September 8, 2015
What's Inside
Executive Director's Update
ACTion Items
Public Policy Updates
Industry News
Blow Your Trumpet
ACT 2015 Patrons
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Executive Director's Update
Since our last edition of the ACT Connections newsletter, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute released their 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard showing increasing congestion issues in Tier I, II, and III cities. Rendering reviews of the TTI analysis, transportation professionals are questioning whether measuring traffic congestion informs decision-makers on corrective actions to reduce fuel consumption, increased travel times, and increased funding for operations and maintenance. Throwing money at the problem is not always the answer. 

Years ago, infrastructure spending focused on attempts to build more roadway capacity. A little later, spending attempted to optimize throughputs to enhance safety and protect the environment by using technology, but neither of these approaches worked in the United States. They did increase capacity, which ultimately increased congestion, increased fuel consumption, and negatively impacted the environment. (This is not to say that infrastructure spending and ITS deployments are to blame for induced traffic. Like the converging provocateurs of a perfect storm, induced traffic is also stimulated by consumer demand and pricing, land use planning, public policy, social behaviors, and so on.)

Let's be clear: There is nothing wrong with the TTI data and analysis. It is accurate and the results are spot-on: Congestion is getting worse and populations are growing rapidly around the worst of the congested urban areas. The question is what we should choose to do with the information. 

Some of us believe we need to get away from determining congestion based on vehicle mobility. We should be looking at the movements of people and commerce throughout the entire transportation network. A bus may have roughly the same commute time as a single-occupancy vehicle yet one is more beneficial to the community. 

Furthermore, we see that communities face a litany of chronic stresses that affect their core functions and services. Mobility is one of the core functions of a community and environmental conditions such as drought and pollution, prevalent crime and violence, and inefficient use of public transportation are examples of chronic stresses that hinder it. This leads us to assume we need to conduct regular analyses of the interoperable functions of mobility. Community leaders should measure and understand their ability to:

  • Learn from past experiences and actions to inform decision-makers.
  • Measure cross-disciplines to assess mobility effects on other core community functions and services (water and wastewater, energy, telecommunications, public health, and food and agriculture).
  • Recognize how mobility resources can be alternatively utilized for dual benefit and/or redundancy.
  • Communicate a clear, inclusive prioritization/expectation to demonstrate a sense of shared ownership and responsibility to keep us moving.
  • Unify distinct transportation systems, services, and institutions to increase coordinated commuter services and reliability. 
  • Educate leaders and youth to be more flexible/adaptive to change.

ACT members need dedicated funding to compete with other modes of transportation. By keeping people and commerce moving, communities attract businesses, keep costs down for businesses and workers, and increase tax revenue. Increasing private and public sector revenues is the opportunity needed for dedicating commuter transportation funding. 

By now you might be asking, as an ACT member, what is ACT's role? 

Answer: Be the national voice for mobility of people and commerce. 

We are a long way away from addressing community commuter needs. We need to develop strategic partnerships. We need to develop a strong and loud communication network. We need to showcase the best-of-show programs in commuter transportation. 

We can, working with FHWA and FTA, examine MAP-21 performance measures to assess whether they provide mobility indicators or commuter/commerce indicators. We can work with our TRB TDM Committee partners to study modeling focused on people and goods instead of transportation conveyances. We can develop public policy to support commuter and employer benefits. We could also explore alternative funding sources, such as portioning of HOV tolls to pay for vanpools and public transit or reallocating a portion of telecommunication fees to pay for telework services. We can work with FTA, APTA, and public-transit agencies to privatize operations and management of underperforming routes. 

With the right partnerships, all of this can be accomplished and ACT will be an essential influencer. 

Sincerely,

Bill Anderson
Executive Director

ACTion Items

 

Join the Conference Planning Team
No matter your age or interests, you have a valuable role to play in planning the 2016 ACT International Conference in Portland, Ore. 

Join fellow members who invest in the association through participation in designing and developing Conference programs and activities. Consider volunteering for one of the focus areas below and send your message to Connie McGee ([email protected]) or David McMasters ([email protected]), Conference Committee co-chairs, for more information on how to get involved.

WE NEED YOU!! 
  • Program and Session Development
  • Exhibit Hall and Sponsorship Opportunities
  • Keynote Luncheons and Networking
  • Awards Ceremony and Closing Session
  • Strategic Partnerships 
Volunteer assignments are adjustable to ensure everyone is doing no more than their fair share.

Public Policy Updates

 

ACTion on The Hill About to Get Started

When Congress returns to Washington after Labor Day, one of the first orders of business in the House will be completion of a long-awaited transportation bill. The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee is rumored to be acting on the legislation September 17. ACT is working hard to include provisions that will protect and expand TDM programs, but we can't do it without your help.

