The True Cost of Commuting

One of the many services GVF offers to its partners is zip-code analysis. The first step in conducting a zip-code analysis is to obtain all of the employee’s home zip codes for the company. After that we are able to develop an in depth study to find out where employees are coming from, how long their commute is, and most importantly, how much their commute is costing them.

Recently GVF participated in an event for one of our partners where we presented the results of a zip-code analysis to the employees. Judging from the reactions, most were shocked to find out the actual cost of their daily commute. Sure, everyone is aware that rising gas prices are putting a squeeze on their wallet, but this cost is only seen at the pump every week or so. It doesn’t take into account the cost of maintaining a vehicle or the cost of your time spent sitting in traffic. It also doesn’t come in a convenient yearly cost, where the price can really add up to a shocking figure.

The following infographic, created by StreamlineRefinance.net, illustrates the true cost of commuting:


Click image to enlarge

Via: StreamlineRefinance.net

GVF offers a number of ways to cut down on the cost of your commute, we have information on carpooling, vanpooling, and utilizing public transportation on our website. We also offer GVF’s Bike to Work Challenge over the summer. In fact according to BusinessInsider.com, if one-third of the US biked a mile every day, we could save $17 billion.

Interested in having your company conduct a zip code analysis? Contact us today at info@gvftma.com.

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Top Five Reasons to Ride your Bike to Work

The weather around Philadelphia has been absolutely gorgeous the past few days. It has been unseasonably warm and because of this – or maybe because we are getting ready to start our fourth annual GVF Bike to Work Challenge (have you signed up yet?) I have never been more excited to get back on the old bike.

One of my goals for this summer is to commute to work by bike much more than I did last year. I thought I would make a list of my top five reasons I ride to work in hopes of inspiring more people to take the plunge and ride!

Top Five Reasons to Ride your Bike to Work

1. Save Money

With the cost of gas approaching or even exceeding $4 a gallon, riding a bike just makes sense. No gas required, not to mention the extremely reduced costs of maintaining a bike as opposed to an automobile.

2. Get in Shape

Bicycling is an excellent way to exercise, and if it is part of your everyday commute it is automatically built into your schedule. The World Health Organization suggests that increasing physical activity is a public health 'best buy', and that cycling is a 'highly suitable activity' for this purpose.

3. Relieve Stress

Traffic, pollution, road rage, congestion – all of these make up most American’s daily commute. Long commutes have been linked with obesity, neck pain, loneliness, divorce, stress and insomnia. Ride a bike, enjoy being outside, arrive less stressed and get more work done.

4. It’s fun!

“Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike.” - John F. Kennedy

Riding a bike is just plain fun. There are few greater joys in life then cruising around on a warm spring day on a bicycle. Don’t believe me? Try it!

5. Be a part of GVF’s Bike to Work Challenge

If you decide to try bike commuting, make sure you are registered for the GVF Bike to Work Challenge. This is our fourth year running the challenge and it is a great way to keep track of your miles, savings and progress! In addition, it provides us with data we can use to improve cycling in the greater Philadelphia area!

Register Today!

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Before the Interstate Highway System

The Interstate Highway System is the largest public works project in history and often lauded as one of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s major achievements. It is crucial to our country’s transportation needs, about one-third of all miles driven in the U.S. use the Interstate system. Today, the transportation debate focuses on updating our rail network and fixing the crumbling roads and bridges so that we can put Americans back to work.

As we continue to ponder how this country will move forward, it is interesting to look back on our past and see just how far we’ve come. Here is a map of the US's (pre-interstate) transcontinental transportation network in 1918, color coded by individual “auto-trails”

This map is from the American Automobiles Association and shows what our cross-country road infrastructure looked like before our massive investment in the Interstate Highway System. It depicts the main auto trails of the day. The auto trail system was an informal network of marked routes that existed in the United States and Canada in the early part of the 20th century. Marked with colored bands on telephone poles, the trails were intended to help travelers in the early days of the automobile. Our transportation network has sure come a long way since then.

What will our map look like a hundred years from now?

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Carbon Offset Credits. What are they?

