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2560 discussions

by Sam.Granato＠dot.state.oh.us

Mr. Herlihy, Why pick on the smaller MPOs? From what I've seen around the country, the most "invalid" models are predominantly in the largest metro areas (with the worst one - in terms of documented traffic assignment error - from the agency in YOUR metro area). Where's the proof that the extensive data collection done in the largest MPOs actually helps? Sam Granato Ohio DOT, Office of Technical Services 1980 W. Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43223 Phone: 614-644-6796, Fax: 614-752-8646 "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anais Nin Ed Herlihy <ed.herlihy(a)comcast.net> Sent by: owner-ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net 06/04/02 06:35 AM To: ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net cc: Subject: Re: [CTPP] Census JTW Folks: As a transportation modeler and one who is constantly looking for good data that will help us better calibrate and validate our forecasting procedures, the early review of the CTPP macro data and the trends are of course interesting and an exciting preview of what is about to come. What I would hope, however, is that before jumping to lots of conclusions about what has happened and what is most likely to happen in the future, we would continue to organize and plan for the release and use of the data at the TAZ level in our MSA's and provide guidance (and support) to those who maintain the models in these areas on how to use the data to re-validate (and improve) the local forecasting models, especially in smaller MSA's. I know that there are several superb analysts on this list (and the TMIP list too) and that for many of the larger MSA's, that such a detailed validation plan and process is in place and ready to go. I wonder, in some cases, for some of the smaller or new UA.s and even some of these newer UC's, that when the CTPP detailed data is finally released, whether the time and resources will be spent to look at the data at the community and also the corridor/TAZ level and then to see if the existing forecast models that are up and running need fine tuning, and whether they are demonstrating consistency (validity) in the forecast mode for the Year 2000. Also, as we all are seeing very clearly, the non-work travel purpose continues to have an increasing impact on our system needs. So, I am also curious to know if there is has been a defined process in the smaller jurisdictions to improve data collection efforts for these non work travel modes, as well. It is my hope that with the raft of local governmental fiscal constraints that such important and vital data collection efforts were not cut back too much, if at all possible. Ed Herlihy Transportation Consultant Reston VA. ----- Original Message ----- From: Alan E. Pisarski To: Putta, Viplava ; ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net Sent: Monday, June 03, 2002 4:58 PM Subject: Re: [CTPP] Census JTW There is a chart in CIA II that shows that women lag about a 1/2 later than men nationwide on average. It will be interesting to see what has happened to that distrib since. AEP ----- Original Message ----- From: Putta, Viplava To: ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net Sent: Monday, June 03, 2002 4:26 PM Subject: [CTPP] Census JTW Yes, carpooling went down drastically from 1980-90 and obviously not as dramatic from 1990-2000. We had over 23% JTW trips by carpool in 1980 Nationwide! 1990 it was down to just over 13% (Nationwide). I would argue that given the economic condition in 1990 (beaten down) vs. 2000 (just when the .com bubble was to burst but still upbeat) - losses in carpooling and transit are not as significant. Comparing 1995 NPTS and Census 2000 I have the following to offer: · Trip chaining (the part that goes with JTW) is up during 1990s (NPTS) · Huge buy-in in favor of 'flex schedules' during 1990s has essentially marginalized the significance of JTW (there was a drop of more than 5% from 1990 to 1995 in peak hour trip starts in our case) · Each trip taken by transit would have a front end and a back end trip ? (park & ride or ride & walk) ? Census asks for only one mode that covered most of the distance (is comparable to 1990) thereby undercounting all other trips; · Vehicle occupancy rate for HBW is a little bit different from what JTW indicates for the same reason as above ? our HBW VOR is less than what census shows (Tulsa) Another factor ? I have noticed with NPTS is ? Women as a percent of peak hour commuting public is higher than for men (13.6% men vs. 19.7% women in 1995 for Tulsa). It could be because women tend to keep more regular hours than men. May be 'Rideshare' programs should focus on Women-only carpools as a potential market share. Whatever it may be, we might notice with CTPP an increase in share of women in commuting during peak hours ? to somewhat contributing to the erosion in transit patronage, decline in carpooling and increase in commute times. Viplav Putta INCOG

23 years, 9 months

Re: [CTPP] Census JTW

by Murakami, Elaine <FHWA>

One item that we can't see right now from the Census profiles is differences by gender in the JTW. Historically women have had shorter distance and time commutes than men. Women were more likely to take jobs closer to home and took care of children and other household responsiblities. I am wondering if some of the increase in overall travel times might be an indication that women are making employment location choices more similarly to men. We'll have to wait for CTPP to do this analysis!

