VIRGINIA’S TRANSIT FUTURE 1 Shannon Valentine CTB Board Member Lynchburg District SHIFTING TRENDS AND DEMOGRAPHICS U.S. population becoming more transit oriented Millennials = 25% of In 2020, they will the private U.S. make up 40% of the workforce U.S. workforce 51% say easy access 55% are looking to to public live in places that are transportation is an bikeable, walkable important factor and not car when considering 2 dependent where to live TRANSPORTATION ACROSS GENERATIONS Millennials: From 2001 – 2009, average number of miles traveled by millennials per year dropped 23% Drive less because: Higher gas prices New licensing laws Technology that supports alternative transportation Values and preferences Baby Boomers: Came of age during economic expansion Advent of suburban communities increased reliance on the personal car Cars became an essential part of daily life and not a luxury Are “aging in place” with fixed incomes Will need affordable transportation alternatives Trends predicted to continue even after the economy recovers Government investments have historically been in new infrastructure based on the assumption that driving will continue to increase at a rapid and steady pace 3 Transportation policy must reflect the changing needs and desires of today’s Americans HIGHLIGHTS OF TRANSIT AND RAIL IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA Radford Transit Established in 2011 Services the Radford City community and Radford University The SmartWay Connector Connects to Amtrak’s Kemper Street Station located in Lynchburg Services the New River Valley, Roanoke Valley, and Bedford, with connections to Blacksburg Transit, the Smart Way, Valley Metro, and the Greater Lynchburg Transit Company Blacksburg Multimodal Center Blacksburg, Virginia Tech and DRPT partnership Blacksburg Transit fifth in the state for ridership, carrying 3.6 million passengers in FY13 Lynchburg Multimodal Center Provides immediate access to Lynchburg’s Amtrak and 4 Greyhound stations LEED certified building AMTRAK IN VIRGINIA Virginia enjoys a great partnership with Amtrak State supported trains offer a one-seat ride to destinations including Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York and Boston Northeast Regional line between Lynchburg and D.C. has far exceeded ridership projections since debuting in 2009 Additional frequency being added to reduce congestion on Route 29 Amtrak coming to Roanoke in 2017 5 TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA Changing Assumptions Geographic Realities Changing Solutions Connectivity Funding 6 HB 2 Prioritization process being developed with support from VDOT, DRPT and the Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment Must be used to develop future allocation plans Must be objective and quantifiable Must consider at least the following factors Congestion mitigation Economic development Accessibility Safety 7 Environmental quality HB 2 CONT. 8 VIRGINIA’S TRANSIT FUTURE 9.