Why Not Ride the Free Way?

#91, April 17, 2002

With the great deal of attention being given to the width and "depth" of local roads, now is a good time to think about how we use them.

In 1994, residential vehicles in the United States racked up 1.8 trillion miles, a distance greater than 70 million trips around the world. VMT - Vehicle Miles Traveled - has been increasing steadily for decades, in the last decade growing at a rate three times faster than the growth in the number of cars. Per capita VMT also has raced upward, increasing by half from 1970 to 1990. Sonoma County residents, in 1990, were driving 17 miles per weekday, roughly three times the national average. And that rate is still climbing, jumping by seven percent between 1990 and 1995.

In TV commercial land, where empty, satin-slick roads curl through hills of gold, you can't get enough of that good VMT. But in the real world, accelerated VMT growth is EXPENSIVE, no matter where you point the camera.

• Personal expenses: The US Department of Energy calculates that the average 1999 automobile costs $5,674 to own and operate. Every year.

• Accidents: The Union of Concerned Scientists estimates the total cost of accidents (including medical expenses, property damage, and lost productivity) at over $350 billion, 8 percent of the GNP.

• Pollution: The UCS estimates worldwide annual cost of pollution, at $50 billion to $230 billion.

• Other tax subsidies not paid at the pump (e.g. tax breaks for oil companies, road construction bond interest and sales taxes, military cost of protecting foreign oil supplies) would add several dollars to the per gallon price.

And the cost of VMT goes even higher with the low-MPG vehicles now flooding the market.

This is not a case for ignoring Petaluma's urgent street repair needs. We must ensure that our roadways are safe when driven at reasonable speeds. Major arterials and preventative repairs should be given top priority. This is going to cost a lot of money. There simply needs to be a balanced approach.

Just as we've learned that the benefits of freeway widening would be short-lived without simultaneous large investments in alternative modes of transportation, we mustn't now conduct a smooth streets campaign without efforts to reduce VMT. Besides, one of VMT reduction's many benefits is that it will extend the life of pavement old and new.

Recognizing the critical need to reduce VMT, Advanced Fibre Communications and several other technology companies are planning "Ride the Free Way: The Telecom Valley Transportation Initiative." At the heart of this initiative is a pledge by each of the participating companies: to reduce the number of single occupant vehicle commute trips by 10 percent over the next year, and another 10 percent in the year or two following.

AFC, where I work, was able to reduce its electricity use by over 10 percent in the past year, for very little investment. The same can be true with VMT reduction. In the first year, it will mean that each employee on the average will leave his or her car at home one more day every two weeks. To make this practical, we're looking at a variety of initial measures: database-matching employees with fellow carpoolers; providing guaranteed rides home; offering on-site services, like dry cleaning; providing indoor parking for bicycles; expanding the use of telecommuting (go, DSL!); and offering special incentives and rewards to the participants. Group purchase discounts on bike electric power systems and bike apparel could further increase the ranks of cyclists.

But hitting and surpassing the 10 percent goal will take more. Just a small fraction of the funds anticipated for street repairs could create off-street bike paths that would allow safe, year-round commuting (side benefit: employees would arrive at work refreshed and invigorated, and wouldn't need to take extra time to go to the gym.) Public transit could stand some improvement in its schedules and publicity as well. Eventually, a commuter train should serve our major employment centers.

"Ride the Free Way" will begin this spring, possibly during Bike to Work Week in May. If you'd like more information, e-mail me at TheHMan@pacbell.net.