23 years, 9 months

Re: [CTPP] Michigan #1 in Drive Alone Share

by phillip.a.salopek＠census.gov

I'm surprised at you Alan. I'd certainly never bet against Michigan. --Phil "Alan E. Pisarski" To: "Chuck Purvis" <CPurvis(a)mtc.ca.gov>, <PISARSKI(a)ix.netc <ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net> om.com> cc: Sent by: Subject: Re: [CTPP] Michigan #1 in Drive Alone owner-ctpp-news@c Share hrispy.net 06/03/2002 02:22 PM THE SMART MONIES ON WYOMING. AEP ----- Original Message ----- From: Chuck Purvis <CPurvis(a)mtc.ca.gov> To: <ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net> Sent: Monday, June 03, 2002 1:06 PM Subject: [CTPP] Michigan #1 in Drive Alone Share > TO: CTPP-News > > It looks like Michigan is still the number one state in the union in terms of share of commuters driving alone to work. Data released this morning (6/3/02) shows that the Michigan drive alone share is 83.2 percent (compares to 81.5 percent in 1990.) Today's data release also shows Ohio with a very high drive alone share, at 82.8 percent (comparing to 80.3 percent in 1990). I don't think any states have drive alone shares higher than Michigan or Ohio, but we're still missing data for five states (Arkansas, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming). That data will be out about 1:00 PM Eastern time on Tuesday, along with US totals. > > Very good article on increasing commute times in this past Friday's Christian Science Monitor: > > http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0531/p01s01-ussc.html > > Alan Pisarski, Tim Lomax and the usual suspects are interviewed. Interesting to note that the Monitor didn't fall into the trap of reporting on anecdotal commutes. I'll be interested in how the Wall Street Journal and the Monitor and other national papers handle this information once the balance of data is released Tuesday.... > > Alan: what's this about a 12 percent drop in Virginia carpooling? > > Re-cap of other relevant Census sites: > > Press release site for demographic profiles: > http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/demoprofiles.html > > Best gateway to acquire demographic profiles in PDF format: > http://censtats.census.gov/pub/Profiles.shtml > > FTP site for the Demographic Profile datasets: > http://www2.census.gov/census_2000/datasets/100_and_sample_profile/ > > (I'll be looking at the "All States" sub-directory to have all national, state, metro area and place-level data perhaps by Tuesday?) > > Metropolitan Data Shack (site with selected 1990 Census data for all 284 metro areas and 50 states) > http://home.earthlink.net/~clpurvis/metrodat/ > > Chuck Purvis, MTC > 27-28. >

23 years, 9 months

Christian Science Monitor article

by Rob CASE

The Christian Science Monitor article (http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0531/p01s01-ussc.html) included: "The change [increase in commute time], while it may stem in part from new data-gathering methods, is significant." Is the change in the range for long commutes the only change that was made in "data-gathering methods"? (What was the change in the range for long commutes (someone said the 1990 high-end range was 99+ minutes)? Since the 1990 long form simply asked how long, in minutes, is the commute (ie no ranges were included on the form), why didn't the Bureau just add up the total travel time and divide by the number of respondents?) Considering the fact that the total population of North Dakota did not change in the 1990's, I doubt that the actual rise in average commuting time was any where near the reported 22%. Rob Robert B. Case, PE, PTOE Principal Transportation Engineer Hampton Roads Planning District Commission 723 Woodlake Dr., Chesapeake, Va. 23320 voice:757-420-8300; fax:757-523-4881 rcase(a)hrpdc.org