I had the opportunity over the holidays to visit a friend in South Africa. Before my trip I began researching the amount of pollution caused by air travel. I discovered that in addition to the carbon dioxide and other pollutants released, aviation pollution is even more damaging because of the high altitudes in which pollutants are released. Jet airliners operate near the tropopause, the atmospheric boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere. When planes leave vapor trails in the sky it can lead to the artificial formation of cirrus cloud formation. Some estimates even say that cloud cover may have increased 0.2% since the discovery of aviation. In addition to artificial cloud formation, the release of pollutants at high altitudes can cause a reaction with other green house gasses, increasing ozone concentrations. So what is a world traveler to do in this moral conundrum?

This is where carbon offset credits come in. The concept is simple. You go on to a website like carbonfund.org, and purchase donations to verified carbon offset projects. These projects include renewable energy and methane projects, energy efficiency projects, and reforestation and avoided deforestation projects. There are a number of preset packages you can purchase based on the kind of car you drive or the size of the house you live in, or you can use their custom carbon calculator to calculate the amount of pollutants your flight will create. My flight was from Philly to DC, then from DC to Dekar, Senegal and finally from Dekar to Johannesburg, South Africa- annnnd back. The calculator determined that these flights would emit 3.95 metric tons of CO2 emissions. I was able to purchase credits in a project of my choosing and flew easier knowing that my donation was going towards verified projects to offset my footprint. I will continue to use this service for my future travel plans and urge you to do the same. For sustainability, it’s a step in the right direction.

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Got a drafty home? Try a home assessment from EnergyWorks.

As the nights begin to grow colder, those drafts in our home and businesses become harder to ignore. Not only are they raising the cost of our heating bills, they are also causing more carbon emissions to enter our atmosphere. Is your home or business operating as efficiently as possible?

Enter EnergyWorks. Energy works is a new initiative funded by the stimulus through the Department of Energy, they provide energy efficient solutions and low interest loans to home and business owners in the Greater Philadelphia region.

I had the chance to see Andrew Kreider from the Environmental Protection Agency speak about the program during a recent GVF Climate Change Task Force Meeting. First you sign up for a low-cost home energy assessment (You can see what one looks like here). Then you receive a list of prioritized improvements that can be made to increase the comfort and energy efficiency levels of your house. EnergyWorks even provides a list of certified area contractors and offers low-interest loans to help pay for your improvement.

For more information, visit EnergyWorksnow.com.

You can also watch the clip below from “It’s Your Call with Lynn Doyle” featuring Jeff Lane from EnergyWorks.

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GVF’s New “Partners in Sustainability” Video Series

This week GVF launched a new video series entitled “Partners in Sustainability.” Each installment will feature one of GVF’s Partners in their efforts to help lessen their environmental impact. Many of these partners have already been recognized as GVF Sustainability Awards recipients. These videos will offer a chance to delve deeper into our local companies green efforts and give our audience the chance to see that many things are being done right here in our own backyards to increase both sustainability and quality of life.

Our first video features McCormick Taylor, who among many other green initiatives, introduced a bike share program earlier this year. Employees are able to utilize the bikes as a way of commuting in between meetings as well as for recreation. The offices of McCormick Taylor are conveniently located close to the Schuylkill River Trail, which benefits many of the riders. You can view the video below:

Follow GVF’s twitter feed and this blog in the coming months as we focus on everything from LEED certified buildings to electric car charging stations.

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Slick New Website Lets You Find Your Next Apartment Based On Commute Time

No one likes a long commute. In fact, it’s probably killing you. As this country’s infrastructure continues to crumble around us, Americans are faced with the very real possibility that our commutes may get even longer and more costly. If you’ve had enough and are ready to pack it all up and move closer to your workplace then the creators of WalkScore.com have just launched the service for you.

WalkScore.com is a popular website that allows you to enter in an address and determine how walkable the neighborhood is. They have taken this service to the next logical step with Walk Score Apartment Search.

This new service, currently in beta, allows the user to type in their workplace’s address and a desired commute time and responds with a list of available apartments that fit the bill. The results can even be sorted based on distance by public transit, car, bicycle, or walking. The video below explains in more detail:

Walk Score Apartment Search is available now, and is sure to be a great service for those looking to cut down on their daily grind.

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GVF's 2011 Sustainable Awards

GVF, a transportation management association dedicated to achieving a desirable quality of life and a healthy, competitive economic environment by developing multi-faceted transportation strategies, hosted its fall partner breakfast yesterday at the Scanticon Hotel in King of Prussia.

GVF presented its second-annual Sustainable Awards to the companies and organizations listed below. GVF’s Sustainable Awards recognize companies on four levels for their outstanding achievements in implementing programs that provide and promote commuting alternatives for their employees and its community, thus reducing congestion and improving air quality.

