The survey was taken by 394 individuals, 61% of whom were commuters to downtown Bellevue, 37% of whom were downtown residents that commute to other locations, and 2% of whom who both lived and worked in downtown. The survey went out in postcard form to all residents of downtown Bellevue, was posted in commercial buildings and was live on the Choose Your Way Bellevue website May 1 through June 14, 2011.

The majority of survey respondents commuted to work by driving alone (44.8%). In explaining their top reasons for doing so, respondents listed that were no reasonable transit options, they require the use of a car for errands before and after work, and because it saves time.  37% of this population reported that increased bus service would motivate them to ditch their vehicles, though in an illuminating statistic, 22.7% of drivers indicated that nothing would encourage them to change their habits.

Riding the bus was the second most cited commute method, comprising 21% of the mode-share, followed by carpool at 10.4%. The top reason for using both these modes was cost savings. Respondents also cited stress reduction, time savings, convenience and an employer subsidy for doing so. 5.5% of respondents walked to work, and 2% of respondents reported cycling to work.

When respondents were asked about general motivators contributing to their choice of commute mode, the top three reasons were convenience, cost savings and time savings. The top impacts to commute mode choice were transit service levels, traffic levels, and gas prices.

Respondents were also asked the minimum monthly financial incentive that would encourage them to try a non drive-alone mode. The majority of people indicated that $50 would help them make a change, though $100 was the second most oft-cited amount.

These results are quite illuminating as Choose Your Way Bellevue moves forward in branding, messaging and programming efforts directed towards downtown residents and employees. It is clear that we are working with a primarily drive-alone population, and there are some major obstacles to overcome to change these habits.

Considering that neither Sound Transit or King County Metro are in a financial position to expand service in the near future, we will not be able to use that as a motivating factor to encourage non-drive alone habits. Furthermore, there is a segment of the population who claims they would never change their method, which is understandable given that the ample amount of free parking in Bellevue keeps the actual costs to drivers down.

But perhaps we could do a better job at quantifying the cost savings, stress reduction and health benefits of participating in alternate commute modes. Driving eats up a large portion of American’s annual budget, and is the second highest cost behind housing,  but because driving has become so normalized in our culture, these costs remain invisible to many people. Whether it’s getting people excited about what they could do with the money saved by not driving, or demonstrating how often during peak travel times, driving isn’t actually faster (which my anecdotal evidence on I-90 overwhelmingly supports), there must be a way to show it visually, either through infographics or videos.

Additionally, walkers and cyclists overwhelmingly report being happier and healthier commuters, so we ought to encourage them to be more vocal (though not evangelical!) about their commute stories. Cycling burns an average of 300 calories per hour, and walking burns 136. Compare that to the 80 or so you burn while sedentary (car commuting) and active transportation starts to look like a winning option, eliminating the need for extra time at the gym and requiring no monetary contribution beyond start up costs.

But the reality is that most people live far enough away from their jobs that walking or cycling is not a viable option—only 6% of workers in Downtown Bellevue report actually living downtown, and the average commute distance is 14 miles. There’s always the possibility of combining active transportation with public transportation, and 7% of our respondents indicated being multi-modal commuters. But commuters tend to dread transfers, which add stress and uncertainty what can often be a lengthy commute.

Stay tuned—our next post will be about programs around the country that are encouraging people to live closer to where they work, which will help to alleviate some of the necessary driving wrought by extended distances between home and work.

Photo by TransportationCamp on Flickr

We at Choose Your Way Bellevue are geeked (literally) to report back from Transportation Camp, which took place in San Francisco this past weekend. A great mix of entrepreneurs, transit nerds, policy makers, activists, and students assembled under a disco ball to tackle the question: How can we use data to improve our cities and transportation systems?

Sponsored by Open Plans and the Rockefeller Foundation, Transportation Camp is a relatively new concept referred to as an “unconference”(also popular in the tech world because they reflect the culture of the industry) with a hands-on, flexible, a little casual but very hard working and fun to the extreme approach. Instead of a set schedule and droning speakers, every attendee at Transportation Camp had the opportunity to suggest or lead a breakout session, panel discussion or Q&A, and was encouraged to be as creative as possible.  Topics up for discussion ran the gamut of “sexy transit,” “building apps for livable streets,” and “the perils of privatization,” which resulted in delightful and sometimes unexpected conversations. Questions like, what makes a liveable street? Can mobile applications be built that facilitate street life? What are the best practices being deployed by transportation demand management groups across the globe? and How can social media be leveraged to generate more on the ground involvement? were asked.

The majority of the sessions were geared towards addressing the current reality: with accelerating technology and recent census figures pouring in, many municipal governments have unprecedented access to data sets and are trying to figure out what to do with them.  Attendees had the goal of brainstorming how to package this information in a way that is transparent, accountable, and efficient.

