Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Your New Urban Factoid of the Day

Click here to refresh this blog: http://newherbanism.blogspot.com

Since 1995, the U.S. population has grown by 12 percent while the number of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) has grown by 24 percent . . .

but transit use is up by 30 percent to 10.1 billion trips for the first time in 49 years.

Discuss . . . .

Source: The American Public Transportation Association

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'm surprised there hasn't been any discussion of this post. These statistics are an obvious indication of the need for this type of project, and for MAT officials to consider the mutual benefits of cooperative efforts here. Urban/suburban sprawl has forced us to live farther away not only from our workplaces but also from the goods and services we desire.

The goal here is to have people live, work, and shop in a single neighborhood, but unfortunately for the pioneering residents of this new neighborhood, many will still be forced to commute to Omaha's more established business areas. As the costs of private transportation increase, alternatives (especially those that provide additonal health or enviromental benefits) become increasingly popular. The stastics quoted in this post support that.

Is there any talk of MAT expanding service (perhaps only limited service during peak commuting hours) to the site? A single strategically located "transit depot" could fit well into the community while providing additional protection from arterial congestion and peak hour neighborhood traffic. (Think old style train stations without the need for parking lots for commuters' cars and you see yet another opportunity for residents to interact.)

MAT is missing an opportunity if they don't consider expansion into the area- the potential for a steady volume of commuter use of the sevice is obvious. Residents of the project will already be investing heavily both financially and emotionally in the principles and philosophies that encourage use of public transit if it's available. (A potential customer who has already demonstrated a desire for the benefits of your product is too valuable to ignore, MAT!)