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Jenkintown Streetscape Groundbreaking Ceremony

One of the constant themes in Jenkintown Borough's Revitalization Plan is to rejuvenate Old York Rd.

In keeping with the plan, the Borough is beginning a Streetscape Project along York Rd. The project will start north of Summit Ave. and go north of West. Ave.

A curb bump-out will be constructed on the northeast corner of York Road and Greenwood Avenue to expand the sidewalk, reduce the pedestrian crossing distance of Greenwood Avenue and reduce vehicle speeds of traffic turning into Greenwood Avenue. New curb ramps will be constructed satisfying PennDOT new standards.

The main goals of the project are to further emphasize the important downtown retail area of the Borough, to 'calm' traffic on York Road, and to enhance the accommodations of pedestrians.

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IBM Releases Global Commuter Pain Survey just in time for Car Free Day

It is no secret that traffic is a drag, but on Thursday Sept. 8 IBM confirmed this by releasing the results of their Global Commuter Pain Survey. Eight thousand commuters in twenty cities across the world surveyed that:

• Drivers report more stress and frustration related to commuting worldwide
• Forty one percent of commuters globally said improved public transportation would help reduce stress
• Perception of traffic in emerging economies vs. more developed economies is improving

The survey did show some areas of improvement however, a number of cities reported that more people are utilizing public transportation and there was also a large increase in the percentage of respondents who reported that roadway traffic has improved “somewhat” or “substantially” over the past three years.

With the current world population estimated at 6.94 billion and the possibility that this could reach 10 billion by 2050, we have to start thinking about alternative modes of transportation on a global scale.

A great way to spread awareness for alternative transportation is through World Carfree Day, held every September 22 and celebrated by people around the world. World Carfree Day showcases to our city planners and politicians a city without cars and promotes cycling, walking, and public transportation projects.

Need help going car free? GVF has all the information you need to leave the car at home. So walk, bike, bus, carpool, train, hop, skip, or jump to where you’re going on September 22, and spread the word!

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Adaptive Traffic Signal Technology Deployed in King of Prussia

Recently I have been writing about ways technology can help improve our transportation system (such as virtual subway storefronts and live transit data) unfortunately these technology initiatives seem to be taking place in other countries or are in their infancy. We can enjoy some of this marriage between transportation and technology right now, in our own backyard. Adaptive Traffic Signals, deployed eighteen months ago in King of Prussia at the intersections of 202 and Gulph Road and 202 and Mall Boulevard have already improved traffic flow and safety.

The product being used is an InSync system by Rhythm Engineering that has been installed in about 50 locations across the country. The technology does as its name implies: it adapts signals based on traffic. Regular traffic signals rely on a timing cycle to distribute traffic, this often leads to wasted green time when little to no traffic is on the cross street. With the addition of cameras and computer processing, the InSync system is able to gauge traffic and adjust timing on the fly, depending on the amount of congestion. This flexibility creates a much more efficient signal.

Since being deployed 18 months ago traffic flow has increased 50% and the amount of accidents at the intersections has also decreased. The technology is currently in the early planning stages to be extended all the way along 202 to the William F. Danne Hower Bridge with the goal of being completed by Black Friday.

A few weeks ago, GVF had the chance to talk with Charles DeVitis, Upper Merion Township Traffic Signal Division Supervisor about the adaptive traffic signals, check out the video below:

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New Subway Virtual Store Concept Could Save Time, Gas and Improve Public Transit

With the increasing gas prices we all know the importance of utilizing public transportation. However what do you get done while waiting for a train? Check your email? Facebook? Tweet about waiting for the train?

During this downtime, wouldn’t it be great to get the weekly chore of grocery shopping finished and never have to put up with pushing a shopping cart through aisle after aisle of crowds, hassle and headache?

Well this shopping fantasy could soon be a reality, thanks to the world of smart phones and QR Codes that we live in today. A company in South Korea is already implementing and expanding one such system.

This type of service would add another benefit for our transit commuters, saving them time, money, and a separate trip to the grocery store. If this makes its way to the US, we could also open up the possibility of adding a surcharge to each transaction that would go towards improving the transit system. This would improve the user experience, commute, and “store” all at the same time.

Another benefit of implementing this system would be a decrease in carbon emissions, this report from Carnegie Mellon finds shopping online results in less of an environmental impact than buying locally. Not only do we increase the benefits for the commuter, we also keep cars from making dedicated trips to the grocery store.

