Today TTI had released its latest edition of the popular product – Urban Mobility Report (2012). The 2012 edition introduced for the first time,  a way to measure that degree of unreliability in planning a trip, as part of the annual Urban Mobility Report (UMR).   The press release explains it succintly:

The Planning Time Index (PTI), a measure of travel reliability, illustrates the amount of extra time needed to arrive on time for higher priority events, such as an airline departure, just-in-time shipments, medical appointments or especially important social commitments. If the PTI for a particular trip is 3.00, a traveler would allow 60 minutes for a trip that typically takes 20 minutes when few cars are on the road. Allowing for a PTI of 3.00 would ensure on-time arrival 19 out of 20 times.

Access the whole report (PDF) by clicking the cover photo of the report below.

TTI’s 2012 Urban Mobility Report

As one would expect, the reactions for the report was mixed – both positive and negative from the transportation community.  That said, here are some highlights from the 2012 UMR:

Congestion costs are increasing. The congestion “invoice” for the cost of extra time and fuel in 498 urban areas was (all values in constant 2011 dollars):

• In 2011 – $121 billion; In 2000 – $94 billion; In 1982 – $24 billion

Congestion wastes a massive amount of time, fuel and money. In 2011:

• 5.5 billion hours of extra time (equivalent to the time businesses and individuals spend a year filing their taxes).
• 2.9 billion gallons of wasted fuel (enough to fill four New Orleans Superdomes).
• $121 billion of delay and fuel cost (the negative effect of uncertain or longer delivery times, missed meetings, business relocations and other congestion-related effects are not included) ($121 billion is equivalent to the lost productivity and direct medical expenses of 12 average flu seasons).
• 56 billion pounds of additional carbon dioxide (CO2) greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere during urban congested conditions (equivalent to the liftoff weight of over 12,400 Space Shuttles with all fuel tanks full).
• 22% ($27 billion) of the delay cost was the effect of congestion on truck operations; this does not include any value for the goods being transported in the trucks.
• The cost to the average commuter was $818 in 2011 compared to an inflation-adjusted $342 in 1982.
  

  English: Traffic congestion on southbound Interstate 95 in Baltimore, Maryland, near milepost 50. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Congestion affects people who travel during the peak period. The average commuter:

• Spent an extra 38 hours traveling in 2011, up from 16 hours in 1982.
• Wasted 19 gallons of fuel in 2011 – a week’s worth of fuel for the average U.S. driver – up from 8 gallons in 1982.
• In areas with over three million persons, commuters experienced an average of 52 hours of delay in 2011.
• Suffered 6 hours of congested road conditions on the average weekday in areas over 3 million population.
• Fridays are the worst days to travel. The combination of work, school, leisure and other trips mean that urban residents earn their weekend after suffering over 20 percent more delay hours than on Mondays.
• And if all that isn’t bad enough, folks making important trips had to plan for approximately three times as much travel time as in light traffic conditions in order to account for the effects of unexpected crashes, bad weather, special events and other irregular congestion causes.

Congestion is also a problem at other hours. 

• Approximately 37 percent of total delay occurs in the midday and overnight (outside of the peak hours) times of day when travelers and shippers expect free-flow travel. Many manufacturing processes depend on a free-flow trip for efficient production and congested networks interfere with those operations.

Related articles

• Commuters’ wasted time in traffic costs $121B
• Houston makes list of top 10 most congested cities
• New Road Congestion Report
• Washington Is No.1 In Traffic Congestion
• Americans wasting billions in traffic jams

(source: Frost and Sullivan)

The chart below came to me via twitter and I felt compelled to share.. As the pace of technology deployment accelerated in the automotive market , one of the directly impacted segments was the carsharing business. What used to be a small segment dominated by ZipCar has now burgeoned into a full blown industry and more new participants are entering the fray with bold new ideas. It is only going to get better in the days ahead as the technology matures and more people decide to ditch their personal vehicles and opt for “renting” by the hour (i.e., sharing).

Related articles

• Carsharing business keeps growing
• The future of the car in the city: Vol. 1., No. 1. Carsharing Policy Guide for local government
• Urban Carshares : Smart, Sustainable, Transportation for City Dwellers
• Presentation of Paris Autolib’ carsharing project: “A new way of getting around in cities”

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association is looking for a dedicated, self-motivated lover of bicycling to assist in planning and executing major components of our East of the River 2013 Bicycle Outreach Initiative. This is an expansion of our successful 2012 program and includes distribution of community engagement and outreach materials and organization of educational offerings, bicycle repair clinics, bike rides, and community events. The project area is the District of Columbia east of the Anacostia River, with specific emphasis on the Congress Heights, Anacostia, and St. Elizabeths areas.

The East of the River Program Associate will have primary day-to-day responsibility for delivery of bicycling outreach through one-on-one, grassroots community engagement, and will be responsible for coordinating logistics of numerous outreach events to communicate to community members the value of bicycling as a viable form of affordable, healthy, sustainable transportation.

Image Courtesy: Anacostia Yogi – http://www.anacostiayoga.com

This position is grant-funded and is anticipated to run through mid-August 2013. The ideal candidate will be highly motivated, committed to getting more people on bikes, a strong communicator, knowledgeable about the community to be served, and organized. Hours are flexible, but weekend work will be required. The majority of work will be outdoors likely involving bicycling, interacting with the public, or at outdoor community events, but the associate will also be responsible for planning and preparing reports for supervisors and funders.

The associate will report directly to the WABA outreach coordinator and will be directed by WABA program staff. This will afford the associate the opportunity to learn from professionals in the fields of event planning, community planning, grassroots organizing, online activism, and outreach.

The ideal candidate will have:

• A strong commitment to WABA’s mission, growing bicycling as transportation
• Excellent writing, presentation, and public-speaking skills
• A flexible schedule and willingness to work evenings and weekends as needed
• The ability to organize time wisely and multi-task in a relaxed and fun, but demanding, environment
• Experience with Microsoft Office

Benefits include a flexible schedule, vacation, and sick and personal leave. Compensation is $15 an hour. This position is part-time, about 20 to 25 hours per week.

Apply

Send a cover letter describing why you are the best candidate for this job, along with a resume, to jobs@waba.org. No phone calls, please. The position is available immediately, and applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

WABA is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, disability, sex, or age.

About the Washington Area Bicyclist Association
Making bicycling better through advocacy and education, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association promotes biking as a healthy, low-cost, and environmentally friendly form of transportation and recreation. With 4,000 members region-wide, WABA serves bicyclists throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including the District of Columbia and parts of Maryland and Virginia.