23 years, 9 months

1990-2000 MSA comparisons for several areas

by Elaine Murakami

MSA data: 1990-2000 comparison : Geographic differences in MSA definition. Elaine Murakami, FHWA and Nandu Srinivasan, CSI June 3, 2002 MSAs and PMSAs and CMSAs are defined by the Census Bureau for statistical reporting purposes. For information on definitions, please see http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metroarea.html MSAs used in this analysis use June 1999 definition. All the Census 2000 data will use this geographic definition. For a comparison between the 1990 and 2000 definition, please see the attached excel file (geography_comparison.xls). These changes in definitions are why some of the numbers for 1990 differ from those published in the "Journey to Work Trends" report published by FHWA in 1993. Average Travel Time to Work Historically, the New York City metropolitan area has had the longest average travel time to work. This remains true, with the average travel time of 34.0 minutes. In 1990, the MSAs with the longest travel times were: New York City (30.0 minutes); Washington, DC (28.2 minutes), and Chicago (27.9 minutes). In 2000, the MSAs with the longest travel time after NYC are: Washington, DC (31.7 minutes); Atlanta (31.2 minutes), and Chicago (31.0 minutes). Workers in Atlanta reported the largest increases since 1990, with an increase of 5.2 minutes. Means of Transportation to Work In most of these MSAs, there was a small increase in the proportion of workers driving alone, and a corresponding decrease in carpooling. Transit shares, in general, showed slight declines. The largest increase in the proportion of workers using transit for their journey-to-work was in the Las Vegas, NV MSA, where the transit share increased from 2.0 percent to 4.1 percent. Considering the very large increase in total population, the number of workers using transit in the Las Vegas MSA increased from 8,150 to 28,526. The number of workers using transit in MSAs with increases in the share using transit include: Boston, MA (from 237,463 to 261,862 workers); Portland, OR (from 41,023 to 63,126 workers); and Seattle, WA (from 91,391 to 119,919 workers). Vehicle Availability In general, the proportion of households without any vehicles in declining, and the proportion of households with 2 vehicles is increasing. However, in the Los Angeles MSA and the Las Vegas MSA, the proportion of households without vehicles has increased since 1990. States not included: The following States are not included in this analysis, even though the states had MSAs with population greater than one million: Arkansas Colorado Minnesotta Michigan Ohio Utah We will re-do the spreadsheet as the data for the remaining states are released. Enjoy!

23 years, 9 months

Michigan #1 in Drive Alone Share

by Chuck Purvis

TO: CTPP-News It looks like Michigan is still the number one state in the union in terms of share of commuters driving alone to work. Data released this morning (6/3/02) shows that the Michigan drive alone share is 83.2 percent (compares to 81.5 percent in 1990.) Today's data release also shows Ohio with a very high drive alone share, at 82.8 percent (comparing to 80.3 percent in 1990). I don't think any states have drive alone shares higher than Michigan or Ohio, but we're still missing data for five states (Arkansas, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming). That data will be out about 1:00 PM Eastern time on Tuesday, along with US totals. Very good article on increasing commute times in this past Friday's Christian Science Monitor: http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0531/p01s01-ussc.html Alan Pisarski, Tim Lomax and the usual suspects are interviewed. Interesting to note that the Monitor didn't fall into the trap of reporting on anecdotal commutes. I'll be interested in how the Wall Street Journal and the Monitor and other national papers handle this information once the balance of data is released Tuesday.... Alan: what's this about a 12 percent drop in Virginia carpooling? Re-cap of other relevant Census sites: Press release site for demographic profiles: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/demoprofiles.html Best gateway to acquire demographic profiles in PDF format: http://censtats.census.gov/pub/Profiles.shtml FTP site for the Demographic Profile datasets: http://www2.census.gov/census_2000/datasets/100_and_sample_profile/ (I'll be looking at the "All States" sub-directory to have all national, state, metro area and place-level data perhaps by Tuesday?) Metropolitan Data Shack (site with selected 1990 Census data for all 284 metro areas and 50 states) http://home.earthlink.net/~clpurvis/metrodat/ Chuck Purvis, MTC 27-28.