Last month, I talked about Google implementing live transit updates as part of their maps’ service, and now these virtual subway stores are just an additional example of how we can use new technology to improve a commuter’s transit experience. All it takes is a creative idea on how to pair the two.

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GVF TMA Foundation Hosts First Golf Outing [Video]

King of Prussia, PA- The newly formed GVF TMA Foundation, a 501 c 3 subsidiary of the Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association (GVF), held its first golf outing at The Club at Shannondell last Friday, June 24.

The event, which included more than 40 golfers, raised more than $1,000 for the Foundation. GVF established this Foundation to secure funding for educational seminars, training, outreach and environmental awareness for the general public in support of livability activities. The Peter P. Quinn Scholarship, created when GVF founder Peter P. Quinn retired in 2008, is incorporated into the GVF TMA Foundation and creates a scholarship fund for college students to expose them to the public and private transportation sectors.

Check out pictures from the event here.

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Google Maps now has Live Transit Updates

Google has added another big piece to the feature set of Google Maps that will be sure to please mass transit riders. In addition to their existing support for car, bicycle, transit, and walking directions, Google Maps is now starting to integrate live transit data to their service. Thanks to data-sharing partnerships with city transit operators, riders will now have the ability to know where there bus is by checking their mobile phone at the station or before even leaving their house from their PC.

Google announced this feature late last week and will initially offer the service in four US cities (Boston, Portland, Ore., San Diego, San Francisco) and two European Cities (Madrid and Turin). Google also said that they are working with additional public transit partners to roll out the feature into as many cities as possible.

Unfortunately Philadelphia did not make the initial list of cities but riders can already get a taste of the Google Maps’ offering by checking out SEPTA’s TransitView which already provides real time information for all of Septa’s 116 bus routes plus 3 trackless trolley and 8 trolley lines. Because of the existence of TransitView I have to imagine that it will not be long before integration with Google Maps and SEPTA.

Making this data available to the public can only add to the convenience of utilizing mass transit and further reducing congestion in our cities and urban places.

For more information: The Official Google Blog

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Steve Wray Keynote on World Class Greater Philadelphia [Video]

Did you miss our annual meeting?

No problem!

Now you can see the entire keynote presentation from GVF's Annual Meeting on the World Class Greater Philadelphia Intiative by Steve Wray, Executive Director of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia.

World Class Greater Philadelphia is an initiative that convenes business, nonprofit, government, labor, and community leaders to establish a set of long-term priorities and focused strategies to better our region. Facilitated by the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, this multi-year initiative strives to make the region a world class place to live, work, and play by 2026 - the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

For more information go to www.worldclassgreaterphila.org

Music: "Pling" by Jaspertine

jaspertine / CC BY-NC 3.0

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GVF's 2011 Annual Meeting [Video]

Last week, GVF held their annual meeting at the BEST WESTERN PLUS the Inn at King of Prussia. The night included cocktails, hors d’ oeuvres, our award ceremony, and a keynote speech by Steven Wray (@STWray) of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia on the World Class Greater Philadelphia Initiative.

This initiative is an effort for the Greater Philadelphia Region to achieve World Class Status by 2026- the 250^th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Steve gave a presentation on four possible futures for the region and how we can thrive in all of them.

GVF also presented awards that evening to the following organizations and individuals:

• Engineering and Design Award - Boles Smyth Associates Inc. Awarded for their design of the Henderson Road ramps currently being constructed off of I-76
• Environmental Leadership Award- Montgomery County Community College Awarded for their investment in the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment
• Legislative Leadership Award - Senator Daylin Leach Awarded for his ongoing support and involvement in the Norristown High Speed Line Project
• Peter P. Quinn Leadership Award- Jeff Guzy, URS Awarded for his dedication to GVF and its Board of Directors
• Planning Leadership Award - Limerick Township and Simone Collins Awarded for completing the Sanatoga Master Plan
• Private Sector Leadership Award - The CEO Council For Growth Awarded for their leadership along the Route 422 Corridor

“I would like to once again congratulate all of our award winners from this year’s annual meeting. I would also like to thank our sponsors again who continue to support GVF and its mission. As we continue our work to make our region’s transportation system world-class, we feel it’s important to recognize all of those who are improving our mission and making our region a better place to work and live,” said GVF Executive Director Rob Henry.