During the next several days and weeks, ACT will be sending legislative E-lerts out to ACT members. The action alerts will pertain to specific issues and provisions we are working on. While we are not sure what E-lerts we will need to send, we can say without doubt that we will need your help.

ACT Legislative E-lerts will include links to letters that are easy to fill out and send to your Member of Congress. ACT has made it as easy as point-and-click. The E-lerts will include a brief summary of the issues, and what ACT is working to achieve. Here is what we are asking:

  • Take time to point and click on the letter. Your voice can have an impact. Sometimes all it takes is one letter for a Member of Congress to take up on issue. Will you be that voice?
  • Spread the news. There are many ways you can spread the word:
    • Share the weblink and e-lert with your friends and colleagues;
    • Include the legislative e-lert in newsletters, company/association emails;
    • Share it on social media; and
    • Share it with others who might be interested -local advocacy groups, employers, and any organization looking to make a difference.

Get Involved! The next ACT Public Policy Meeting is Wednesday Sept. 9.For information and the call-in number, contact [email protected].

Transportation Solutions for Route 422 Congestion Offered in Policy Study
GVF, the Center for Sustainable Communities at Temple University, and CFA Consultants published the study in December 2014. In late July, the study was recognized with the Excellence in Scholarship Award from the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT). The study was financed with a PennDOT research grant.

"The difference with this study was that our organization, GVF, is here and we are very invested," said Robert Henry, GVF executive director and ACT President. "We have become the convener for implementing the goals of the study."

The study's short-term recommendations for the first two-and-one-half years start with re-energizing the 422 Corridor Coalition, which originally focused on developing the Schuylkill Valley Metro Plan in 2003 and the US 422 Master Plan in 2009. The study recommends expanding membership with area residents and reaching out to area employers to promote ride sharing, vanpools, and private shuttle systems. 

Transportation experts recognize that construction or expansion of highway systems cannot fully address the daily traffic backups during the peak morning and afternoon commutes. Traffic demand management (TDM) is a comprehensive planning approach to address traffic congestion by reducing the demand for travel rather than increasing the supply of roads. This is accomplished by encouraging people to use different travel modes, travel at different times, make fewer or shorter trips, or take different routes. 


 

Chapter and Council News

 

ACT Student Member has an Award-Winning Year

Congratulations to Andrea Hamre, a doctoral student at Virginia Tech, for receiving a Citizen Scholar Award and being named an Eisenhower Fellow this year. A native of Roseville, Minn., Hamre is a bicycle enthusiast and volunteer with Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee, and dedicated to public service. She is studying in the planning, governance and globalization program and is a research assistant in the urban affairs and planning program at Virginia Tech's School of Public and International Affairs.

For the past three years, Hamre has served on the Citizens Advisory Committee of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Transportation Planning Board, a forum for citizen input on regional transportation projects and priorities. She has provided comment on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's Metro Momentum Plan and the draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan for the National Capital Region.

In May, Hamre joined the Transportation Planning Section of the Virginia Department of Transportation Northern Virginia District to support TDM and alternative mode programs, including the department's bicycle locker program as well as a variety of programs relating to vanpooling, teleworking, and the integration of biking and walking with transit.

The Citizen Scholar Award from the Virginia Tech Graduate Schools recognizes students'efforts to combine scholarship with community engagement. Hamre was the only student from the National Capital Region included in this year's group of eight winners.

The Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program (DDETFP) awards fellowships to students pursuing degrees in transportation-related disciplines. This program advances the transportation workforce by attracting the brightest minds to the field through education, research, and workforce development. The DDETFP encompasses all modes of transportation. The DDETFP is administered by The Universities and Grants Programs administers, an intermodal, congressionally mandated program originally authorized by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991.


  
We're very happy to welcome all our new members to our ACT family.

Joining the Chesapeake Chapter are Ciara Williams and Walter Daniel of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.

Joining the Northern California Chapter are:
  • Angus Davol, San Francisco International Airport
  • Jaydon Robinson, Lyft
  • Emily Castor, Lyft

Federal News

 

Read FHWA's New Edition of Public Roads


Bipartisan Panel to Discuss Infrastructure Issues
Infrastructure in the United States is crumbling and funds to fix it are disappearing. It's time to address the immediate need to fund infrastructure building, maintenance, and repair. 

That's the message to be presented by Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, Teamsters President Jim Hoffa, and former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour at a National Press Club newsmaker press conference, Sept. 9.


Industry News

 

Google Self-Driving Cars Don't Need Windshield Wipers 
Google brought one of its Koala cars to Thinkery, a children's museum in Austin, where they received some interesting questions. When asked if the car had windshield wipers, a Google employee replied, "Yes, but not on the windshield. They're on our sensors--our car's 'eyes.'" Essentially, the Google car doesn't have windshield wipers because it doesn't need them.

