transit systems have passed approximately 70 percent of the time.

As we prepare for the beginning of a new decade, our national census will begin documenting current trends and cultural shifts. Census data will help planners and policymakers make decisions that keep our economy and people moving; it provides a snapshot of America and historical marker that will guide policies in the years to come.

Have a wonderful holiday season! See you in 2010!


Photo courtesy of Michael Sauers

For Additional Information:

• American Fact Finder – U.S. Census Bureau
• 2010 Statistical Abstract: Transportation – U.S. Census Bureau

 

NEWS

Local News

Modern train service slowed by freight – Chicago Sun-Times “The promise of faster passenger rail is inextricably linked to the down-and-dirty business of freight.”

CTA's online Bus Tracker rolls into sight at Wicker Park shops – Chicago Tribune “The pilot project represents an opportunity to greatly expand access to Bus Tracker information beyond computers, BlackBerry-like cell phones, personal digital assistants and other mobile devices.

Banks, companies seek to get on board CTA's 'open-fare' system – Chicago Sun-Times “The CTA is moving ever closer to the day when passengers will be able to use ‘smart’ credit and debit cards to pay for their 1.7 million daily rides aboard buses and trains.”

Downtown Metra stations to accept credit cards – Chicago Tribune “Commuters frustrated by the inability to buy train tickets with credit cards will find things more convenient in January when Metra starts accepting plastic at its downtown stations.”

Streetcars on Rockford’s mind – Rockford Register Star “City officials say a looped streetcar route might be a good way to move residents and visitors around downtown without clogging the streets with cars.”

Pace to cut fewer routes – Chicago Tribune “Pace riders caught a break Wednesday when the agency scaled back the number of suburban bus routes it plans to reduce in service or eliminate.”

CTA's new ad contract looks to make agency $80M – Crain’s “The Chicago Transit Authority has hired Titan Outdoor LLC to manage advertising on its properties in a contract that guarantees the cash-strapped agency at least $80 million over the next five years.”

 

World News

House's Jobs Package Creates Cash,' Room for Real Debate' on Next Highway Bill – New York Times “The jobs package the House passed yesterday would give $36 billion to the nation's roads and rails -- but that wasn't its only gift to the transportation community.”

The daily drudge – Economist “According to a recent survey of 11,000 people in 13 countries by Regus, a property company, a fifth of commuters around the world have considered quitting because of the time taken to travel to their workplaces.”

U.S. System for Tracking Traffic Flow Is Faulted – New York Times “The federal government has committed more than $50 million to build a sophisticated highway traffic monitoring system that has produced unreliable data and cannot freely share live reports on highway bottlenecks with the public.”

House/Senate conferees sign off on FY10 appropriations bill – Progressive Railroading “On Wednesday, a House and Senate conference committee approved a fiscal-year 2010 transportation appropriations bill that would fund transportation programs at higher-than-FY09 levels and finance two new transportation programs.”

Transit Agencies Need to Invest in Marketing: A Lesson from Los Angeles – City Fix “Los Angeles’ Metro is doing something that no transit agency in the country has ever done: it’s marketing its products and services as if it were a private company bent on turning a profit.”  

Feds ask for power to oversee rail transit safety – Washington Post “Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, in testimony before a House panel, outlined a plan to give the Federal Transit Administration authority to set standards for and inspect the nation's 50 local rail transit systems in 27 states.”

Station Design: Waiting for the Train – Newsweek “If the airport represented glamour and speed for the postwar traveler, the megastation is the symbol of a new age of urban renewal and planet-friendly travel.”

Resources

• The Public Transportation Safety Program Act of 2009 – U.S.DOT
• Transit Equity Matters: An Equity Index and Regional Analysis of the Red Line and Two Other Proposed CTA Transit Extensions – UIC Natalie P. Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Development

Enjoy Talking Transit?  The content is a result of the research, outreach and advocacy efforts of MPC’s dedicated Transportation team.  You can make a difference on the issues you read about here by making a donation to MPC today, http://www.metroplanning.org/donation.asp.

Contact Information
For comments, suggestions or submissions, please contact Emily Tapia Lopez, Associate, at etapia@metroplanning.org or 312-863-6047.