Tuesday, January 24, 2017
USDOT Performance Measures Include Walking and Biking
Earlier this year the US Department of Transportation released draft performance measures for evaluating our transportation systems. The measures focused only on speed or travel times for motorized vehicles. The League of American Bicyclists and others encouraged cyclists and pedestrians to submit comments asking that biking and walking be addressed as well. The final performance measures now include all modes, helping ensure that our transportation system is used to move people, not just motor vehicles.
From the League:
Because of your support, US DOT has acknowledged that biking and walking have a role to play in reducing congestion and improving air quality!
Late yesterday the US Department of Transportation released their final version of performance measures — including air quality, congestion and performance of major roads. US DOT’s initial proposed measures focused exclusively on cars by measuring only the speed or travel times or cars and trucks. Had the rule stood, it would have incentivized states to build new road capacity and increase speed; it would have also impeded states' and communities’ complete streets and vision zero policies.
Earlier this summer we asked you to weigh in on that draft rule, imploring US DOT to measure people not just cars: including people walking, biking, carpooling or taking transit. Thanks to your responses, and those of our allies, US DOT made significant changes to the rule.
Late yesterday the US Department of Transportation released their final version of performance measures — including air quality, congestion and performance of major roads. US DOT’s initial proposed measures focused exclusively on cars by measuring only the speed or travel times or cars and trucks. Had the rule stood, it would have incentivized states to build new road capacity and increase speed; it would have also impeded states' and communities’ complete streets and vision zero policies.
Earlier this summer we asked you to weigh in on that draft rule, imploring US DOT to measure people not just cars: including people walking, biking, carpooling or taking transit. Thanks to your responses, and those of our allies, US DOT made significant changes to the rule.
A MULTI-MODAL MEASURE
- The rule creates a multi-modal performance measure that will measure the percent of travel made by non-single occupancy — as a measure to reduce congestion. States will have to establish targets to increase biking, walking an transit.
- Under the new rule, state transportation agencies will be required to plan for and monitor the impact of their project on green house gas emissions. This will apply to National Highway System roads, including both interstate and other major roads such as arterials and state highways.
- This should encourage states and MPOs to invest in biking and walking projects to help reduce congestion and improve air quality.
- Finally the performance measures will still measure travel time and vehicle speeds but will also account for the number of people in those vehicles (person-miles instead of vehicle miles). This will incentivize transit, carpooling and ride–share options over single occupancy vehicles.
Labels: multimodal, performance measures, US DOT
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