While attendees may not have arrived at any answers, there were definitely some concrete conclusions. Consensus abounded that information should be and wants to be made public, and that in order to facilitate and maintain democracy, it should be shared in a thoughtful and meaningful way. Attendees also agreed that nonprofit groups are essential at bridging the divide between public and private entities, and are well positioned to introduce new technologies to a diverse range of constituencies. Everyone acknowledged that web developers are notorious for existing in silos, and deemed it integral that they be encouraged, maybe even incentivized, to talk with citizens about how to build apps that would actually be useful and valuable to them. Groups like Code For America, which collaborates with selected cities throughout the United States to transform data into something which encourages citizen participation and civic building, were featured. 

What are your reactions? Could access to data really improve the transportation system? Are there mobile applications that would make you more likely to use transit? Would knowing the transportation habits of your co-workers make you want to change your behavior? Do you think real-time ridesharing could work in our region? What about connecting your transit pass to a carsharing service? The possibilities are as endless as a data set:  Share your thoughts below!

Currently drive alone? Pledge to try a new way of getting to work and take these steps:

1) Fill out and turn in the Way to Work Bellevue sign up form.

2) Look for your sign up confirmation email containing a promotion code. 

3) Register on RideshareOnline.com.

4) Join the Way to Work Bellevue network. Search “Way to Work” under “Profile > My Networks” on RideshareOnline.com. Enter promotion code to join.

5) Begin logging your non-drive-alone commute trips on RideshareOnline.com’s trip calendar.

Just for pledging to try a new commute and registering on RideshareOnline.com, you will automatically receive a $10 gift card! Log 25 days or more of round trip non-drive-along commutes and you will automatically receive a $25 gift card! Monthly drawings for $50 gifts will also be made in February, March and April for those who continue to log their trips at least 3x per week. 

Already ride the bus, carpool, vanpool, bike or walk to work? Pledge to continue commuting the way you do:

1) Fill out and turn in the Way to Work Bellevue sign up form.

2) Look for your sign up confirmation email containing a promotion code. 

3) Register on RideshareOnline.com.

4) Join the Way to Work Bellevue Commute Pros network! Search “Way to Work” under “Profile > My Networks” on RideshareOnline.com. Enter promotion code.

5) Begin logging your non-drive-alone commute trips on RideshareOnline.com’s trip calendar.

Just for pledging to stick to your non-drive-alone commute and registering on RideshareOnline.com, you will automatically receive a $10 gift card! Monthly drawings for $50 gifts will also be made in February, March and April for those who log their trips at least 3x per week!

So what are you waiting for - sign up for Way to Work Bellevue today!

1) How to get started? To start a vanpool you need at least 5 people. The best place to find riders is www.RideshareOnline.com, but you can also ask coworkers or friends. Often grocery stores or neighborhood coffee shops have boards where you can post fliers.

2) How do you pay? You pay a flat monthly fee based on the # of miles the van is driven. This fee covers gas, maintenance, and insurance. The fee can be split evenly by the number of riders in the van or some vans offer to pay for the primary driver to ride free. For example, my van drives 45 miles round trip, costing $710 a month. My van has 7 individuals, so we each pay $101 a month.

3) Who determines where the van leaves? Riders in the van do not have to all live in the same city or work in the same building. The van has the flexibility to decide pick up and drop off locations. Typically park and rides are used, but groups can decide to pick up riders at their home driveways. You can also pick up riders along your route. The group has full control!

4) Who drives the van? Every van is required to have one primary and at least one backup driver. To become a driver you must complete an online training course.

5) If an emergency happens and I need to leave early, am I responsible for getting myself home? If you or a family member becomes ill, if you have to work unexpected overtime, or another emergency happens on a day you drove in the van, Metro will pay for your taxi ride. Know you don’t have to worry about being stranded or paying out of pocket for taxi fare.

-Melissa

I have been driving my van for a year and 3 months. In all honesty, the van was rather challenging to start because I couldn’t find enough riders. It took me 3 months to get the van on the road. .Eventually I was able to find all of the riders for my van at www.rideshareonline.com. My advice: don’t give up when starting your vanpool. Eventually you will find enough riders!

Here is a question for you: What is stopping you from being in a vanpool? Do you not have enough information on how it works? Are you scared of the commitment? I’d love to hear what you have to say.

In my next post I’ll try to address some of your concerns.

-Melissa

Given the location of the world’s petroleum reserves, when Americans pull out their credit cards at the gas pump, they indirectly fund the economies of countries like Iran, Venezuela, Libya, Sudan, and not to mention Al Qaeda (whose financial backers include many who are in the fossil fuels business). Even if the oil sold in the US comes from Alaska, Texas or allies like Norway, American demand drives up the price of the commodity, thereby pumping huge flows of dollars into the treasuries of its enemies. If Americans start thinking about their dependence on oil as equivalent to providing assistance to our enemies, more citizens would be open to looking for and practicing alternatives.

Dujarric doesn’t believe we should throw out the environmental arguments altogether. He instead believes supporting them with a new patriotic message might do the trick to cutting down our oil consumption. What motivates and inspires you to decrease your carbon footprint? Is it saving endangered species and improving air quality or is it protecting US borders? Let us know your thoughts about the climate change debate by submitting a comment below. Also, be sure to calculate your own carbon footprint on our carbon emissions calculator. You may be surprised at what you find!

-Jordan

-Melissa