23 years, 9 months

RE: [CTPP] USA Today article on drive alone commute (long post)

by Mike Willett

The article does not mention two things that may be reasons for declining car-pooling and transit shares. One is personal security and the other is ability of people to work at home by computer which did not exist in 1990 to the extent is does today. The overwhelming reason however has to be convenience and private space. I don't have a baseball team. Mike Willett, P.E. Transportation Planning Engineer Yavapai County, Arizona -----Original Message----- From: Chuck Purvis [mailto:CPurvis@mtc.ca.gov] Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 4:21 PM To: ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net Subject: [CTPP] USA Today article on drive alone commute (long post) TO: CTPP-News Here's the link to today's USA Today article on driving alone in America. Of course, the Census Bureau hasn't yet released data for nine states and Puerto Rico (which are due out next week.) My bet is that Michigan (data not yet released) is still the #1 state in terms of drive alone share of total commute! http://www.usatoday.com/money/covers/2002-05-30-driving-alone.htm By the way, my old web site has 1990 data on state-level commute-to-work shares, at: http://home.earthlink.net/~clpurvis/metrodat/ and, more specifically: http://home.earthlink.net/~clpurvis/metrodat/statec5.htm Reading this USA Today article reminds me of a book that I just read - - "Damn Lies and Statistics: Untangling Numbers from the Media, Politicians and Activists" by Joel Best, UC Press, 2001. Recommended reading. Excellent for critical thinking about the statistics that media and others use. Which brings me to my point about lies and statistics in the USA Today article. I'll try to be brief. 1. USA Today states that the drive alone commute share in the San Francisco metro area declined from 73 percent in 1990 to 68 percent in 2000. The 2000 figure is accurate at 68.0 percent. On the other hand, our 1990 drive alone commute share was 68.2 percent. So, our overall drive alone commute share declined from 68.2 percent to 68.0 percent. (This is nice, but not "wow"!) 2. USA Today claims that "Many transportation officials, planners and environmentalists have concluded that carpooling lanes don't help reduce traffic." Well, this is pretty shaky journalism. Like, who or what's the source of this information? Alan, is this from you? You're cited in the next paragraph! I will agree that the USA Today article is entertaining, though the blending of factual information with anecdotal commutes is getting to be tiring. Some more quips and quotes from the USA Today article: 1. "Forty minutes in the car may be the equivalent of the bubble bath" 2. "There is more to life than quality time in your car, no matter how great your sound system is" 3. "The car is often the last refuge of smokers....California law prohibits all smoking in workplaces, including offices, stores and restaurants." (Note that California prohibits smoking in bars, as well. However, we do allow you to smoke inside your own home, even in your own bubble bath!) 4. "Consumers of audio books listen to them on average 4.4 hours a week in their cars, compared with 1.1 hours on mass transit, according to the Audio Publishers Association." (Gotta wonder who's answering these surveys!) On the plus side, the USA Today's graphics are pretty darned good. Chuck Purvis Cranky Because My Baseball Team is 24-27. *********************************************** Charles L. Purvis, AICP Senior Transportation Planner/Analyst Metropolitan Transportation Commission 101 Eighth Street Oakland, CA 94607-4700 (510) 464-7731 (office) (510) 464-7848 (fax) www: http://www.mtc.ca.gov/ Census WWW: http://census.mtc.ca.gov/ ***********************************************

23 years, 9 months

RE: [CTPP] USA Today article on drive alone commute (long post)

