Driving increases* in metro area (* actually decreases)

The Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, a group that advocates for more freeways and wider roads as the top transportation priority throughout NoVa, sent an email summarizing the results of a recent MWCOG study. They claim that the study shows that more people drive, while fewer walk, bike and ride public transit. However, in a very long footnote, the email admits that, actually, the data show the exact opposite.

Here’s the email. The table claims driving increased from 81.3% of trips to 83% between 1994 and 2007/2008. The footnote, however, states that, “The geographical boundaries of the 2007/2008 and 1994 studies differ slightly. When the 1994 boundaries are used for both samples, the 2007/2008 results” show auto use declining to 80.3%.

The actual results from the survey, the Household Travel Study, are very interesting.

Transit is up significantly in suburban jurisdictions, especially Prince George’s (where it went from 10.8% of trips to 18.6), Prince William (5.2% to 10.2%), Frederick (1.5% to 5.8%) and Charles (1.4% to 6.4%) Counties. Prince George’s got several new Metrorail stations, including the Blue Line extension to Largo and final Green Line segment to Branch Avenue during that time period. DC added Georgia Avenue, Columbia Heights, and New York Avenue, though perhaps while it’s added many residents who take transit, the residents in those areas previously mostly took buses before. The region also increased its miles of bus service by 67%, presumably mostly in outer suburban jurisdictions.

Walking and biking has doubled in Arlington (3.8% to 7.6%) and Alexandria (4.5% to 9.0%). It’s also up from very small amounts to larger, but still small amounts in Loudoun, PW, Frederick and Charles. Unfortunately, that’s also pretty flat in DC, though at 15.3%, far more people still walk and bike in DC than in any other jurisdiction. Arlington’s CommuterPageBlog credits new bike lanes, pedestrian countdown signals, bike parking, Confident City Cycling classes, and more for the changes there.

Single-passenger driving hasn’t changed all that much anywhere. It’s down the most in Alexandria (64% to 59%). Arlington and Prince George’s also saw declines of about 3% each. In DC, however, it’s up, 39% to 45%, but remains by far the lowest of any jurisdiction (Arlington and Alexandria being tied for second at 59%). It’s also up by 1% in Loudoun, making that now the jurisdiction with the highest single-passenger driving share.

Carpooling took a big tumble. In 1994, 8.3% of trips were by auto passengers, but today it’s only 4.7%. The only county with growth in carpooling is Charles County. Some of the counties with the largest declines were also at the top of the list for transit increases, like Prince William (13.1% to 5.4%) and Prince George’s (9.0% to 4.9%). Arlington declined the least (among those that did decline), by only 0.9%, but it also had the lowest percentage share (4.4%) in 1994. DC went from 7.8% to 3.6%. Generally, all counties seem to have lost about half their carpooling, except for Prince William which lost much more, Arlington which lost less, and Charles which didn’t lose carpoolers at all.