The ultimate goal of an autonomous car is to be, well, fully autonomous. A self-driving car wouldn't require any human input other than specifying a destination. To that end, Google's self-driving prototype doesn't have windshield wipers because humans aren't required to see out of it. 

This brave new world of "cars" truly isn't made up of cars as we understand them. Yes, they have four wheels and take people from point A to point B, but the similarities end there. If humans don't need to drive these cars, a very different approach to design is allowed.



The Private Sector is the Answer to America's Huge Transportation Infrastructure Problem

There is growing recognition that America's transportation infrastructure, ranging from airports to highways and from rail to transit, is in desperate need of renovation and upgrades requiring significant investment. Though the source of the necessary funds is hotly debated, it is essential to ensure that they be spent wisely. Once the funds are committed to a project, it must be delivered effectively and under budget, not only for the success of the project itself but also to generate public support. In an era when the public and many elected officials are ever more skeptical about the ability of government to deliver projects and services effectively, the task of gaining public support for such essential projects would be greatly facilitated. Were the public confident that money would not be wasted, that government agencies could successfully complete such projects on time and under budget, it is also much more likely to support the future infrastructure mega projects required to create a world-class transportation system.



Ford's Next Big Vehicle: A Bike

Would you consider Ford Motor Co. an automaker? Or is it a mobility company? If Ford officials had their way, it would be the latter. The mobility company label came up Thursday as officials from the Dearborn, Mich.-based company visited Jefferson Community and Technical College to talk about the future of transportation.

The number of mega cities -- cities with more than 10 million people -- is expected to grow in the coming decades, said Frank MacKenzie, intellectual property counsel for Ford. So Ford is considering how it can solve problems related to traffic congestion, parking, air quality and general urban transportation matters, he said.



Could the Pod People Be Coming to Arlington?

The Columbia Pike streetcar in Arlington, Va., is dead, but that doesn't mean that transit advocates have given up on getting some sort of rail service built in the corridor.

ARLnow reports that the Columbia Heights Civic Association will meet next month to discuss whether a personal rapid transit (PRT) technology called JPods might be a suitable alternative for Columbia Pike corridor residents.

The JPod technology employs small programmable vehicles that operate much like gondola cars suspended from an overhead guideway. Stations are located on sidings; passengers - six to eight per car - would enter their destinations on boarding and the cars would take them there, bypassing other stations on the route. The system would be powered by solar panels mounted on the guideway and on station platform canopies.



How Can Digital Technologies Help Streamline the City Infrastructure and the Transportation Landscape

As cities are facing many challenges such as urban sprawl, traffic congestion and safety, and transportation accessibility, it is increasingly becoming important for urban planners to provide smart solutions while making efficient use of available assets, resources and infrastructure. The main question is how these smart solutions will help citizens: will they improve their quality of life and provide a clean and sustainable environment? 

Adding intelligent cars to the equation gains could increase dramatically as estimated by researchers at Columbia University saying that 100% adoption of the technologies could lead to an increase of road capacity by 273 percent. Even if we consider this as a very optimistic view it shows that significant introducing new technologies and connecting systems can achieve significant improvements.

Involving other modes of transport like trains or light rail, bicycles, scooters and walking, even larger improvements are possible. There are already many services available, which provide real-time traffic information and calculate alternative routes and usage of transportation facilities. These ideally offer end to end pricing and billing, which currently is a big challenge due to legal obstacles, missing standards for information exchange, competing business models, complexity of processes and data processing and the large number of stakeholders involved.



Three Articles Addressing the 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard

Mobility Scorecard Finds Highway Traffic Congestion Surpassing Pre-Recession Levels
Congestion on U.S. roadways has surpassed pre-recession levels and is now setting new gridlock records, INRIX and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute report in their 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard. 
Its findings, which are in keeping with record traffic volumes being reported this year by the Federal Highway Administration, highlight the heavy demand on U.S. roads and bridges and the rising congestion levels they bring as maintenance and capacity investments in infrastructure fail to keep up. 

Why Rush-Hour Traffic Isn't the Best Way to Rank Urban Mobility
The lens you use to observe something says a lot about what you'll see. If you examined the human condition only during the hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., for instance, you might find a species that isn't terribly productive for a full third of the day.

Rethinking Urban Traffic Congestion to Put People First
While the focus and themes of the report are largely the same as previous years, big changes are underway in how we study, think about, and address metropolitan traffic congestion. This new, modern approach calls into question whether the endless pursuit of congestion relief makes sense anymore as a practical policy goal.

Blow Your Trumpet     

You won an award? Your organization received a grant? You solved a problem that has long vexed the TDM world? Why keep it a secret? Please add ACT to your press list and email us your news. A short paragraph is plenty; we'll follow up with you if we need more details. Just email us at [email protected] with "Member News" in the subject line.