Central Indiana Commuter Services

The following is a message from our friends at Central Indiana Commuter Services! Check out their options for reducing the cost of your commute. BTW - that cost doesn't just involve money, but stress and pollution, too. You can read some firsthand stories about the benefits of using an alternative to driving alone to work at the Commuter Profiles section of the CIRTA website.

Transit and wellness

Lately, a lot of items in mass transit news have had a common theme: “transportation and wellness.” For example:

• While doing research on commuting, we discovered the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, a project that surveys more than 1,000 U.S. adults per day and assigns them a well-being score based on six sub-indexes: life evaluation, emotional health, physical health, work environment, healthy behaviors and access to basic necessities. (On a 1-100 point index, with 100 being a state of maximum well-being, the overall score for the survey population was 49.6 in July 2010.) In August, the index published data regarding commute times. The results? People with the longest commutes scored the lowest on the Well-Being Index, and those with the shortest commute times (0-10 minutes) had less back pain and lower cholesterol, and they weighed less. Long commutes also take an emotional toll, according to the findings: “Among employees who take more than 90 minutes getting from home to work, 40% experienced worry for much of the previous day – significantly higher than the 28% among those with negligible commutes of 10 minutes or less,” the report said. “Conversely, workers with extremely long commutes were less likely to have experienced enjoyment for much of the previous day or to say they felt well-rested that day.” 
  
• As we prepared a report the other day, we took a look at the state-by-state totals of vehicle-miles driven per-capita. The list seemed remarkably similar to something else we had recently seen, so we checked and, sure enough, the states with the most vehicle miles also rank high on the state rankings for obesity. In fact, many of the states rankest highest for resident with a body mass index over 25 are the states with the highest per-person miles driven. Four states occupy the Top 10 list for each. Of course, it works the other way, too: New York, Hawaii and the District of Columbia rank at the bottom of the list for both weight and VMT. 
  
• A report released last month by the American Public Transportation Association confirms what we could suspect from the report mentioned above: People living near public transportation drive less, exercise more, live longer and generally are healthier than those living in places with inadequate transit. Considering factors ranging from air pollution, vehicle accidents, walking to and from transit stops and consumer cost savings, the report examines and attempts to quantify the different health impacts of transit use. 
  
• Another recent study demonstrates health benefits – including weight loss – of using transit with an analysis of the public health effects of a new rail line. When the nine-mile Lynx South Corridor Light Rail line opened in Charlotte, N.C., a group of physicians started tracking the weight and exercise habits of people living nearby. Collecting data before and after construction of the line, the physicians found that users of the rail line had lost an average of 6-7 pounds just eight months after construction.
  

So what does all of this mean for Indiana, a state with an underdeveloped transit system? Well, we rank 20th in overweight/obesity and 15th for vehicle miles per-capita. Which raises the question: As we discuss the economic and environmental benefits of transit, should we be working harder to make the case based on the health benefits of transit? Or would that be, um, biting off more than we can chew?

Why do we have to choose?

by Ehren T. Bingaman, Executive Director

“INCREASE MOBILITY BY ENCOURAGING MULTIMODAL AND INTERMODAL SOLUTIONS, POLICIES, AND TECHNOLOGIES - AASHTO will collaborate with shippers and carriers, relevant associations, and additional partners to develop funding and policy initiatives that help state DOTs (departments of transportation) improve multimodal and intermodal passenger and freight mobility.”
-American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Strategic Plan, 2009-2013

Even the highway guys get it. AASHTO is the voice of the highway construction industry in the United States.

An investment in transit isn’t in lieu of investment in roads. Lots of people think it’s a choice – that we should do one or the other. Take for example the intersection of I-69 and I-465 in the northeast corridor of Central Indiana. Transit advocates will ask me why we can’t just put a rail line in that corridor rather than adding more lanes up to exit 5. The reality is transit wouldn’t be able to serve all the pent up demand in that corridor. On the other hand, adding lanes won’t meet the demand on the corridor during peak congestion (AM and PM commutes) on its own either.

Rail transit works best as a release valve for high demand corridors. It takes less time and money to add a train set in a high volume corridor than it does to add more lanes.

Busses and roads help each other in a different way. First of all, busses love good roads – so do bus riders! Second, busses take cars off of the road. Fewer cars on the road, aside from the positive environmental impacts, create two other opportunities: safety and movement. By reducing the number of cars on the road we make automobile travel safer. By reducing cars on the road we also make car and truck (big trucks, shipping) more efficient.

