Individual Actions for More Efficient Transport
Implementing TDM In Your Own Life
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TDM
Encyclopedia
Victoria Transport Policy Institute
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Updated
March 7, 2007
This chapter describes actions that individuals can take to travel more efficiently and support TDM in their community.
Some people assume that reducing automobile travel requires significant personal sacrifice, but this is not necessarily true. Reduced driving can be rewarding and enjoyable. Although driving provides benefits, given good transportation and land use alternatives many motorists would prefer to drive somewhat less and rely more on travel alternatives.
There are many things that individuals can do to reduce their own automobile dependency and increase the efficiency of their travel patterns. These are described below.
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Stages of Recovery From
Car Addiction (by Dan Burden) 1.
Acceptance that walking is OK, and people who walk may be a lot like
us. 2.
Not putting down (or running down) people who walk who are unlike us. 3.
Trying the activity ourselves. 4.
Building walking into daily life. 5.
Choosing to park a minute or two walk from your destination: not driving
for four minutes to find the closest space. 6.
Giving up the car for a whole day. 7.
Giving up the car for an entire week. 8.
Giving up the car all the time except when it is needed. 9.
Moving to a part of town and building a lifestyle where you forget
where you parked the car. 10.
Selling the car because it is a pain a bother and a nuisance ... and
renting one when you really need it. |
Consolidate trips, so you run several errands at once. Before making a special trip, consider if there is an alternative. Is the trip necessary? Is there a closer alternative? Could it wait until you are making another trip to the area? Is there another approach that reduces the need to travel?
Choose comfortable walking shoes. Bring a backpack or carrying bag when you go out, even if you do not plan to shop, in case you decide to pick up something along the way. Have an umbrella, raincoat, rain boots and flashlight when necessary. (Pedestrian Improvement and Pedestrian Encouragement)
Strategies for Increasing Daily Walking (Susan
Moores)
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Set up a bike for each family member (including a bike trailer if you have young children) for transportation purposes. This means a comfortable and reliable bike with a lock, light, rack and saddlebags, and fenders. Have appropriate clothing, including rain gear and specialized cycling clothes for longer rides. A “hybrid” or mountain bike with relatively smooth tires (use Kevlar-belted tires to minimize flats) is a good choice. Find a bikeshop that you trust to provide technical advice and support. (Bicycle Improvement and Bicycle Encouragement)
Learn the transit routes in your area (ride nearby routes when you have some free time to become familiar with them), and carry a bus schedule. Buy a monthly pass or a packet of discount tickets so you don’t need to rely on change. (Transit Improvements)
Try to shop close to your home or worksite. If you travel by foot, bicycle or transit, find stores that offer delivery service. (Freight Trip Management)
When possible, organize your travel to Rideshare with other people. Register with rideshare organizations and coordinate travel with friends and colleagues.
For some types of work errands it is possible to use a telephone and Internet communications as a substitute for physical travel (Telework).
Minimize automobile and air travel during your vacations. Travel by train, bus, bicycle or walking, and share trips with friends. Choose destinations closer to home, and integrate vacations with business trips when possible. Use alternative modes to travel at your destinations. (Tourist Transportation Management).
