Commuting Mode Share in the 30 Largest U.S. Cities

[Metro Jacksonville]

Commuting Mode Share in the 30 Largest U.S. Cities



Everyone already knows Jacksonville can be a pretty dismal place for commuting if you're not married to asphalt, SUVs, and carbon monoxide clogged highways.  However, Metro Jacksonville takes a look at how Jacksonville stacks up with the largest cities in the country, in terms of commuting mode share.  While the results aren't great, they aren't as bad as expected either.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-jul-commuting-mode-share-in-the-30-largest-us-cities

[Debbie Thompson]

If you build it, they will come.  :-)

[Jason]

I think the most telling part of the article is that there has been very little change at all here in Jax.  Goes to show that sticking to the status quo does nothing to advance our city.  Shouldn't we be doing SOMETHING? ANYTHING!?

I'm looking forward to the benefits of the mobility plan.  That will be the "Something" we need.

[fieldafm]

I thought this was particularly interesting and goes in line with what many say around here:

This may indicate that rail lines can play an important role in encouraging the population to try modes other than the automobile. The non-automobile mode share, which includes transit, biking, and walking, is particularly interesting from this perspective because it may reflect the number of people choosing to live in areas where it is acceptable to use transportation other than the private car.

Fixed transit attracts choice riders.  Dense walkable communities command premiums.

[I-10east]

'Carbon monoxide clogged highways' is a lil' too dramatic for J-ville; It's not like were on the other side of Interstate 10 in LA somewhere.

[BackinJax05]

One reason the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority "T" works so well is most of it was built LONG before cars. In most other cities, rapid transit is an afterthought.

Actually, from what I've read, Jacksonville, Miami, & Tampa had pretty good streetcar systems before they were thoughtlessly ripped up. Oh sure, Tampa has a trolley now, but it doesnt go anywhere. Its a multimillion dollar tourist attraction no one uses, much like the fish tank by the cruise ship terminal.

[thelakelander]

'Carbon monoxide clogged highways' is a lil' too dramatic for J-ville; It's not like were on the other side of Interstate 10 in LA somewhere.

Lol, most of LA is carbon monoxide clogged.

[Ocklawaha]

One reason the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority "T" works so well is most of it was built LONG before cars. In most other cities, rapid transit is an afterthought.

Actually, from what I've read, Jacksonville, Miami, & Tampa had pretty good streetcar systems before they were thoughtlessly ripped up. Oh sure, Tampa has a trolley now, but it doesn't go anywhere. Its a multimillion dollar tourist attraction no one uses, much like the fish tank by the cruise ship terminal.

Tampa's streetcar creates all of the attraction that a Jacksonville streetcar would have running from Bay and Newnan to the to a cruise terminal at the old Ford plant. This might have been a good decision for tourist traffic but it does next to nothing for the area residents. The Jacksonville Skyway on the other hand actually covers about half of the CBD and then it simply dead ends. Tampa's streetcar suffers logistically even as a tourist attraction as traverses a section of the city among the least likely to be used as a travel corridor between point A and B. In Jacksonville we have a logistical advantage as our entire downtown core is at the center of virtually all travel corridors be it Arlington to Riverside, or New York to Miami.

Jacksonville's sole disadvantage is the disconnect between FDOT/JTA and the needs and desires of the citizens. Yes they have public meetings and the typical dog and pony shows, but for the most part these are not two-way exchanges of information venues.

[BackinJax05]

^ Well, we could always extend the Skyway from Central Station, down Bay Street, and up to the old Ford Plant in anticipation of a cruise ship terminal.

[Adam W]

People will stop driving if you give them an incentive to stop driving. That incentive could be quicker commutes, not having to wait in traffic, not having to pay for parking, etc. But there has to be some incentive.

The whole issue of how incentives drive human behaviors is one of the main premises behind the Freakonomics books.

You cannot just "build it and they will come." That mentality has been shown to fail. People like driving their cars. They see it (in part) as part of who they are and link it to a sense of personal freedom, among other things.

Cities like Boston, DC, SF, NYC, etc are places where it really, really sucks to drive. And the cost of parking is prohibitive. And it really, really sucks to commute (though if I understand from the beginning of this story, this is article was not really about metro areas and commuting as such). But in places like that, riding a train is a no-brainer.

I think we all know that driving in Jacksonville during rush hour can suck pretty bad, but it's rarely as bad as it is in those other places.

You can build railways, but you need to address the issue of changing peoples' perceptions and working to change peoples' behaviors as well. And you need to offer some incentive to use the railway. And as long as Downtown Jax is basically a ghost town, you need to understand that ridership will be very low for a long time, but commit to seeing the project through to completion (and beyond). And you need to make sure that a real Downtown redevelopment project is part of the overall plan, so we actually start getting businesses back downtown. I think that last place is the place to start. But it cannot be ignored.