Mode Share
As part of its core travel monitoring program, the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG/TPB) conducts cordon studies that count the number of persons by travel mode. The last Metro Core Cordon Count was completed in 1999 while the latest Beltway Cordon count took place in 2001. Figure 33 shows the counting stations for the Beltway and Metro Core Cordon study. Travel counts were conducted from 6:30 AM until 9:30 AM in order to capture the majority, but not all, commuter trips.
Figure 34 shows that when offered good HOV[8]
infrastructure and transit service, less than half of all peak period commuters choose to
drive alone.[9] Figures
38 and 39 include the absolute numbers of commuters in the corridor as well the
mode shares. The share of transit commuters increases closer to the urban core—a
reflection of the greater degree of transit options.
Another fact that emerges from examining the figures is the very strong shares of persons moving in the major commuting corridors via public transit. The appropriate places and times to measure transit’s shares of commuting markets are during peak travel hours in corridors in which meaningful investments in transit services have been made. As can be seen, public transit services in Northern Virginia capture very significant shares in these major corridors to the benefit of transit customers as well as to those that choose to drive alone (or with others) in automobiles.
|
SOV |
HOV(2+) |
Bus |
||
I-395 |
|
|
|
|
|
Passengers |
15900 |
17000 |
3500 |
0 |
0 |
% |
44% |
47% |
10% |
0% |
0% |
Route 1 |
|
|
|
|
|
Passengers |
9000 |
2900 |
200 |
11000 |
2200 |
% |
36% |
11% |
1% |
43% |
9% |
I-66 |
|
|
|
|
|
Passengers |
1900 |
7600 |
700 |
10600 |
1800 |
% |
8% |
34% |
3% |
47% |
8% |
VA 267 |
|
|
|
|
|
Passengers |
6700 |
5800 |
3300 |
0 |
0 |
% |
42% |
37% |
21% |
0% |
0% |
Source: 1999 COG/TPB Metro Core Cordon Count,
A.M. Peak Period.
Figure
39: 1999 Metro Core Cordon Count Mode Share
Summary for Major HOV Corridors
6:30 AM – 9:30 AM
|
SOV |
HOV(2+) |
Bus |
Metrorail |
VRE |
I-395 |
|
|
|
|
|
Passengers
|
21300 |
21600 |
8200 |
0 |
0 |
% |
42% |
42% |
16% |
0% |
0% |
Route 1 |
|
|
|
|
|
Passengers
|
6800 |
3000 |
200 |
14100 |
1500 |
% |
27% |
12% |
1% |
55% |
6% |
I-66 |
|
|
|
|
|
Passengers
|
3300 |
13400 |
3700 |
23300 |
1300 |
% |
7% |
30% |
8% |
52% |
3% |
Source: 1999 COG/TPB Metro Core Cordon Count,
A.M. Peak Period.