There’s a fine point to this because it boils down to money. I’ll write more about national transportation funding another time, for now let’s keep if focused on Indiana. Major Moves is the landmark road construction project of our state’s history. All of that money, all of it, will go to build roads and highways.

That’s great. That money is for roads. Leave it there.

Where’s our Major Moves for transit? Traditional road and highway folks agree, our infrastructure needs are great and the pot should be larger for investment in all modes of transportation. We shouldn’t be looking back, we should be looking forward. The next wave of Indiana’s transportation infrastructure construction needs to get focused on diversification. The highway guys have gotten theirs. And judging by their strategic plan the road people agree, it’s time for transit to get its do.

The pattern of choosing one investment strategy over another, when we need more of both, is a losing strategy.

Distracted driving

A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that 27% of all American adults say they have sent or read text messages while driving. That compares with 26% of all American teens ages 16-17 who reported texting at the wheel in 2009. 49% of adults say they have been passengers in a car when the driver was sending or reading text messages on their cell phone. 75% of adults who use cell phones report talking on the phone while driving.

Overall, 44% of adults say they have been passengers of drivers who used the cell phone in a way that put themselves or others in danger. The relationship between cell phone use and distracted driving has been documented by researchers. A University of Utah study found that using a cell phone while driving, whether it’s hand-held or hands-free, delays a driver's reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. Perhaps more unsettling is that while some of the study’s participants crashed their virtual vehicles while using a cell phone, none of them crashed while drunk.

Many of us rely on frequent, if not constant, access to cell phones, text messaging and email in our work, family and social lives. This aspect of modern life does not mix well with dependence on the single-occupant vehicle to get around. Increasing the availability of alternatives to driving is one way to make our technology-dependent lives safer. What are your thoughts about mobile phone use, driving and mass transit?

What difference can transit make?

Think public transportation isn’t vital to the interests of Central Indiana citizens? Read the following, a heartfelt plea from a writer who goes by the name “Free Spirit”:

I'm about to lose my job because my car broke down and I can't find anyone to carpool from where I live in Castleton to where I work in Anderson. I haven't been to work in 3 weeks. I'm not getting paid. I will soon lose my apartment when I can no longer pay next month’s rent. http://cirtaconnects.blogspot.com/2008/04/cost-to-commute-tell-us-your-story.html#comments

Most of us are so accustomed to our car-bound lives that we can’t imagine what life would be like without an automobile in the driveway, ready to take us where we need to go when we need to go there. And I’m not talking about the convenience of being able to drive to a friend’s or to go to a movie. I’m talking about the daily needs that we meet by simply putting a key in the ignition. Need a gallon of milk? Jump into the car. Need to pick up a prescription? It’s just a short drive. Need to get to work? Just make sure you leave early enough to beat the traffic, right?

Complicating the matter is the fact that Free Spirit’s job isn’t just around the corner, or a few blocks away. It’s in another city, a situation that’s not uncommon in this area or this modern marketplace.

If Free Spirit lived in a number of other American metropolitan areas, this emergency might be little more than an inconvenience. A car breaking down might make you change your habits but not put your job at risk. The distance from Anderson to Castleton – roughly 30 miles – is well within the range of many major metro areas’ regional transit systems.

We're going to do what we can to help Free Spirit make the connection he needs to save his job, his apartment and whatever else hangs in the balance. And, long term, we're going to continue to work to bring a regional transit system to Central Indiana. Because, let’s face it: While a dead battery, flat tire or failed transmission might be a pain in the neck for some of us, for others it’s the difference between getting a paycheck and going hungry.

Transit is on the move in Central Indiana

By Christine Altman

Headlines this week about IndyGo’s commuter express bus routes grabbed public attention and renewed discussion—among transit users and non-users alike—about the state of transportation options in Central Indiana.

Conversations circle on who has service, who uses it … and who wants it—and why. And they will continue to evolve as CIRTA (the Central Indiana Regional Transportation Agency) works with IndyGo and the City of Indianapolis MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) to fine-tune transportation planning for our near-, short- and long-term future.

Good. These are important discussions, and they need to extend beyond the relatively short life of three demonstration routes in Carmel, Fishers and Greenwood. While vital to research and planning for regional transportation, these three commuter routes were funded by a one-time CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation Air Quality) grant to find out what kind of interest transit might generate in a few key corridors.