by Don R. Vest

I personally thought the USA Today article was informative, if not unbiased. As a journalistic end, I believe objective reporting is an elusive, if not unattainable goal. About all that can be expected is that information will be presented that documents a significant event or social trend. In this sense, the USA Today article, like many of those that appear in mass-market 'news'-oriented magazines was interesting. As one who does not drive, or car-pool, it was useful in presenting information about the lifestyle of what appears to be a significant segment of the population. In that sense it broadened my mental horizons. Now to my point about mass-transit. Barring a radical change in technology, I don't think that it will ever be a palatable alternative for most people. I live in a small metropolitan area where bus service is the only available mass-transportation. To cite an example from several months ago, I had to take most of a day in order to take care of four relatively routine errands, which required that I use the community's bus system. Even with good connections, it required six hours, of which probably two were devoted to the actual errands. Which brings me to my second point (not road-rage but pedestrian-rage). I don't know if it's typical of other communities, but the behavior of motorists towards pedestrians is rude in the extreme--from parking in bus stops to practically running you over when crossing a street. The precedent can be found in the Middle Ages, when knights were the only people with horses, and the peasantry was forced to walk. The horse gave the 5 percent of the population who had one the freedom to splash mud on whoever they chose. The only difference now is that 95 percent of the population with vehicles has the luxury to be rude, and the other five percent who don't have to put up with it. So to my final point, to all of you knights (and ladies) of the road, enjoy your commute to work, and please show some consideration to those who don't drive and have either to walk or depend on public transportation. Be grateful to the freedom that the automobile has given you, and be considerate enough to use it responsibly. There--I got it off my chest--I feel better. Don Vest City of Pueblo CO Dept. of Planning & Development -----Original Message----- From: owner-ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net [mailto:owner-ctpp-news@chrispy.net]On Behalf Of Tom Reinauer Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 7:06 AM To: Chuck Purvis; ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net Subject: Re: [CTPP] USA Today article on drive alone commute (long post) The mistake on the 1990 figure for the San Fran metro area I consider a minor problem compared to one-sided stories (depending on the intent of a particular article) or the misinterpretation and/or misunderstanding of the data. Wait until local and national newspapers start delving into more detailed statistics. I suspect that even with careful explanation from planners, it will often be twisted and hardly helpful. Content because my baseball team is 35-15. Tom Reinauer, Transportation Director Southern Maine RPC 21 Bradeen St. Suite 304 Springvale, ME 04083 (207)324-2952 FAX -2958 treinauer(a)server.eddmaine.org www.smrpc.maine.org ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chuck Purvis" <CPurvis(a)mtc.ca.gov> To: <ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net> Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 7:21 PM Subject: [CTPP] USA Today article on drive alone commute (long post) > TO: CTPP-News > > Here's the link to today's USA Today article on driving alone in America. Of course, the Census Bureau hasn't yet released data for nine states and Puerto Rico (which are due out next week.) My bet is that Michigan (data not yet released) is still the #1 state in terms of drive alone share of total commute! > > http://www.usatoday.com/money/covers/2002-05-30-driving-alone.htm > > By the way, my old web site has 1990 data on state-level commute-to-work shares, at: > > http://home.earthlink.net/~clpurvis/metrodat/ > > and, more specifically: > > http://home.earthlink.net/~clpurvis/metrodat/statec5.htm > > Reading this USA Today article reminds me of a book that I just read - - "Damn Lies and Statistics: Untangling Numbers from the Media, Politicians and Activists" by Joel Best, UC Press, 2001. Recommended reading. Excellent for critical thinking about the statistics that media and others use. > > Which brings me to my point about lies and statistics in the USA Today article. I'll try to be brief. > > 1. USA Today states that the drive alone commute share in the San Francisco metro area declined from 73 percent in 1990 to 68 percent in 2000. The 2000 figure is accurate at 68.0 percent. On the other hand, our 1990 drive alone commute share was 68.2 percent. So, our overall drive alone commute share declined from 68.2 percent to 68.0 percent. (This is nice, but not "wow"!) > > 2. USA Today claims that "Many transportation officials, planners and environmentalists have concluded that carpooling lanes don't help reduce traffic." Well, this is pretty shaky journalism. Like, who or what's the source of this information? Alan, is this from you? You're cited in the next paragraph! > > I will agree that the USA Today article is entertaining, though the blending of factual information with anecdotal commutes is getting to be tiring. > > Some more quips and quotes from the USA Today article: > > 1. "Forty minutes in the car may be the equivalent of the bubble bath" > 2. "There is more to life than quality time in your car, no matter how great your sound system is" > 3. "The car is often the last refuge of smokers....California law prohibits all smoking in workplaces, including offices, stores and restaurants." (Note that California prohibits smoking in bars, as well. However, we do allow you to smoke inside your own home, even in your own bubble bath!) > 4. "Consumers of audio books listen to them on average 4.4 hours a week in their cars, compared with 1.1 hours on mass transit, according to the Audio Publishers Association." (Gotta wonder who's answering these surveys!) > > On the plus side, the USA Today's graphics are pretty darned good. > > Chuck Purvis > Cranky Because My Baseball Team is 24-27. > > *********************************************** > Charles L. Purvis, AICP > Senior Transportation Planner/Analyst > Metropolitan Transportation Commission > 101 Eighth Street > Oakland, CA 94607-4700 > (510) 464-7731 (office) > (510) 464-7848 (fax) > www: http://www.mtc.ca.gov/ > Census WWW: http://census.mtc.ca.gov/ > ***********************************************

