The Texas Transportation Institute released its 2010 Urban Mobility Report today, identifying trends in traffic congestion and rating urban areas based on traffic problems. The Portland-Vancouver area has reason to be proud, earning high marks by saving commuters time and money through good public transportation and planning.
Portland, ranked 23rd nationally in population, boasts the nation's 17th best number of hours saved using public transportation services, and saving every traveler four hours a year during rush hour. This is time that would be lost without public transit and saves $128 million in congestion costs (factoring in lost time and excess gas consumption). Portland also scored in the top 20 in its management of vehicles on the road, shaving three hours a year off a rush hour commute and saving $85 million through its use of freeway ramp metering, service patrols, traffic signal coordination and carpool lanes.
One of the principal uses of the report is to track long-term transportation congestion trends. In 1990, a trip in the Portland area estimated to take 20 minutes in free-flow traffic took 22.4 minutes in rush hour, or peak traffic (4 to 6 p.m.). By 2000, that number rose to 25.2 minutes, but in 2009, the same trip was shortened to 24.6 minutes despite metropolitan population growth adding more than 300,000 people in the last decade. By creating transportation options and planning for compact growth, Portland has reduced the length of its average commute, saving drivers time and money. Over the years, Portland's overall rank in total and annual hours of delay has remained stable despite increased population growth and fewer lane miles added to major roadways.
Portland’s annual delay for commuters in peak traffic has also decreased in the last five years, from 40 to 36 hours.
The Texas Transportation Institute has published its Urban Mobility Report since 1982. Sponsors of the study include the Texas Transportation Institute, the University Transportation Center for Mobility, the American Road and Transportation Builders Association - Transportation Development Foundation and the American Public Transportation Association.
The study's findings are intended to provide a collection of easily understood measures to support national and local decision-making related to understanding congestion problems and identifying solutions, and provides a basis for comparing all of the country’s metropolitan areas using a consistent method of measuring.