WAMU 88.5 FM (a Washington D.C. National Public Radio affiliate) features Mobility Lab today on both an excellent radio segment and a web feature article by knowledgeable transportation-beat reporter Martin Di Caro. Here is an excerpt. Listen and read the full article here.
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While the District of Columbia grapples with proposed changes to its parking and zoning policies, last updated in 1958, Arlington County seems to have triumphed in its effort to minimize traffic congestion, especially in the Rosslyn-Ballston Metro corridor.
Traffic volume has decreased on several major arterial roads in the county over the last two decades, despite significant job and population growth, according to data compiled by researchers at Mobility Lab, a project of Arlington County Commuter Services.
Multifaceted effort to curb car-dependence
Researchers and transportation officials credit three initiatives for making the county less car-dependent: offering multiple alternatives to the automobile in the form of rail, bus, bicycling, and walking; following smart land-use policies that encourage densely built, mixed-use development; and relentlessly marketing the transportation alternatives through programs that include five ‘commuter stores’ throughout the county where transit tickets, bus maps, and other information are available.
“Those three combined have brought down the percentage of people driving alone and increased the amount of transit and carpooling,” said Howard Jennings, Mobility Lab’s director of research and development.
Jennings’ research team estimates alternatives to driving alone take nearly 45,000 car trips off the county’s roads every weekday. Among those shifting modes from the automobile, 69 percent use transit, 14 percent carpool, 10 percent walk, 4 percent telework and 3 percent bike.
“Reducing traffic on key routes does make it easier for those who really need to drive. Not everybody can take an alternative,” Jennings said.
Arlington’s success in reducing car dependency is more remarkable considering it has happened as the region’s population and employment base has grown.