SR 167 High Occupancy Toll Lanes: HOT Stuff

After four years of the pilot test to see whether drivers of single-occupant vehicles would opt to pay for a faster trip using available space in the HOV Lane, the verdict is in. Everyone wins.

Enough drivers will opt to pay a toll to use the HOV lanes to cover operating costs and travel times imporve for everyone. On General Purpose lanes:

• NB speed at peak increased from 44 mph to 51 mph
• SB speed at peak increased from 42 mph to 56 mph
• Volume down 11%

In April 2012, 3400 drivers chose tolled trips per weekday, twice the amount in April 2009. The average monthly revenue exceeds average monthly operating costs by $15,000.  

The SR 167 HOT Lanes Pilot ends June 30, 2013 without legislative action.

Successes and Challenges

During their visit to East Wenatchee last month, the Transportation Commission viewed – and five Commissioners rode bicycles on – the Apple Capital Loop Trail. This 12 mile bicycle and pedestrian trail has grown in popularity and now attracts many non-motorized commuters as well as recreational users. As use has grown and function has shifted, the trail now faces access and safety challenges that stem from its success.

Click here to match the photos to locations on the trail. Apple Capital Loop Trail

Wenatchee Valley Transportation Council is currently developing a regional bicycle master plan that will include a focus on improving connections between the trail and city streets, including the locations illustrated in these photographs.

Thanks to Patrick Walker and Jeff Wilkens, WVTC Staff, for the bike tour and photos. 

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Around the State

Each year the Transportation Commission visits four or more cities around the state to learn about local transportation needs, challenges, and successes. On April 17 and 18 the Commission visited Mt. Vernon, LaConner and other Skagit County locations. Water defines geography in and around Skagit County.

Pictured here is Mt. Vernon Mayor Jill Boudreau showing off the new Mt. Vernon River Walk, which adds a functioning transportation corridor, enhances livability and provides a tourism attraction, while also serving as a dike to protect downtown from Skagit River floods.

In the other picture, you see the Swinomish Channel in La Conner. This waterway is heavily used by industrial, commercial and recreational boaters and must be dredged regularly. Taking a cue from Mt. Vernon, La Conner also is enhancing its waterway along the Swinomish Channel with a boardwalk.

In June, the Commission will visit East Wenatchee and the surrounding vicinity in Douglas County and Chelan County.

Please tell us about the transportation challenges and successes in your community.       

  

Plug Into the West Coast Electric Highway

The West Coast Green Highway opens on Wednesday, May 30, 2012. The three-state initiative provides public electric vehicle charging stations in strategic locations to promote the use of cleaner fuels along the 1,350 miles of I-5 from British Columbia to Baja, California in Mexico.

At the Grand Opening on Wednesday, May 30, the charging stations in Blaine, Bellingham and Burlington will not be available for general charging as they will be used for charging demonstrations. The network of stations will be open for all EV drivers on Thursday, May 31.

For more information on the Grand Opening, click http://westcoastelectrichighway.eventbrite.com/

Drivers can sign-up for an AVnetwork Charging keyfob and find the most current listing of charging stations at evsolutions.avinc.com. The website will be updated as new stations come online — so check back regularly.

Planning Pays Big Dividends

 

WSDOT told an impressive story at this week’s meeting of the Transportation Commission about how our state has already invested over $500 million of federal assistance from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act  in transportation improvements. From repaving 820 lane miles of state highways, to new transit facilities and buses, to mobility improvements that include congestion relief on I-405 near Bothell and extending the I-5 high occupancy vehicle lanes into Pierce County, our state’s planning and readiness has paid huge dividends. And, an additional $751 million to improve freight and passenger rail is committed to projects that will be completed over the next six years.  

We recommend this excellent report on Washington’s progress in putting American Recovery and Reinvestment Act  dollars to work.

Bicycle Commuting

From dormant to active — this Blog has been dormant since shortly after the Transportation Commission adopted WTP 2030 and now resumes activity. In like fashion, yesterday I signed up to participate in the Thurston County Bicycle Commuter Contest 2011 and today biked to work for the first time this year.

I am not well-prepared to bicycle commute. More of a recreational biker, once I pulled out of my driveway and into the street, I noticed low air in the rear tire; I realized (again) that I should have bicycle pants clips to avoid getting grease on my slacks; and I noticed (again) that my briefcase does not travel well by bike. And most significant, although it is only a three mile trip, there is a big, big hill at about the 2.5 mile mark. I did not make it very far up the hill before I had to get off the bike and walk the remainder of the hill.  

