Tracking Progress Toward 2035
MODERNIZING THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM INDICATORS
DVRPC is committed to the region-wide promotion and implementation of a safe, convenient, and seamless passenger and freight multimodal transportation system that includes highway, rail, bus, bicycle, and pedestrian mobility networks. Attaining this vision will require modernizing the region's existing transportation infrastructure and identifying additional funding sources to help pay for it.
DVRPC tracks twelve regional indicators in order to gauge the region's progress toward achieving this planning principle. These indicators demonstrate trends in various modes of travel, as well as the condition of our transportation system in terms of congestion, safety, and maintenance. Indicators will be periodically updated as new data becomes available, and will help shape the discussion about, and content of the next iteration of the Connections Plan.
ARE PEOPLE DRIVING LESS?
Indicator: Vehicle Miles Traveled.
How is the DVRPC Region Performing? The number of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) has declined regionally by 4.8 percent since its 2007 peak due in large part to higher gas prices and the economic recession. As the economy recovers, VMT is expected to rebound. The extent that the region is able to utilize more efficient vehicles, provide transportation alternatives, and slow the rate of VMT growth, will help determine how sustainable the region will be in 2035.
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Source: PennDOT, NJ DOT, U.S. Census
IS TRANSIT RIDERSHIP INCREASING?
Indicator: Unlinked Passenger Trips, a count of each passenger boarding, regardless of fare paid. If a passenger boards multiple vehicles in a single trip, each boarding is counted.
How is the DVRPC Region Performing? In 2009 the region's transit ridership was 385 million unlinked trips, matching 1990 levels. This continues a steady increase that began in 2000, following a decade of declining ridership.
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Source: SEPTA, NJ Transit, PATCO, and Pottstown Area Rapid Transit
HAVE VEHICLE FATALITIES DECLINED?
Indicators: Fatalities per hundred million vehicle miles traveled, and fatalities per 100,000 people.
How is the DVRPC Region Performing? Between 2001 and 2009, the DVRPC region experienced a 29 percent decrease in fatalities per hundred million VMT and a 15 percent decline in fatalities per 100,000 people. During this period the total number of fatalities declined by 27.7 percent, even as VMT increased by 1.5 percent.
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Source: PennDOT, NJ DOT
IS CONGESTION GETTING WORSE?
Indicator: Duration of Congestion, as defined by the number of minutes that the average speed on a facility falls below 70 percent of the posted speed limit. The analysis considers all weekdays in 2009 during the 5 to 6 PM peak travel hour and is based on INRIX data provided by the I-95 Corridor Coalition Vehicle Probe Project.
How is the DVRPC Region Performing? INRIX Data shows that 12 percent of the region's freeway miles experience greater than 20 minutes of delay during the 5 to 6 PM peak hour. About 5 percent of the New Jersey subregion's freeway lane miles experience this level of congestion, while almost 21 percent of the Pennsylvania subregion's freeway miles experience over 20 minutes of congestion during the peak hour. This is the first time that this data has been collected and will serve as a baseline for future comparison.
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Source: INRIX, I-95 Corridor Coalition, PennDOT, NJ DOT, and DVRPC
ARE FEWER PEOPLE DRIVING TO WORK ALONE?
Indicator: Percent of total commute trips that are completed by driving alone, carpools, transit, walking, biking, working at home, and other means (including motorcycle and taxicab), as defined by the U.S. Census.
How is the DVRPC Region Performing? More than 72 percent of commuters travel to work by single-occupant vehicle. The number of commuters driving alone to work has increased at a faster rate than the total number of commuters from 2000 to 2009 (6 percent compared to 5.7 percent). During this period, public transit, biking, and working at home have increased in commute modeshare, while walking and carpooling have decreased. The number of people bicycling, working at home, and taking transit has increased at a faster rate than the growth in the total number of commuters.
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Source: U.S. Census, 1990-2000, American Community Survey, 2009
IS COMMUTE TIME DECREASING?