Owning a car is more expensive than most people realize, which means that reducing your car ownership and operating costs may provide more savings than you realize
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Reduced
Driving Can Make You A Millionaire “Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.” David
Copperfield, Chap. XII, by Charles Dickens There
are several ways to become a millionaire. If
you are clever and lucky you might win the grand prize in a television game
show, but the odds are about one in 10 million. The chances of winning a
major lottery are a little better, but the odds are still extremely long. For
each million-dollar winner there are hundreds of thousands of losers. Another
strategy is to try to earn a big income, for example, by becoming CEO of a
successful corporation. But this requires unique skills, years of hard work,
and some luck. Not everybody is suited for such a career. However,
here’s a strategy guaranteed to earn a million with an average income, and it
is enjoyable, healthy and ethical. Simply minimize your driving expenses and
invest the savings. After a few decades you’ll be rich. It’s as simple as
that. Most
households spend more than necessary on vehicles. For example, owning and
operating a typical new luxury car, SUV or van costs about $8,000 a year
according to American Automobile Association estimates. Instead,
you can buy an old but reliable used car and minimize your driving by using
transit, cycling and walking whenever possible. In this way you can
reasonably cut your vehicle expenses in half. Although you’ll lead a less
mobile lifestyle, you’ll enjoy much greater financial freedom. What
happens if you take the $4,000 annual savings and invest it at 7% annual
return? In ten years you have $55,266, in twenty years you have $163,982, and
in less than forty-four years you have a million dollars. In other words,
excessive car expenditures waste a million dollars of accumulated wealth over
a typical working lifetime. Perhaps
you have other priorities besides retiring rich. You can use the savings to
buy a nice home, put your children through college, travel, or reduce your
working hours in order to have more personal time. The point is that motor
vehicles can be a financial trap. The average household devotes 15-20% of net
income to car expenses. Many people waste a major portion of their working
life paying for automobiles. This
alternative is not transportation deprivation. You can still have a household
car that is available when you need it, you simply can’t own a particularly
flashy vehicle or lead an extremely automobile-dependent lifestyle. Of
course, the automobile industry doesn’t want you to consider this option. We
are inundated with flashy advertisements which assume that everybody dreams
of buying a new car, and we just need to choose the model and colour. And by
leasing new cars, the industry lets consumers minimizes their monthly
expenses, but they gain no equity, and so own nothing after paying many
thousands of dollars. Here’s
a little exercise to help you avoid this temptation: Take a $20 bill and a $5
from your wallet and burn them. Do the same thing tomorrow, and the next day,
and every day for a month. That is equivalent to what you would spend on a
typical new car. If burning all that money seems foolish, forget the car and
go for a walk, bike ride or transit trip instead. |
Reducing your household’s car ownership (from 3 to 2, 2 to 1, or 1 to zero) will reduce your temptation to use an automobile when other travel options are available. Use alternative modes and rely on Carsharing and Taxi Service when an automobile is required.
If possible, choose a home in a multi-modal community, where there are sidewalks and good cycling conditions, good transit service, and nearby shops (Location Efficient Development and Transit Oriented Development). Even in automobile-dependent regions some neighborhoods tend to be more accessible, often in the older parts of cities, or toward the center of towns (New Urbanism and Smart Growth). This can significantly increase your Transportation Choices and reduce your automobile use (Land Use Impacts on Transportation).
If appropriate, encourage your employer to implement a Commute Trip Reduction program and offer appropriate Financial Benefits to non-drivers
There are many jobs that involve promoting mobility management and sustainable transportation. For information contact the Association For Commuter Transportation (www.actweb.org), a professional organization for transportation managers, and the Planetizen website (www.planetizen.com), which has job listings for planning professionals.
You can support transportation alternatives in your neighborhood, community and other levels of government. For example, encourage your neighborhood association to support Traffic Calming and New Urbanist design principles, support municipal Pedestrian and Cycling Improvements and Smart Growth policies, and lobby governments for increased support of TDM Programs and Public Transit Improvements. You can report problems to pedestrians and cyclists to transportation agencies.
You can help form an organization such as a Bicycle User Group (BUG), transit riders’ union, or TDM committee to promote the use of alternative modes and create more supportive policies (BV, 2003).
Choose a motor vehicle, choose the most energy efficient and low-polluting model that meets your needs (Energy and Emission Reductions). If you occasionally need a larger vehicle, rent or Carshare rather than purchasing such a vehicle for full-time use. Detailed information on vehicle energy consumption and emissions is available from the following sources:
·
The
· The Green Vehicle Guide, USEPA (www.epa.gov/autoemissions) reports emissions and fuel consumption rates per vehicle mile for specific model years.
· The For My World Tail Pipe Tally (http://209.10.107.169/tailpipetally_v2/index.cfm?synd=fmw) provides motor vehicle fuel consumption, fuel cost and pollution emissions for specific model-years.
· The Climate Change Cost Calculator (www.climcalc.net/eng/CCCframes.htm) allows users to estimate a person’s air pollution emissions and how these can be changed.
More efficient driving habits can reduce vehicle energy use by 10-15%. The Eco-Drive program by the Swiss Federal Energy Office recommends (SFEO, 2000):
Develop a positive attitude toward reducing car use and relying on alternative forms of transportation. For example, think of time you spend walking and cycling a fun and relaxing exercise, rather than wasted time. Find ways to use time spent on public transit productively, by resting or reading. Challenge yourself to find ways to reduce your car use, and reward yourself with the financial savings.
