Comments on: One mile on rail replaces four miles driving http://seattletransitblog.com/2008/07/23/one-mile-on-rail-is-not-the-same-as-a-mile-driving/ Transit in the Greater Seattle Area Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:21:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Ben Schiendelman http://seattletransitblog.com/2008/07/23/one-mile-on-rail-is-not-the-same-as-a-mile-driving/#comment-6014 Ben Schiendelman Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:15:57 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=927#comment-6014 The point is that for every new mile someone travels on transit across the lake, or from the U-district or Northgate to downtown, that will be four car miles removed from the same corridor. Overall trip percentages are pretty useless. Remember, I-5 only has a few percent of daily trips as well. Looks tiny, but those "few" trips cause huge numbers of hours lost every year. The other trips, the 90%, are trips taken in off hours, on uncongested roads, walking down the street for lunch at work or hitting the grocery store. The commute trips are where this region's congestion comes from, so that's what we target with rail. And in those corridors, I-5 or I-90, rail will be carrying thirty or forty percent of the trips.
The point is that for every new mile someone travels on transit across the lake, or from the U-district or Northgate to downtown, that will be four car miles removed from the same corridor.

Overall trip percentages are pretty useless. Remember, I-5 only has a few percent of daily trips as well. Looks tiny, but those “few” trips cause huge numbers of hours lost every year. The other trips, the 90%, are trips taken in off hours, on uncongested roads, walking down the street for lunch at work or hitting the grocery store. The commute trips are where this region’s congestion comes from, so that’s what we target with rail.

And in those corridors, I-5 or I-90, rail will be carrying thirty or forty percent of the trips.

]]> By: Max http://seattletransitblog.com/2008/07/23/one-mile-on-rail-is-not-the-same-as-a-mile-driving/#comment-6007 Max Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:52:28 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=927#comment-6007 So the point is that even if only 10% of trips are on transit, that's as good as 40% of trips? I'm confused.
So the point is that even if only 10% of trips are on transit, that’s as good as 40% of trips?

I’m confused.

]]> By: The Overhead Wire http://seattletransitblog.com/2008/07/23/one-mile-on-rail-is-not-the-same-as-a-mile-driving/#comment-5985 The Overhead Wire Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:32:57 +0000 http://seattletransitblog.com/?p=927#comment-5985 Ah I have that book at my office. I'll need to look through it again and pull stuff out. Thanks for the heads up.
Ah I have that book at my office. I’ll need to look through it again and pull stuff out. Thanks for the heads up.

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