Indicator: Commute Time, in minutes by Connections Planning Area.
How is the DVRPC Region Performing? From 1990 to 2000, the region's average commute time lengthened by nearly four minutes, a 15 percent increase. This increase happened during a time of sprawling development patterns, which increased the distance between work and home and reduced the feasibility of alternative forms of transportation. This indicator will be updated once 2010 Census Transportation Planning Package data is released.
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Source: PennDOT, NJ DOT, U.S. Census
HAS THE NUMBER OF DEFICIENT BRIDGES IN NEED OF REHABILITATION OR REPLACEMENT DECREASED?
Indicators: Total number of bridges and deck area of bridges in deficient condition, as determined by the sufficiency rating in the Bridge Management System.
How is the DVRPC Region Performing? Since 2000, the number of deficient bridges in the region has been reduced by 6.6 percent. However, both states remain far from their desired state-of-good repair goal and the region has one of the highest percentages of functionally obsolete and structurally deficient bridges in the nation.
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Source: NJ DOT and PennDOT
ARE ROADS BETTER MAINTAINED?
Indicator: Lane miles of pavement in deficient condition, as defined by each state DOT and the Pavement Management System.
How is the DVRPC Region Performing? The region reduced the number of deficient lane miles of pavement by 11 percent from 2005 to 2009. However, both state subregions remain well above their state-of-good repair goals.
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Source: NJ DOT and PennDOT
IS THE TRANSIT SYSTEM BEING MAINTAINED?
Indicator: Average transit vehicle age.
How is the DVRPC Region Performing? The average rail vehicle age for the region (30.5 years) and both subregions (31.4 years in Pennsylvania and 25.8 years in New Jersey) is considerably older than the state-of-good-repair (SOGR) goal of a 20 year average fleet age. The average bus age (7.4 years) for the region and both subregions (7.5 years in Pennsylvania and 6.9 years in New Jersey) is slightly older than the SOGR goal of a 6.5 year average fleet age. Older trains and buses are more prone to breakdowns, less comfortable for riders, less energy-efficient, require more maintenance, and have higher operating costs than newer vehicles.
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Source: American Public Transportation Association, SEPTA, NJ Transit, PATCO, and Pottstown Area Rapid Transit
IS TIP INVESTMENT IN PLAN CENTERS INCREASING?
Indicators: Percentage and dollar amount of mapped Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) investment in Plan Centers.
How is the DVRPC Region Performing? Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) expenditures in Connections Centers in the region have decreased by 2.3 percent between Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 and FY 2010/11. The decrease in TIP investment in Centers may be accounted for by expenditures on the interstate and freeway system, such as US 202, PA 611, and I-476, as well as a commitment to repair and maintain bridges that may benefit Plan Centers, but are not in geographic proximity to the Centers.
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Source: DVRPC FY 2003, FY 2007 TIPs for PA and NJ, FY 2010 TIP for NJ, and FY 2011 TIP for PA.
ARE FREIGHT SHIPMENTS IN THE REGION INCREASING?
Indicators: Total domestic shipments by weight and value by mode.
How is the DVRPC Region Performing? In 2007, the Philadelphia Consolidated Statistical Area moved 432 million tons of goods, worth an estimated $488 billion, through, into, and out of the region. This is the first time this data was collected and will serve as a baseline for future comparison.
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Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Freight Management and Operations, Freight Analysis Framework Version 3
IS PASSENGER TRAFFIC AT PHL INCREASING?
Indicator: Total passenger traffic at Philadelphia International Airport.
How is the DVRPC Region Performing? Despite a severe economic downturn, passenger traffic at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) remained fairly stable between its pinnacle in 2007 and 2010, decreasing by only 4.5 percent. This decrease came after PHL saw a 15 percent increase between 2003 and 2005 that coincided with Southwest Airlines initiating service to Philadelphia.
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Source: Philadelphia International Airport