23 years, 9 months

Re: [CTPP] USA Today article on drive alone commute

by Rob CASE

It appears to me that Dougherty (below) was stating that the farther out one moves from the urban core, the less likely it is that vehicles are heading downtown (even on roadways heading downtown). (The multitude of destinations makes carpooling difficult.) This has nothing to do with the total density of vehicles on the roadways in question; it simply has to do with where they are headed. "As development spreads out across the region, the density of travel along a particular route downtown decreases and the opportunities for ride-sharing go down," said Dougherty, who works on transportation issues in the Philadelphia region. "That's another problem of suburban sprawl." Have a good weekend. Rob Robert B. Case, PE, PTOE Principal Transportation Engineer Hampton Roads Planning District Commission 723 Woodlake Dr., Chesapeake, Va. 23320 voice:757-420-8300; fax:757-523-4881 rcase(a)hrpdc.org

23 years, 9 months

Re: [CTPP] USA Today article on drive alone commute (long post)

by Sam.Granato＠dot.state.oh.us

Don't any of you guys know about the specialized voice recognition software that the media uses? Say you give a 10-word answer to a reporter's question. The program than generates all 10-factorial word combinations and runs them through what cynics might call the Sensationalism Index. More seriously, don't waste time worrying about "careful explanations" to reporters (unless it's going out live). Like you, reporters have a chain of command to answer to. Refer them to whichever Census field office you never deal with and enjoy your "day off" from the media's glare. Sam Granato Ohio DOT, Office of Technical Services 1980 W. Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43223 Phone: 614-644-6796, Fax: 614-752-8646 "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anais Nin "Alan E. Pisarski" <PISARSKI(a)ix.netcom.com> Sent by: owner-ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net 05/31/02 11:48 AM To: "Tom Reinauer" <treinauer(a)edd.uct.usm.maine.edu>, "Chuck Purvis" <CPurvis(a)mtc.ca.gov>, <ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net> cc: Subject: Re: [CTPP] USA Today article on drive alone commute (long post) Chuck: re your questions: I noticed the 90 boo boo (I AM ASTONISHED AT THE FACT THAT LA AND SF ARE ALMOST IDENTICAL TO 90 IN MODE SHARE - LIKE SOMEONE MADE IT UP) When I cited these data to Larry Dahms - he considered it a moral victory if 2000 shares stayed at 90 levels. No I wasn't the source re the carpooling citation. Yes I'll bet that Michigan especially Detroit will "win" the SOV sweepstakes again. I always ask reporters where they get these anecdotal commuters from. There must be a secret file somewhere of the longest commuters, etc. It all comes from reporting 101 where they tell them to make it a human interest story. In the case of Haya El Nasser, who is a very competent analyst, she was led to this story instead of the standard national trends story by the many anecdotal responses she got describing the positives of commuting solo. I get it also from people on talk shows - but what a sample is people who call in to talk shows, or listen to them - or talk on them - like me. A lot of it these days is NPR talk shows. AEP ----- Original Message ----- From: Tom Reinauer <treinauer(a)edd.uct.usm.maine.edu> To: Chuck Purvis <CPurvis(a)mtc.ca.gov>; <ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net> Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 9:05 AM Subject: Re: [CTPP] USA Today article on drive alone commute (long post) > The mistake on the 1990 figure for the San Fran metro area I consider a > minor problem compared to one-sided stories (depending on the intent of a > particular article) or the misinterpretation and/or misunderstanding of the > data. > Wait until local and national newspapers start delving into more detailed > statistics. I suspect that even