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Vanpool Investment Program Overview

Chris SimmonsRideshare Program Manager

Public Transportation Division

August 24, 2008

Paula HammondSecretary of Transportation

Steve ReinmuthChief of Staff

Dave DyeChief Operating Officer

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Congestion requires a balanced management approach

Bottlenecks40%

Traffic Incidents25%

5%

Adding Capacity StrategicallyBuilding is part of the solution—capital projects improve congestion and safety by increasing highway capacity to relieve chokepoints that are caused by excess demand.

Operating Roadways EfficientlyWSDOT can make the existing system operate more efficiently by using tools such as:

Ramp meters Synchronized traffic signals HOV lanes Incident response trucks to clear traffic incidents Construction traffic management Continue to explore emerging practices and technologies such as Active Traffic Management

Managing DemandProviding people choices—WSDOT can reduce demand on the transportation system:

Commute Trip Reduction programs Transit Vanpools and Carpool programs Roadway pricingTravel informationTelecommuting and flexible work schedules

What are we doing about congestion? “Moving Washington”

The multiple causes of congestion require a balanced approach that uses several strategies. Building more roads alone will not address the problem. Instead, a balanced corridor-based approach is needed that includes operations, safety, and preserving the existing system.

Benefits of Moving Washington

Maximizes use of existing infrastructure

Reduces collisions

Smoothes traffic flow

Better roadway productivity (vehicle throughput)

Improves travel reliability

More travel options to reduce traffic demand and reduced greenhouse gas emissions

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Providing people with choices

• WSDOT’s demand management strategies are focused on providing people with choices

• We provide funding, technical support and coordination with our partners: local governments, employers, transit agencies, and others

• Our programs include:– Commute Trip Reduction– Trip Reduction Performance Program– Vanpool Investment Program– New Growth and Transportation Efficiency Center program– Regional mobility grant program– Construction traffic management– Park and ride program development

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What drives travel choices

• Many factors drive the travel choices that people make every day

• Demand management is successful when it is targeted at appropriate segments of the travel market; one size does not fit all

• Providing commute options is about the origin and destination, time of day, cost, and time and convenience

• For example, commuters tend to choose vanpool for trips of 15 miles or more; the longer the distance, the more commuters are likely to choose vanpool

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Success with thevanpool program

• Created by the Legislature in 2003 to support expansion of vanpooling statewide

– A 10-year, $30 million capital program

– Goal is to double vanpooling to about 3,200 operating vans by 2013

• To date, Legislature has invested $21.5 million in vanpool capital– $4 million 2003-2005– $8.9 million 2005-2007 (additional $3.9 million)– $8.6 million 2007-2009 (additional $2.6 million)

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Current Operating Vehicles against 2013 goal trend line

1,200

1,400

1,600

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Success with thevanpool program

• Currently about 2,600 operating vehicles statewide, a 65 percent increase from 2003

– 2,400 vanpools + 172 VanShares (vans limited to connections between a transit center/rail station and a home or worksite)

– Those vehicles carry approximately 21,600 riders daily, a 72 percent increase from 2003

• The central Puget Sound contributes around 2,050 vehicles and approximately 17,300 daily riders

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What we’ve learned aboutthe vanpool program

• What we’ve learned so far:– Vanpools can effectively serve the long-distance, cross-

jurisdiction commute– Gas price spikes bring strong interest in ridesharing, particularly

vanpooling– Vanpools can only grow at a certain rate

• Statewide vanpool growth has averaged about 10% annually since 2003

• Van procurement, while quicker than buses (6 months vs. 2 years), is still not immediate

• There must be maintenance space and a replacement plan for new vehicles prior to expansion

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The future of vanpooling

• Vanpool program is looking forward to 2020– New goals focused on ridership growth and reducing VMT

– New technologies such as dynamic ridematching and telematics can help support growth in ridesharing

– Technology would allow focus on more than just the commute by allowing individuals to dynamically match up with a vehicle going where they want to go, at the time they want to go there

• Vanpooling goals being integrated as a key strategy with other demand management program goals– CTR and GTEC goals call for growth in vanpooling

– Mitigating for the impacts of construction

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2013 Goal Extended to 2020

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2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000Ja

n 20

03

Jul-0

3

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2004

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2005

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5

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7

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Jul-0

9

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'11

Jul-1

1

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Jul-1

3

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14 Jul

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2013 Goal Extended to 2020 Operating Vanpools Historical Growth Rate Current Growth Rate

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Questions or comments?

Chris Simmons

Rideshare Program Manager

simmocw@wsdot.wa.gov, (360) 705-7917