Resuming this Blog also will have its share of hills, technical glitches, and “wish I would have” moments. A lot is happening in transportation, from fuel price escalation affecting the cost of driving and flying to “robot cars” that may enable safer and faster mobility. The Transportation Commission will use this Blog to share news, ideas and viewpoints. As the Legislature wraps up its work, we will report on new developments in transportation, including some that may be traced to WTP 2030.

And for anyone who is bicycle commuting during this month of May, I hope that your ride home is all downhill.

–Paul Parker, Senior Policy Analyst

Stewardship: Continuous Improvement, Careful Oversight

Stewardship is about making wise management and investment choices for the future, to ensure the system’s continued safety, mobility and connectivity. A key objective is to simultaneously preserve and maintain the existing system, while working to better manage it for optimum efficiency and effective movement of people and goods.

Stewardship encompasses accountability and performance measures, integration of land use and transportation policies, and protecting and preserving essential public facilities. Increasingly, technology is being employed to increase the efficiency of the existing system, while pricing strategies are being explored to address congestion and the financial sustainability of the system.

WTP 2030 includes Stewardship strategies organized in five broad categories:

• Continue to Develop and Implement Performance Measures to Align with Federal Direction and Ensure Accountability
• Use Technology to Realize Maximum Efficiency in the Movement of People and Goods
• Review Regulations That Require Improvements to the Same Standard and Performance Level for Every Roadway
• Strengthen the Integration Between Land Use and Transportation Decision-making
• Ensure the Ability to Build and Expand Essential Public Facilities (e.g. interstate highways, airports, and intercity passenger rail)

How do we continue to ensure that the Stewardship Goal (to continuously improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of the transportation system) can be achieved?

In addition to leaving comments on this blog, we encourage you to use the online public input tool to tell us about the transportation issues and priorities that are important to you.

You can also read the WTP plan and related documents online.

How would you improve mobility?

Do you ever think about “going car-less”? After a long afternoon sitting in traffic on the highway, other transportation options besides driving start to look pretty appealing. But to make other transportation options a realistic alternative to driving, we need reliable options that link home, school, work, and other destinations. In addition, better coordination between transportation providers is critical to ensure connectivity between modes, thereby improving the efficiency of the whole trip. For example, when bus or train schedules are not coordinated with ferry landings and departures, it adds time to the trip and passengers that might otherwise make the trip using transit continue to use their cars.

The issue of improving mobility affects all of us, whether we drive or not. To ensure the timely and reliable movement of people and goods we need to address bottlenecks to relieve traffic congestion. Private sector data providers are increasingly working with transportation agencies to address a range of mobility problems, including bus arrival times, traffic flow information and real-time incident alerts.

As part of WTP 2030, the Commission has developed a preliminary list of the necessary steps and actions to initiate key strategies in the near‐term (initiate actions between 2011-2017).

Expanding Options for Aging and Special Needs Populations

By 2030, nearly 20% of Americans will be over age 65 and the share in some Washington counties may reach 40%. According to one study, one in five Americans age 65 and above does not drive. As our population ages, many more people will require alternatives to driving alone in order to travel around and between places.

People travel to and from work, to shop, to visit friends and family, and to access medical care and other services. As vehicles and fuel become more costly, the challenges of meeting these needs will increase for many people, putting related pressure on communities to meet the mobility needs of their population.

WTP 2030 includes some proposed strategies to help meet these needs:

• Accommodate the needs of the aging population through universal design principles for all modes. For highways this could include signage, roadway markings, lighting and design solutions. For transit and rail this could include easy to read schedules and terminal information and less challenging physical environments
• Produce and circulate information on transportation options and their benefits. Tailor information to the specific mobility and access needs and vary by locality
• Utilize existing volunteer organizations to set up travel-buddy systems, regardless of mode, so that people lacking confidence do not have to travel alone

What else should be done to meet these needs? Are there systems in place in your community that work well?

In addition to leaving comments on this blog, we encourage you to use the online public input tool to tell us about the transportation issues and priorities that are important to you.

You can also read the WTP plan and related documents online.

Mobility: It’s about how we move

What does “mobility” mean to you? Does it mean predictability in travel times, or the ability to access needed goods and services? Is it the investment of time and effort, or the expense and choice in how and when to travel or move goods? There is no right answer here, as all these factors are linked to mobility. Mobility also encompasses congestion reduction, as well as connectivity to other modes, access to information, travel costs, and having access to different modes.

Land use patterns and policies have an impact on mobility options. Some options, such as expanding transit services, may be better suited to adapt to new land use patterns than others. The ability to travel to jobs and other activities is an important contributor to each individual’s quality of life and to the economic vitality of Washington’s communities. These issues are critical for individuals in both urban and rural areas and are overarching elements of this goal.