The results are encouraging. We learned from the demonstration service that there is commuter demand for transportation between Downtown Indianapolis and the partnering communities. Yet this is a single element in the full research process underway for developing a transit system worthy of a region the size of Central Indiana.

Already, despite severely limited resources and funding, IndyGo provides between 8.5 and 9.5 million rides each year—with service mostly ending at the Marion County line. All the while, population densities and traffic congestion in certain corridors are obvious targets for regional connectivity. So while commuter stress in certain corridors (such as Greenwood) may be less severe than in others (e.g., Fishers and Carmel) , that doesn’t mean our regional transportation plan won’t plan for growth and transit service to these surrounding counties to accommodate future increases in density and for alternate mobility options.

Of course. The vision of regional transit is a comprehensive system of multiple transportation types—a combination of fixed routes and express service provided by buses and rail—that connect with sidewalks, trails and bike routes. The system takes people to work, to school, and to leisure and cultural activities in a convenient, affordable way.

So, what does this discussion and planning related to regional transportation mean for greater Indianapolis residents and visitors? That’s easy: We are preparing for a future of growth and accessibility throughout the region. As one doesn’t happen without the other.

Development of transit impacts several layers of our vision to become a world-class city. It is a key driver to business growth, marketable livability and tourism. By enhancing employee access to jobs and business access to employees—and by improving traffic congestion, air quality and other quality of life factors, Central Indiana will only enhance its allure to a range of suitor types.

But that’s not all. Safe, reliable and economical transportation choices decreases household transportation costs, reduces our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, improves air quality, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and promotes public health. It’s not just about us.
It will take a little time though. Rest assured: There’s planning; it’s regional; and it is being developed in phases to ensure that it’s a meaningful and sustainable plan for Central Indiana.

So let’s keep talking. The future of transit in Central Indiana has never looked more promising.
Visit http://www.cirta.us/ for up-to-date information about transit developments.

To learn more about IndyGo and access trip planning assistance, please visit http://www.indygo.net/ or call IndyGo Customer Service Center at 635-3344.

For more about the benefits of public transportation, visit the American Public Transportation Association website at http://www.apta.com/.

Join the Indiana Citizens’ Alliance for Transit: http://www.indianacat.org/ to help promote transit options statewide.

Altman is the chair of CIRTA, the Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority, and is a Hamilton County Commissioner.

Four things we must do … in a particular order

After we clarify that CIRTA is not a mattress company, folks unfamiliar with us often ask what we do. My first response is to say that we’re developing a system of transit alternatives for the Central Indiana region. Their blank stares prompt me to add, “You know: commuter rail, busses, carpooling, sidewalks … all that stuff.”

That usually does the trick. In fact, at that point, most folks are interested enough to ask, “So, what do we need to do to build this system?” My answer is always the same: “Four things.”

1. Create a regional transit vision. CIRTA isn’t looking at only one route, mode or community … we’re working with area planners and business and community leaders to develop a regional transit vision. Soon we’ll share that vision and work through a public involvement process to build consensus and understanding of our long-range vision – a vision in which bus and rail work in concert with improved sidewalks and trails for pedestrians, increased capacity for rural/on-demand transit providers, and expanded rideshare programs for car and van pooling.
2. Create the organization to implement that vision. While CIRTA, a coalition of county and local governments, is leading the charge on regional transit, a number of other Central Indiana entities also are getting involved, including three metropolitan planning organizations, 10 rural on-demand transit providers, three bus companies, one ride-share program, and a regional transportation authority. These entities work well together, but it makes you wonder: Is this conglomeration the best way to deliver a regional transit system? Is there a better model?
3. Figure out how to pay for building and operating this vision. Regardless of what the final vision is, we need to assess our opportunities for transit funding and get the policy in place to make it a reality. In other regions, this requires a mix of local, state and federal funds. Certainly, there’s room for public-private options, but all systems require some kind of public investment.
4. Build and successfully operate the northeast corridor rail line. Nothing says, “We can do this!” like actually getting it done, and done well. Central Indiana hasn’t made a significant investment in transit in decades. The first leg of a regional commuter rail system will kick us into high gear. Now we’re in the environmental documentation phase for the northeast corridor line; it should last about a year. Then we’ll get into funding and design, with a goal of construction in 2012. It won’t be easy, and it won’t be a perfect process, but we must get this first line built.

This is our action plan. It won’t happen in a vacuum. It requires new partners and energy, fresh ways of thinking, and a commitment to doing what’s best for the long-term good of our community.