Region and state go against national trend
on transit
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWARK - Commuters in the 13-county North Jersey Transportation Planning
Authority (NJTPA) region have increased their use of public transportation
in recent years, contrary to a national trend.
That's one of the key findings of an NJTPA analysis of recently released
travel data from the 2000 Census Transportation Planning Package.
The share of commuters in the NJTPA region who use public transportation
to get to work is 11 percent, according to the data. This is an increase of
1 percent from 1990. That puts the NJTPA region ahead of both the state and
the nation in the percent of commuters who use public transportation.
New Jersey - and the NJTPA region especially - ran contrary to a national
trend that saw the rate of public transportation usage drop by more than half
a percentage point between 1990 and 2000. At the same time, the rate of vehicle
ownership has decreased slightly, also in contrast with national trends.
"Although these two trends appear related, it's difficult to pinpoint
exactly which economic, social and other factors have played the greatest
role," said NJTPA Executive Director Joel S. Weiner. "But the increased
use of public transportation would not be possible without a regional commitment
to our extensive and varied transit network." This network grew during
the 1990s, with an increase in ferry operations, more extensive commuter rail
service and the advent of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail.
One factor that affects commuting trends is the size of a given area's workforce.
Census data for 2000 indicates that the workforce of the NJTPA region grew
by 1.8 percent between 1990 and 2000. Three counties - Ocean, Somerset and
Warren - saw double-digit percentage increases in the size of their workforces.
"Our region is experiencing tremendous growth," said Monmouth County
Freeholder Theodore J. Narozanick, who serves as Chairman of the NJTPA Board
of Trustees. "The increase in the use of public transportation in Monmouth
County and the rest of the region is a sign that we can cope with the effects
of that growth through our transportation system."
Despite the increase in mass transit use, the changes in the NJTPA region
mirror those across the nation in many other ways. For example, average commuting
time increased throughout the NJTPA region, just as it did nationally and
statewide. Other examples of trends where the NJTPA region is similar to the
nation include:
- Driving alone (single occupancy vehicle or SOV use) to work
increased.
- Carpooling decreased.
- Bicycling or walking to work decreased.
- Working at home increased.
- Motorcycling remained fairly constant.
However, there were additional key differences from national trends in some
counties in the region:
- Driving alone to work decreased in Hudson, Middlesex and Morris
counties
- Carpooling increased in Middlesex County
Union County Freeholder Daniel P. Sullivan, chairman of the NJTPA's Planning
and Economic Development Committee, said residents of the region need to have
an even more fully integrated, multimodal transportation network.
"These numbers show that commuters will use transit if given the opportunity,"
Sullivan said. "We must continue to offer travelers a wide range of transportation
options, from rail to bus to ferry."
Details on these various trends, including specific numbers for each county
in the region, can be found in the full
report. The U.S. Census Bureau plans to release more detailed CTPP data
in 2003. As new data become available, the NJTPA will perform additional analyses
on what these numbers mean for the region.
The NJTPA is the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for 13 northern
New Jersey counties. Under federal legislation, MPOs provide a forum where
local officials, public transportation providers and state agency representatives
can come together and cooperatively plan to meet the region's current and
future transportation needs. It establishes the region's eligibility to receive
federal tax dollars for transportation projects.
The NJTPA Board consists of one local elected official from each of the 13
counties in the region (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth,
Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren), and the cities
of Newark and Jersey City. The Board also includes a Governor's Representative,
the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the Executive
Directors of NJ Transit and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey,
and a Citizen's Representative appointed by the Governor.
Contact:
David Behrend, Public Affairs Manager
(973) 639-8423