POSITIVE NEW TRENDS IN TRANSPORTATION
Why Is This Important?
Choices in transportation impact the quality of air and transportation infrastructure. By encouraging alternative modes of transportation, such as public transit, carpooling and walking, as well as promoting vehicles with higher fuel efficiency and the use of alternative fuel sources, populations reduce their ecological footprint and improve the quality of their environment. Beyond government incentives, changes in transportation behavior are largely driven by fluctuations in gas prices. As gas prices rise, people work more locally and travel fewer miles.
How Are We Doing?
The commuting habits of Solano County workers have fluctuated moderately over the last nine years. Since 2000, the number of workers driving alone has increased in Solano County, despite falling 3 percent from 2004 to 2008. The percentage of workers carpooling has remained steady at around 15 percent since 2002.
At the same time residents of both Solano County and the State at large have reduced their fuel consumption. From 2000 to 2007, fuel consumption per capita in Solano dropped by 2 percent. In 2007, fuel consumption per capita was 22 percent higher in Solano than in California.
Similarly, vehicle miles of travel (VMT) have been declining as gas prices have been growing. From 2007-2008, VMT in Solano County dropped by 6 percent and gas prices grew by 10 percent.