Launched Innovative Travel Options Program
Roland Chlapowski
Most people will acknowledge that if more people walked, bicycled, and took public transit, we would have a more physically fit, environmentally friendly transportation system with a lot less gridlock and congestion than we see today. Well, why don't more people choose these transportation options? One reason is that people don't know about the options, that transit options don't go by their destination, and tend to believe that a bike ride will take twice as long as it really does, among other misconceptions.
To change this, Sam obtained $500,000 for “Travel Smart,” an innovative, award-winning program that acquaints people with information about their travel options. This program has been shown to get more people riding, walking, and taking transit - just by giving them information!
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Posted by Roland Chlapowski on December 19, 2005
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Filed Under 2005 Year-in-Review, Transportation
Comments by site visitors
Roland - Another reason that people do not take advantage of these programs is because they can't.
Salespeople have customers that are not on mass transit routes, mothers with children really can't go shopping on the bus/light rail or bicycle and some people are physically unable to ride a bike for any distance or want to risk the safety issues.
No matter how much extra education or money, we won't increase participation in these mass transit programs. Can ew use part of the $500K to help some people who need to drive cars?
Posted by: Steve | Jan 26, 2006 8:38:57 AM
TravelSmart's genius is that it does not bother with those who cannot or do not want to look at their transportation options. The first question they ask is "Do you want to learn more?" If you don't, you are off their list. They focus on people who do want to explore their options.
Auto trips in the Interstate Corridor were reduced roughly 10%...go to the Office of Transportation's website for all the data...and TravelSmart gives you all the data you could ever want.
Posted by: Lenny Anderson | Jan 27, 2006 9:08:00 AM
Education and information on alteranative transportation around the city is great. But for those of us who have to coordinate the school schedule, school bus schedule, and our own travel time to and from work - riding a bike or catching Trimet simply isn't possible unless we have the good fortune of working for an employer that offers and understands the need for flex time. I'm not driving into downtown every day because I'm against public transportation - I'm driving because there is no more time available to schedule an alternative transportation choice.
Posted by: C Hill | Mar 7, 2006 12:22:24 PM
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Roland:
I am becoming reliant on Google whenever an innovative city program comes up, to find its source.
http://www.travelsmart.vic.gov.au/web4/tsmart.nsf?Open&Expand=7.1
After a cursory examination, and careful evaluation of the costs of creating committees to come up with the same thing, I suspect the half-million dollar price tag will have saved the city money and about two years of time.
Now, the thrust of this educational program seems to rely on the citizenry accepting the need for, and the benefits of, alternate modes of transportation. For urban Australians, or even urban Canadians, (Ok, the metro London area, parts of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia), some of the precepts may be palatable. But for those of us beyond 39th, the distances and densities require either a more frequent and friendly public transit, or private wheels on demand. To surrender to Tri-Met, to put yourself at the mercy of the bus schedule, get your permit to hold up a busload of workers while you fasten your bike on the front bumper, or to stand with it on an already crowded train, and to triple your commute time for the convenience of not having to buy gas or find parking, only has merit when traveling to or from the core. With the exception of Lloyd Center, there are no "centers" of employment activity that would concentrate a terminus of transit options.
When I-84, MAX, and the cross-town busses are all full at rush-hour, this is an indication that some major civic and social adjustments need to be made. Goldschmidt's 1980 infrasctucture has met the Metro 2040 plan. He built it, they came. Now what? Reverting to promoting bicycling to get cars off the freeway is about as sensible as a program to promote locals vacationing in beautiful Downtown Portland to save gas. Oh,come on! Dude. You wouldn't...
Posted by: Don Bartley | Jan 25, 2006 2:43:37 PM