Agenda - 10-21-1986 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

• 3 oot. least in potential light rail corridors, would have to increase to an average of nine or more dwelling units per acre and generate demand equal to or greater than that on, for example, two lanes of 1-40. Furthermore, employment densities would have to increase dramatically. Otherwise, many -commuters would have to transfer from the light rail line to buses. and vans to reach their final destination. Such transfers erode the travel time and convenience advantages created by light rail. This transfer problem at the employment end of the trip would be particularly acute in - the Research Triangle Park and neighboring developments which emphasize low density, scattered employment lo- cations. Metrorail, commuter train, and monorail systems at their current level of technical development are not appropriate for the Triangle region now or in the foreseeable future. Traveler demand is inadequate, and -cost is too great. - However, if one is optimistic about the pace of new rail technology and eco- nomic growth in the region, rail costs may fall and commuter demand may in- crease sufficiently to warrant new consideration of emerging technologies like, for example, electromagnetically levitated, high speed trains.. To what extent can public transportation reduce the need far new highway con- • struction? - . If a relatively high percentage of persons choose public transportation for commuter and other trips, public' transportation can help maintain acceptable levels of service on existing highways and their currently planned improvements. Properly operated and promoted, public transportation can forestall, but not eliminate, the long term need for new highway construction. Stated another way, public transportation can help stretch the value of our transportation dollar. At present the average vehicle occupancy rate (VOR) on 1-40 to -the Re-- search Triangle Park area is a low 1.1 persons per vehicle. This translates to one person in addition to the driver in every tenth car. Filghway•corridors to major downtown employment centers often have a VOR of 1.3 or higher, espe- cially when parking is restricted and travel costs for gasoline, parking, and • tolls are expensive. If the present 1.1 VOR continues into the future, the currently planned six-lane 1-40 will not carry the projected 1995 traffic. I . traffic jam conditions are to be avoided, a VOR of 1.2 would have to be achieved. This means that the number of commuters sharing rides would have to double in the next ten years. Unfortunately the 1.2 rate is still low and would leave I-40 at about the same level of service (LOS E) that it is at to- day. Average TOR would have to reach 1.4 or better if all six lanes of I-40 are to operate at an acceptable level of service (LOS C) with moderate conges- tion. In order to reach the higher rates of vehicle occupancy, the attraction of ridesharing must be increased relative to the single passenger automobile. One way of achieving this is to build commuter lanes which are open only to high occupancy vehicles like vanpools, buses, and carpools with three or more passengers. Because little or no congestion exists on a commuter lane, the travel time along the commuter lane is less than on the adjacent general traf- fic lanes. This travel time reduction is one type of incentive for rideshar- ing. Other incentives include special parking privileges, lower commuter costs, and the convenience of having someone else do the driving. •