RD403 - How Virginia Is Using Transit and Transportation Demand Management Programs to Address Highway Congestion and Single Occupant Vehicle (SOV) Travel


Executive Summary:
This document is the Secretary of Transportation’s FY 2014 report to the General Assembly summarizing recent efforts undertaken in the Commonwealth of Virginia to leverage the state’s investment in passenger rail, transit and transportation demand management (TDM) programs to address highway congestion and single occupant vehicle (SOV) travel. The report addresses the annual reporting requirement of Chapter 733 of the 2010 Acts of Assembly.

Prepared in consultation and cooperation with the Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner and the Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), this report details the increasing impact the Commonwealth's transit and TDM programs are having in economic development and competitiveness, as well as providing our citizens with access to jobs, education and healthcare. This report also details how Virginia’s passenger rail, transit, vanpooling, carpooling and TDM programs are expanding the Commonwealth's transit infrastructure in a holistic, increasingly seamless, efficient, and multimodal manner. Examples of FY 2014 rail, transit and TDM programs that are making an impact are presented throughout this report.

Statistics to include in this section based on the 2014 DRPT Transit and TDM Industry Survey:

• 77% say DRPT has played a key role in helping my service or agency obtain resources for our programs and services

• 81% say my service or agency works closely with DRPT to ensure we have the support we need for our programs

• 75% say Virginia’s Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) plays a strong leadership role in transit and TDM in Virginia

• 97% say transit and TDM should play a major role in congestion mitigation throughout Virginia

(Source: 2014 DRPT Transit and TDM Industry Study. Percentages reflect the “top two box” scores, on a 1-5 scale.)

Major forces are now increasing the importance and practice of performance impact assessment and reporting for transportation systems, in general, and transit and TDM programs, in particular.

MAP-21, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, demands improved transportation investment decision making through performance-based planning and programming. Under MAP-21, performance management, program restructuring, and the creation of two new formula programs have increased accountability for program efficiency and measurable results. During the 2013 Virginia General Assembly Session, the Transit Service Delivery Advisory Committee (TSDAC) was established to advise DRPT in the development of a distribution process for transit capital and operating funds and help implement more performance-based funding for mass transit.

From passenger rail and transit to bicycle and pedestrian paths, Virginia’s rail, transit and TDM programs are well prepared for this new performance-based funding era. DRPT and Virginia’s transit and TDM agencies have an established track record of measuring program efficiency and effectiveness through modal split, reductions in vehicle miles traveled and other key metrics. Examples of Virginia’s prowess in program impact measurement are presented throughout this report.

Seismic demographic trends such as population growth and the growth of urban areas, coupled with the growing demand for walkable communities are also increasing the importance of performance impact reporting. Based on projections from the 2010 Census, the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Division projects that Virginia’s population will increase from 8 to 9.8 million residents by 2030. Virginia’s largest urban areas will see the majority of this growth, which is consistent with several other forces reshaping America – urbanization and walkable communities.

Spearheaded by organizations like Smart Growth America, and supported by the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Livability Initiative, the emerging cultural shift towards walkable and sustainable communities is taking hold throughout the nation and here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. There is a critical symbiotic relationship between transit and TDM programs and smart growth strategies in evolving urban areas into more sustainable, walkable communities. Smart growth strategies help to develop transportation systems that better serve more people while fostering economic vitality for both businesses and communities. These strategies include developing and offering a rich mix of transit options like buses, trolleys, subways, light rail, street cars and ferries which accommodate more travelers in the same space and create better options for getting between home and work.

Adding more roadway capacity, even if funding was not an issue, will not keep up with this growing population, nor address the demand for more walkable, sustainable communities. The most efficient solution is to manage the demand placed upon a community’s transportation system through the thoughtful deployment of rail, transit, and TDM programs that are designed to efficiently move people, not cars. Deployment of these resources, however, requires knowledge of what programs will work best in each community. This knowledge comes from insights gained from program performance impact assessment and reporting.