Transit is an essential part of the region’s
transportation system. Vehicle miles traveled (VMT) have steadily
increased, and in many areas, highway capacity cannot be expanded to
keep pace. Everyday automobile accidents, road construction, and other
incidents further restrict capacity, frustrate drivers, and delay the
movement of goods and services.
Congestion is a tax which costs our economy billions of
dollars in lost productivity every year, and no longer is it just a “big
city” problem.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
reported in February 2001: “Congestion has become a major national
problem....It is also clear that this problem is not restricted to the
largest cities. In fact, while “very large” cities experienced 200-300
percent growth in travel times, the small, medium, and large cities
experienced between 800-1,000 percent growth.”
Transit in its various forms – bus, commuter rail, light
rail, subway, taxi, and paratransit – helps ease this congestion.
Alternatively fueled transit vehicles save energy and improve air
quality as well as provide mobility.
Transit Trips
Transit is a way of life for commuters in the Northeast. New
York City and Northeastern New Jersey have the highest transit ridership
in the nation with more than six million people using the system every
day. New York City Transit estimates that, without transit,
traffic in Manhattan’s Central Business District would double, adding
more than 500,000 cars to the roadway. In New Jersey, more than 750,000
daily trips are taken on New Jersey Transit’s bus and rail system
helping ease congestion and improving quality of life. More than
800,000 people in the Greater Boston area ride the Massachusetts Bay
Transportation Authority’s bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail
and water ferry services every day. The nation's fifth-largest public
transportation system, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation
Authority, carries nearly one million Philadelphia commuters daily,
servicing over 2,200 square-miles in Pennsylvania, as well as areas of
Delaware and Trenton, New Jersey.
Mobility
In rural areas, transit is often the only way for elderly and disabled
persons, children, and those without a car or driver’s license, to stay
connected to work and recreational opportunities, and health and social
services. In addition, encouraging transit over automobile use can help
communities retain small-town charm while still promoting economic
development. For example, Advance Transit serves six towns in the Upper
Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire and offers bus service, free parking
lot shuttles, and a free computerized Rideshare database that matches
people with similar commuting patterns who are interested in carpooling.
Economic Development
Transit is the work horse of the New Urbanism. Transit moves
millions of people into and around the Northeast every day for work,
shopping and other daily activities. Businesses in rural, suburban, and
urban areas seek locations that are transit-accessible so they have
access to a broader source of labor. Leasing and housing prices are
higher for transit-accessible locations, as the demand for these
locations grows. New Jersey Transit’s Mid-town Direct rail service has
increased property values and brought new economic vitality to the older
cities along that line. Stations themselves can be economic centers.
Newark is renovating its subway system by modernizing stations,
lighting, and track systems to accommodate new light rail cars. Some of
these stations will include a plaza or retail space. Bus transfer
facilities like those at Kennedy Plaza in downtown Providence bring
people to the city’s core and complements other investments – parks and
river access – aimed at creating a vibrant civic culture.
Many communities are incorporating enhanced transit
services as an integral part of their welfare-to-work programs. These
reverse commute programs connect welfare recipients or low-income
residents in urban or rural areas to jobs in fast-growing suburban
employment centers. One such program is the Way-to-Go program in
Hartford, Connecticut. This supplemental service includes new bus
routes, additional late evening and early morning bus service, vans for
small groups, and guaranteed rides home in emergencies.
Tourism
The natural beauty of the Northeast makes it a popular tourist
destination, but that “popularity” can result in traffic congestion and
reduced air quality in high-season months as millions of travelers
venture to resorts and parks. Maine DOT and others are doing their best
to preserve the beauty of Acadia National Park by encouraging vacations
without a private vehicle. The Island Explorer Bus picks visitors up at
their hotel or campground and brings them to destinations across Mount
Desert and into the park. The buses are fare-free and they are
propane-powered to help reduce air quality problems in the park. Cape
Cod, Massachusetts has 10 regularly-scheduled seasonal trolleys and
buses to accommodate its visitors and members of the community. In
addition to fixed-route service, Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority
offers a low-cost door-to-door service available to anyone.
Future
ITS applications—such as automatic vehicle monitoring, passenger
information systems, traffic signal priority, and electronic fare
collection—can help transit systems overcome the challenges associated
with current travel patterns. In order to improve transit’s ability to
link trips, the I-95 Corridor Coalition is working with regional transit
operators to improve intersystem and intermodal connections as well as
provide access to integrated travel information.