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Your Multi-Modal Transportation Kit 1. Choose shoes for comfort not just style. 2. Carry a backpack, umbrella and flashlight. 3. Keep a local street map handy. 4. Equip your bicycle with basket, lock, light and fenders. 5. Have a bus schedule and bus tickets. 6. Maintain an account with your local taxi company. 7. Choose a home located within convenient walking distance of shops and transit stops. 8. Maintain a positive attitude about using alternative modes. |
Various studies suggest that a typical household can reduce its automobile trips by 25-35% by avoiding unnecessary automobile trips and using alternative modes when possible (TravelSmart, 2000).
Many people have a misimpression about the potential for reducing automobile travel. They believe that each mile of reduced driving requires a mile of travel by public transit, and so assume that personal travel reductions are only feasible in dense urban areas with frequent transit service. This is not usually true. In highly automobile-oriented areas people tend to take many, discretionary automobile trips that can be reduced or avoided altogether: a special trip to return a video that could be returned a day or two later when running another errand, a cross-town shopping trip for items that are available nearby at a modest additional price or could be purchased by telephone or internet, chauffeuring friends and family members to the airport when airporter service is available. Most studies suggest that only 10-20% of avoided automobile trips are transferred to transit in urban areas or ridesharing in suburban areas, an equal number of transferred to nonmotorized travel, and many are avoided altogether or shifted to a closer destination.
Table 1 Travel Impact Summary
|
Objective |
Rating |
Comments |
|
Reduces total traffic. |
2 |
Tends to increase TDM
effectiveness. |
|
Reduces peak period
traffic. |
2 |
" |
|
Shifts peak to off-peak
periods. |
2 |
" |
|
Shifts automobile travel to
alternative modes. |
2 |
" |
|
Improves access, reduces
the need for travel. |
2 |
" |
|
Increased ridesharing. |
2 |
" |
|
Increased public transit. |
2 |
" |
|
Increased cycling. |
2 |
" |
|
Increased walking. |
2 |
" |
|
Increased Telework. |
2 |
" |
|
Reduced freight traffic. |
2 |
" |
Rating from 3 (very
beneficial) to –3 (very harmful). A 0 indicates no impact or mixed impacts.
Reducing your car use can not only help achieve virtually all TDM objectives, it can also provide you with benefits, including Transportation Choice, financial savings, Health and Fitness, Security and Resilience and Community Livability. Direct financial savings from reduced automobile use averages 20-30¢ per vehicle mile, far greater than many people realize (Costs of Driving).
Table 2 Benefit Summary
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Objective |
Rating |
Comments |
|
Congestion Reduction |
2 |
Tends to increase TDM
effectiveness. |
|
Road & Parking Savings |
2 |
" |
|
Consumer Savings |
2 |
" |
|
Transport Choice |
2 |
" |
|
Road Safety |
2 |
" |
|
Environmental Protection |
2 |
" |
|
Efficient Land Use |
2 |
" |
|
Community Livability |
2 |
" |
Rating from 3 (very beneficial) to –3 (very harmful). A 0 indicates no impact or mixed impacts.
TDM marketing can help increase equity by increasing public knowledge and acceptance of transportation alternatives, and creating more effective TDM programs. This tends to benefit lower-income and transportation disadvantaged people by improving their mobility options, increasing access for non-drivers, and reducing the stigma often associated with alternative modes. Actual equity impacts vary depending on circumstances and program design.
Table 3 Equity Summary
|
Criteria |
Rating |
Comments |
|
Treats everybody equally. |
1 |
Generally benefits all
groups. |
|
Individuals bear the costs
they impose. |
-1 |
Requires subsidy. |
|
Progressive with respect to
income. |
2 |
Can improve travel choice
and reduce stigma associated with alternative modes. |
|
Benefits transportation
disadvantaged. |
2 |
Can improve travel choice
and reduce stigma associated with alternative modes. |
|
Improves basic mobility. |
0 |
No significant impact. |
Rating from 3 (very
beneficial) to –3 (very harmful). A 0 indicates no impact or mixed impacts.
Can be implemented as part of any TDM program.
Table 4 Application Summary
|
Geographic |
Rating |
Organization |
Rating |
|
Large urban region. |
3 |
Federal government. |
2 |
|
High-density, urban. |
3 |
State/provincial
government. |
2 |
|
Medium-density,
urban/suburban. |
3 |
Regional government. |
3 |
|
Town. |
3 |
Municipal/local government. |
3 |
|
Low-density, rural. |
2 |
Business Associations/TMA. |
3 |
|
Commercial center. |
3 |
Individual business. |
3 |
|
Residential neighborhood. |
2 |
Developer. |
2 |
|
Resort/recreation area. |
3 |
Neighborhood association. |
2 |
|
|
|
Campus. |
3 |
Ratings range from 0 (not
appropriate) to 3 (very appropriate).
