Regional Dashboard
1. Transportation - Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)
2. Transportation - Transit Ridership
photo: stock
1. Transportation - Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)
How are we doing?
Average highway vehicle miles traveled (VMT) declined slightly from 2010 to 2011, primarily due to gas prices. In 2010, we saw a 25 percent reduction in gas prices, which resulted in travelers driving longer distances. As gas prices rose in 2011, drivers reduced their driving slightly. San Diego VMT numbers remain higher than the state average and higher even than Los Angeles County’s.
Why is it important?
- San Diego’s high VMT results in traffic congestion, air pollution, noise pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, and leads to increased fuel costs for drivers.
- Decreasing VMT by encouraging mixed use development, and improving walking and cycling infrastructure engenders a stronger connection between people and their environments,encourages people to work and spend money locally, and allows people to support their local economies.
- Senate Bill 375 (2008) committed California to enact measures that cut vehicle miles traveled in order to decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
What is the measure?
Per capita vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is an estimate (based on actual data) of the average number of freeway miles driven by an individual in San Diego County on a daily basis.
Ideas for Change
- Adopt and enforce “Complete Streets” policies that make streets safe for all users including pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and transit users, regardless of age or mobility.
- Perform “walk audits” to assess the walkability of cities, with special attention given to landscaping and crosswalks, street width and lighting.
- Encourage local efforts to promote Safe Routes to School, so that students may safely walk or bike to and from school, thus decreasing VMT, increasing physical activity, and improving air quality near schools.
Bright Spots
- Rolling Out the Red Carpet for Cyclists -- The Encinitas Bike and Pedestrian Committee organized “Two Wheel Thursdays” to encourage all level of cyclists to get on their bikes for a safe, social evening ride around downtown Encinitas, with stops at local businesses for refreshments. Other cities in the region such as Solana Beach, Carlsbad, and the City of San Diego have also been enhancing cycling infrastructure and creating Bicycle Friendly Business Districts. In 2012, the City of San Diegointroduced the region’s first bike sharing program.
photo: NCTD
2. Transportation - Transit Ridership
How are we doing?
The percent of San Diego’s population that commutes to work on public transit declined slightly by 0.25 percent from 2010 to 2011,dropping farther behind cities like Portland and Los Angeles, which both saw an increase in the percent of commuters using public transit. The number of San Diegans who drive alone to work remains a high 76 percent. The average number of hours of delay per auto commuter also rose from 2009 to 2010.
Why is it important?
- High performing public transit, with strong connectivity between transit hubs, residential areas and work centers can provide a costeffective transportation alternative for San Diego County residents of all ages and economic backgrounds.
- The use of transit services can reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.
What is the measure?
The percent of the population that commutes to work via public transit.
Ideas for Change
Focus on “transit-oriented development” policies to increase transit ridership and curb VMT.
- Improve vehicle parking near transit hubs, set up bicycle sections and bicycle carriers on all public transit, and promote bike sharing programs in order to improve connectivity for drivers and bicyclists.
- Expand light rail and frequent shuttles in busy downtown areas.
- Generate incentives to transition the growing senior population into mixed-use residential developments, within walking distance of commonly visited destinations and central transportation hubs.
Bright Spots
- Flex Buses Serving Smaller Communities -- Residents in Carlsbad, Encinitas, Ramona and Solana Beach have access to a new, flexible transit option from North County Transit District, designed to replace fixed routes that had been eliminated. The FLEX system allows customers to travel anywhere in the service zone for just $5 each way when a reservation is made in advance.