with careful explanation from planners, it > will often be twisted and hardly helpful. > Content because my baseball team is 35-15. > > Tom Reinauer, Transportation Director > Southern Maine RPC > 21 Bradeen St. Suite 304 > Springvale, ME 04083 > (207)324-2952 > FAX -2958 > treinauer(a)server.eddmaine.org > www.smrpc.maine.org > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Chuck Purvis" <CPurvis(a)mtc.ca.gov> > To: <ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net> > Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 7:21 PM > Subject: [CTPP] USA Today article on drive alone commute (long post) > > > > TO: CTPP-News > > > > Here's the link to today's USA Today article on driving alone in America. > Of course, the Census Bureau hasn't yet released data for nine states and > Puerto Rico (which are due out next week.) My bet is that Michigan (data not > yet released) is still the #1 state in terms of drive alone share of total > commute! > > > > http://www.usatoday.com/money/covers/2002-05-30-driving-alone.htm > > > > By the way, my old web site has 1990 data on state-level commute-to-work > shares, at: > > > > http://home.earthlink.net/~clpurvis/metrodat/ > > > > and, more specifically: > > > > http://home.earthlink.net/~clpurvis/metrodat/statec5.htm > > > > Reading this USA Today article reminds me of a book that I just read - - > "Damn Lies and Statistics: Untangling Numbers from the Media, Politicians > and Activists" by Joel Best, UC Press, 2001. Recommended reading. Excellent > for critical thinking about the statistics that media and others use. > > > > Which brings me to my point about lies and statistics in the USA Today > article. I'll try to be brief. > > > > 1. USA Today states that the drive alone commute share in the San > Francisco metro area declined from 73 percent in 1990 to 68 percent in 2000. > The 2000 figure is accurate at 68.0 percent. On the other hand, our 1990 > drive alone commute share was 68.2 percent. So, our overall drive alone > commute share declined from 68.2 percent to 68.0 percent. (This is nice, but > not "wow"!) > > > > 2. USA Today claims that "Many transportation officials, planners and > environmentalists have concluded that carpooling lanes don't help reduce > traffic." Well, this is pretty shaky journalism. Like, who or what's the > source of this information? Alan, is this from you? You're cited in the next > paragraph! > > > > I will agree that the USA Today article is entertaining, though the > blending of factual information with anecdotal commutes is getting to be > tiring. > > > > Some more quips and quotes from the USA Today article: > > > > 1. "Forty minutes in the car may be the equivalent of the bubble bath" > > 2. "There is more to life than quality time in your car, no matter how > great your sound system is" > > 3. "The car is often the last refuge of smokers....California law > prohibits all smoking in workplaces, including offices, stores and > restaurants." (Note that California prohibits smoking in bars, as well. > However, we do allow you to smoke inside your own home, even in your own > bubble bath!) > > 4. "Consumers of audio books listen to them on average 4.4 hours a week in > their cars, compared with 1.1 hours on mass transit, according to the Audio > Publishers Association." (Gotta wonder who's answering these surveys!) > > > > On the plus side, the USA Today's graphics are pretty darned good. > > > > Chuck Purvis > > Cranky Because My Baseball Team is 24-27. > > > > *********************************************** > > Charles L. Purvis, AICP > > Senior Transportation Planner/Analyst > > Metropolitan Transportation Commission > > 101 Eighth Street > > Oakland, CA 94607-4700 > > (510) 464-7731 (office) > > (510) 464-7848 (fax) > > www: http://www.mtc.ca.gov/ > > Census WWW: http://census.mtc.ca.gov/ > > *********************************************** >

23 years, 9 months

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