12
Texas Association of Builders
May/June 2015
Feature
such changes, or traffic congestion has
become so commonplace that they view
such changes as futile, and choose to
simply deal with it.
The poll findings clearly suggest that
people understand that transportation
is a vital issue. But it’s not, of course,
the only issue. Our state’s leaders have
to balance our mobility needs along
with other needs demanding attention
– education, immigration, water, and so
many others.
Can’t build our way out
Even if the state had the construction
budget to build roads at a pace to keep up
with population growth – which it clearly
does not – that would not be a practical
option. The cost of right-of–way,
environmental clearance requirements
and societal concerns are, by themselves,
enough to stymie such an idea. New
construction is, of course, one of the
answers. But it’s not the only one.
Other answers spring from using the
system we have more efficiently. This
includes employing travel demand
management
strategies,
such
as
teleworking, flextime, and alternative
work locations. The private sector has
embraced these trip-reduction options,
and more recently some state agencies
have taken steps to implement the same
ideas. Employees of those agencies in
Austin account for a significant amount
of single-occupant-vehicle congestion,
so any meaningful reduction in trips
can translate to meaningful traffic relief.
And in addition to its traffic-reduction
benefit, programs like these offer a win-
win by boosting morale for employees
who appreciate flexibility, and by giving
employers a significant recruiting and
retention strategy to attract and keep
top talent.
Other strategies to encourage mode
shifts such as transit, ride-share
programs, bicycle and pedestrian
options, park-and-ride programs and
technology applications will also make
a positive difference in Texas. Smart
phone apps can help transit users locate
the nearest stop, find out when the
next bus or train is due to arrive, and
even pay their fare before the next ride
arrives – all with only a few touches
on the phone screen. The introduction
of real-time ridesharing apps help
interested commuters find nearby
matches and reduce the number of
single-occupant vehicles, one carpool
at a time. Carpooling is nothing new,
of course, but apps such as Carma and
iCarpool demonstrate how modern
technology can offer new solutions to a
not-so-new problem.
Systems in several cities feature high-
occupancy vehicle lanes, express toll
lanes and toll roads. Buses traveling
on those express lanes can reach their
destinations faster, making transit
options more appealing. The time- and
cost-saving benefits in Houston, for
example, have led to the emergence of
casual carpooling, in which passengers
meet at locations close to HOV facilities,
and drivers pick up enough passengers to
meet HOV requirements and avoid a toll.
To be successful, strategies like these
call for the involvement of business as
well as government. Since the early 20
th
century, Texans have relied on the public
