WA: EDITORIAL: Thoughtfully map out path to reduce cars on road

hey are age-old questions, ones that play a role in the health of our communities and the environment — and ones that trigger political arguments.

Should governments strive to get people out of their cars? If so, how can that be achieved?

Officials from Clark County and the city of Vancouver are wrestling with those questions, weighing options for reducing the number of single-occupancy vehicles on local roads. It is part of a state-mandated Commute Trip Reduction Plan, which is updated every four years.

"The goal is to give employers and employees an opportunity to participate in the plan where possible," Michael Sallis, a planner for the county, told The Columbian. "That can be vouchers for using the bus to get people out of their vehicles and promote other means of transportation."

That is bound to raise political tensions. Critics claim that such efforts amount to social engineering and are steps toward government control of personal behavior.

That is an inaccurate reading of the situation. Instead, the public should consider the benefits of reducing single-occupancy vehicles and should welcome the development of options. Carpooling and public transit can reduce the number of vehicles on the road, limit the amount of gas being burned and save costs for commuters.

Those targets are attainable in the short term. In the long term, reducing reliance on individual vehicles can reduce the need for parking spaces and transform American cities. As Brad Plumer writes for Vox.com: "The average car, two hulking tons of steel, is 80 percent empty when it's being driven by a single person. And most of the day, cars are totally empty, sitting unused. That, of course, requires space for parking: There are a billion parking spots across the United States, four for every car in existence."

Locally, the Commute Trip Reduction Plan is managed by the city of Vancouver but applies throughout Clark County. It focuses on large employers and transportation to and from work, but can provide ideas that are applicable to all driving. Currently, according to officials, 65 percent of workers in Clark County drive alone to work; the goal is to reduce that to 60 percent.

Olivia Kahn, transportation planner for the city of Vancouver, said, "We know that transportation demand management is rooted in supply and demand." And she told the Clark County Council, "More frequent and reliable C-Tran and TriMet services will greatly increase the viability for bistate commuters that commute to work across the Columbia River."

That presents a conundrum for planners. Simply increasing the supply of public transit does not increase the demand.

But as climate scientist Kim Nicholas told Forbes.com: "The most effective thing we can do to reduce cars in cities is to use carrots and sticks to reduce car use and increase public transport, walking, and cycling. But carrots alone are not sufficient to overcome the entrenched infrastructure and incentives, which today favors car use."

In Vancouver, Kahn said, a change requires educating commuters about available options and providing incentives and subsidies to make transit more affordable. Parking pricing, protected bicycle and mobility lanes, C-Tran's Vine service and high gas prices can influence how people choose to get around.

The key is providing viable, reliable, inexpensive options for commuters. Getting people out of their cars — or, more realistically, getting them to share transportation — has vast social benefits. But it requires thoughtful planning to answer difficult questions.

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