Many TDM programs can help you reduce your automobile use including TDM Marketing, TDM Programs, Commute Trip Reduction, Transportation Management Associations, Tourist Transport Management, Event Trip Management, and Campus Transport Management, and just about all alternative travel modes.
Involves you, your household members and friends, and ultimately your community, your employer and the businesses you trade with.
Barriers include the practical problems associated with reducing automobile use in an automobile-dependent society, including inadequate transportation choice and system integration, inadequate information on alternative modes, and social perceptions that automobile ownership and use is Prestigious while alternative modes are stigmatized.
· Have a positive attitude.
Try to make it fun to reduce automobile use.
· Plan ahead. Have appropriate
shoes, bikes, transit information, packs, umbrella, lights and whatever else
you may need for convenient and safe use of alternative modes.
· If possible, reduce your
household automobile ownership.
· If possible, choose a house
in an accessible location.
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Among
the English language’s many puzzling words is “economy,” which means the
large size in detergent and the small size in automobiles. |
Way
to Go, Seattle
is a new initiative to show people they can save money and make their
communities more livable by making more conscious transportation choices, just
as they do now with recycling and water conservation. Below is an article and
news release about two of the program’s trail projects.
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“Program
to Get Seattleites Out of Second Cars Successful” They rode bicycles or car-pooled or took the
bus. They saved up errands and ran them in one trip. They walked to the
grocery store or to the kids’ soccer match. And, ultimately, they saved
themselves hundreds of dollars and avoided dumping 3 tons of greenhouse gas
into the atmosphere. What
those 22 “I
didn’t think I could do it, says Sharon Griggins-Davis, a Queen Anne
resident. “We’d got into some very bad habits of relying on that car.” Hers
was one of the families that volunteered to give up their second cars for six
weeks as part of a city-sponsored experiment. As
volunteers for “Way to Go, Seattle, the families agreed to take $85 a week
from City Hall in exchange for promising to get by with one automobile. Just
to be sure, the city recorded their odometer readings. Participants also agreed to keep journals of
how they got around. Based on city calculations, taking 22 cars
off the roads for six weeks saved each family an average of more than $70 per
week - even allowing for bus and taxi fares - officials said. It also led to
1,700 fewer car trips through local neighborhoods, 8,100 fewer car-miles and
prevented 6,500 pounds of carbon-dioxide emissions - the gas that causes
global warming. “This
was not a scientific survey, said Mayor Paul Schell. “It was an educational
experiment into how we can do better with what we have.” Some
of the families found the task too difficult and reverted to their second
cars when the program ended, city officials said. But most said they learned
how easy it is to get along with one car. One family has sold its second car
and others plan to. “With
two cars, there is always the temptation to use a car when you really don’t
need it, said Malva Slachowitz, a Ballard participant. “But we learned some
things. When we made a shopping list, it was a serious list. When we went on
a family outing, we would stop and do an errand.” The
experiment appears to have been successful enough to justify another one,
Schell said. |
Way
to Go
News
Release, Mayor Paul Schell, September 22, 2001
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“We
can all take small steps to improve our transportation system,” said Mayor Paul
Schell. “These families have proven that we can make choices about how to get
around and enjoy spending less time in our cars.”
All
the families in the study saved money, and most saved about $64 per week. The
all found they could get around on transit, walking, bicycling and taking taxis
when needed for about $21 a week, far less than the $85 per week cost of an
average second car. Most families tell us they will continue to take the bus or
ride their bike, and think about whether they need to drive to where they want
to go.
“We
hope more people will see they don’t need that extra car,” said Jamae Hoffman,
project manager. “Families making smart decisions about transportation can cut
down on vehicle trips, congestion, gasoline use and, of course, air pollution.”
The
best experience for Richard Kielbowitz and Linda Lawson of the Hawthorne Hills
neighborhood was “watching the price of gas rise for other people”. “When we
heard reports of traffic jams, we counted our blessings that we were not caught
up in them,” they said. After participating in the program, Kielbowitz and
Lawson sold their second car.
“Before I would have driven north for movies and shopping. Now, I head downtown on the bus,” said Lori Goodwin of the Queen Anne neighborhood. “It was a fun experience. Same movies, same sho