Did you miss the event? That’s ok; we also have some video footage of the evening’s highlights:

Did you attend our annual meeting? Please, let us know in the comments how we did. Thanks to everyone who attended and I hope to see you all again next year.

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GVF Celebrates Earth Day

On Wednesday afternoon GVF employees attended several Earth Day events throughout the Greater Valley Forge area. GVF had a presence at local corporations and colleges to spread information about green ways to commute. From taking public transportation, carpooling, utilizing a shuttle service, or participating in GVF’s upcoming Bike to Work Challenge there are many ways to reduce your carbon footprint!

Here are some other green tips for Earth Day:

• Reuse your water bottle. Avoid buying bottled water.
• Bring your own bags to the grocery store. Given a choice between plastic and paper, choose paper.
• Go paperless. Consider reading your newspaper and magazine subscriptions online. Switch to electronic banking and credit card payment, too.
• Turn your car off if you’re going to be idle for more than one minute.
• Recycle your technology. Dell, Hewlett Packard, Apple, and IBM, among others, offer recycling programs.

Remember, small changes can add up to make a BIG difference! How do you celebrate Earth Day?

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US 202 Section 300 Groundbreaking Ceremony [Video]

Groundbreaking Ceremony for the US 202 Section 300 held April 2011.

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Dutch Astronaut Hopes to Revolutionize Public Transit [Video]

New transportation systems like BRT (bus rapid transit) and high speed rail are attracting a lot of buzz these days, but what if someone were to combine the two? That’s exactly what Wubbo Ockels, first Dutch astronaut and general manager of the Superbus Project has done:

The Superbus is the Ferrari of public transportation and is extremely cool looking; however that sleek, aerodynamic design is not just used for eye candy. Once implemented, the Superbus would have access to designated “Superbus tracks” where it could ramp up the speed to a blazing 155 mph between cities, an intriguing concept for cities where high speed rail isn’t an option.

While an interesting concept, a few key drawbacks will probably keep the Superbus from revolutionizing transportation. First is the economic feasibility in implementing a system like this. Who will ride it? The Superbus is currently being marketed as a luxury way to travel for the upper class, a demographic that tends to avoid public transportation. I am also not sure of how the public will perceive the safety of travelling 155 mph in a vehicle not attached to rails. It’s nice that the Superbus is an electric vehicle however this limits its range to 130 miles before it has to recharge, which will narrow potential areas the Superbus can be deployed.

Even with these drawbacks I still think that this project could be used as a valuable resource to transportation management, perhaps some ideas pioneered by the Superbus could be utilized in our next generation of transit systems.

More Information:

http://www.superbusproject.com/

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Air Quality Partnership to Host Lawn Mower Trade-In Event on May 7

Residents in southeastern Pennsylvania will have an opportunity to get rid of their old, gasoline-powered lawn mowers and purchase environmentally friendly, discounted electric or battery-powered mowers at an event on Saturday, May 7 in Springfield Township, Montgomery County.

Hosted by the Air Quality Partnership (AQP), a program to reduce air pollution in the region, the event will be held:
Saturday, May 7
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Springfield Township High School parking lot
1801 East Paper Mill Road, Erdenheim, PA.


Interested residents can pre-register at http://www.airqualitypartnership.org/. The first 140 registrants will receive a $50 voucher toward a new, electric or battery-powered lawn mower.

Black and Decker will be on-site, giving up to an additional 30% off to those who purchase a mower at the event. Participants must trade-in an old mower in order to receive the voucher and discount. Registration will close at 250 participants.

The AQP is partnering with Sustainable Waste Solutions (SWS) to haul away the old mowers. All mowers must be drained of fluids before drop-off. A list of county hazardous waste days can be found at www.airqualitypartnership.org.



AQP is a program of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), which educates residents about the dangerous effects of ground-level ozone, and provides air quality forecasts to the public. Gas-powered lawn mowers are a major contributor to ground-level ozone, and purchasing an electric mower is just one way the public can help the environment. To sign-up for air quality forecasts and alerts, and for tips on how to reduce air pollution, visit the newly redesigned website, www.airqualitypartnership.org.


Sustainable Waste Solutions, LLC, an environmentally green recycling and solid waste services company, is the first landfill-free waste company in our region. Its focus is converting trash to renewable energy. Headquartered in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Sustainable Waste Solutions serves its clients throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania, Lehigh Valley and Delaware.

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