Americans Are Driving Less. So What Are They Doing Instead?

Apparently more Americans are doing
this than going out. Although at my
house family game night is never
this happy.

Due to an improved economy and low gas prices, the number of miles driven has gone up recently. For a while there though, driving rates had dropped, due to a variety of reasons including a poor economy that had many people out of work, high gas prices and other factors. Was one of those factors that people were finding other, more active, ways to commute. Part of it could be, but Citylab says the real reason there has been less driving is that people just aren't leaving the house.

A new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine says Americans (Millennials, in particular) drove an average of 600 miles less each year from 2004 to 2014. That same period saw a noticeable drop in road-related fatalities, which could be attributed to safer vehicles and better driving, or to less time spent behind the wheel. Data suggests the latter.

A report on the study says that Americans are going fewer places because technology has made it easier to work, shop and see entertainment at home; increasing debt has people staying home to save money; and people getting married and having kids later in life cut down on certain kinds of trips, such as to schools and doctors.

Driving Simulator Helps Patients Get Back Behind the Wheel

A new virtual reality driving simulator at St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute  is helping patients regain driving skills following injuries and illnesses.

According to the Spokesman-Review, the simulator, the first of its kind in the area, will help patients regain basic driving skills. It gives patients an interactive, realistic experience to prepare them to be behind the wheel again following spinal and other injuries and illnesses that reduce mobility.

The simulator has a driver’s wheel and other hand controls and foot pedals. The road is three video screens that can show 80 different road scenarios, such as pedestrians crossing the street, a traffic light changing or a vehicle moving slowly. The scenarios test and train for vehicle control, reaction time, attention to the road, memory, planning and navigation and hazard perception. This allows patients to practice without the pressure of real traffic.

The simulator can also be used for research on how different injuries or illnesses can affect driving.

Grants for the $80,000 machine came from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, Empire Health Foundation and Providence Health Care Foundation.

Seattle Businesses Being Prepared for Demolition of Alaskan Way Viaduct

The area under the Alaskan Way Viaduct in downtown Seattle

Being in long-range planning, I can appreciate this. According to KOMO New, the Washington State Department of Transportation has started meeting with business owners who will be impacted by the demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct in two years.

It will take about nine months to demolish the viaduct, which will start after the replacement tunnel for the highway opens up. So far, the giant drilling machine, nicknamed "Bertha," has drilled out more than 75% of the tunnel.

Some business owners are afraid that rent prices will jump with the improvements, driving out smaller businesses.

Lawmakers Push to Increase I-90 Speed Limit Again

Here we go again- lawmakers are considering a 75 mph speed limit for parts of Interstate 90 in Eastern Washington, but state officials aren't really interested, according to the Spokesman-Review.

Two years ago, the Legislature asked the Washington State Department of Transportation  to study the higher speed limit for parts of I-90 between Ellensburg and the Spokane County border. The department concluded it would cut travel time along the route by just five minutes and cost more in fuel and traffic accidents. So the WSDOT declined to raise the speed limit at the time.

Now, Sen. Brian Dansel, R-Republic, one of the co-sponsors of the 2015 law, has introduced a new bill to take the decision out of the department’s hands. Senate Bill 5053 would raise the speed to 75 mph between Ellensburg and milepost 120, and between George and the Spokane County line, and wouldn’t let the secretary of Transportation reduce it.

WSDOT officials, the Washington State Patrol and Traffic Safety Commission had the same response to this bill as the past one- telling the Senate Transportation Committee it is a bad idea, for all the same reasons as in the previous study. The committee will decide in the coming weeks whether to send the proposal to the full Senate.

Study Indicates Living Near Heavy Traffic Increases Risk of Dementia

People living near busy streets have an increased risk of dementia, according to new research that adds to concerns about the impact of air pollution on human health.

According to The Guardian, approximately one in 10 cases of Alzheimer’s in urban areas could be associated with living near heavy traffic, the study estimated. Scientists in the past linked air pollution and traffic noise to reduced density of white matter in the brain and lower cognition. A recent study suggested that tiny particles from air pollution can make their way into brain tissue.
This study found that those who live close to major traffic arteries were up to 12% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia.

The study, which tracked over 6 million people for more than a decade, could not determine whether pollution is directly harmful to the brain. The increased dementia risk could be an effect of respiratory and cardiac problems caused by traffic fumes or other unhealthy factors associated with living in urban environments. Those living within 50 meters of a busy road had a 7% higher risk in developing dementia, the risk was 4% higher risk at 50-100 metres, 2% higher risk at 101-200 metres and there was no increase in risk in those living more than 200 metres away. Those who lived in a major city, within 50 meters of a major road and did not move during the duration of the study had the highest risk at 12%.

DOT Releases A 30 Year Plan and Discusses Seattle Transportation Issues

The United States Department of Transportation is responsible for reporting on both the current and the anticipated future conditions of our nation’s transportation system. Beyond Traffic 2045 is this report and has recently been released. It includes separate reports on 'megaregions,' networks of urban clusters connected by economic and social relationships that will grow in importance as our nation’s population in metropolitan regions grows. A map of these items is below (click on it to view full size).

Residents and businesses in these megaregions often depend on the same infrastructure—airports, ports, rail lines, and freight corridors. Yet the planning and operation of our transportation system is rarely coordinated across these regions.

Beyond Traffic 2045 says that, to plan and operate the transportation system of the future, we need to build collaborative relationships and institutions that reflect the growing interdependence of megaregions. So, transportation stakeholders from each megaregion were brought together in the development of the plan, including from Seattle.

The top issues there were how to better plan and incorporate the expected increases in freight traffic while managing congestion and reducing sprawl. Participants talked about the need to examine the freight system holistically because the movement of freight involves all modes of transportation. Land use, workforce issues, safety, and existing congestion were all recognized as factors that need to be incorporated into any regional freight plan moving forward.

There was the sentiment that freight was underrepresented when compared to other transportation-related issues. Participants noted a variety of solutions, including designated freight corridors, promoting modal shifts, and congestion pricing, but much of this conversation was tied into reducing sprawl.

You can read the entire report here. The section discussing Seattle issues starts on page 218.

Grant Will Help Transport People to Medical Services

Here's some great news- The Health Sciences & Services Authority (HSSA) of Spokane County announced it will fund in 2017 $300,000 for four community non-profit organizations of its annual “Access to Care” grant competition. The organizations that will be funded were judged by the HSSA Board, and those selected provide innovative health service delivery and increased access to health care to certain populations.

The one that we're particularly happy to see is  Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners (SNAP) Spokane Ride to Care program, which will receive $100,000 to provide transportation for persons who call the 911 system and need urgent care but not an emergency department visit. This was discussed at our recent round table discussions. Ambulances are the most expensive way to get to healthcare, but many people use them as they don't have another way to get there. This uses everyone's tax dollars and also ties up our emergency rooms when there are more pressing cases. Currently, in the City of Spokane approximately 61% of area emergency calls are considered low-acuity, and 50% of these cases could be reduced by providing an alternate transportation mechanism.

Spokane Fire Department (SFD) paramedics or in-field physician consults will determine when a 911 call comes in if the patient needs emergency help or just a ride to an urgent care or doctor's office. 

Drought is Cracking Mississippi Highways

Trent Avenue, also known as SR 290, near the intersection
with Starr Road.

It's not the freeze-thaw cycle that Mississippi officials are blaming for the poor condition of their highways, but drought. Yes, drought, according to the SunHerald, allegedly the culprit behind cracked highways there.

Maintenance crews are patching the worst cracks, but long-term repairs will have to wait until the state has some significant rainfall, Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) employees say.

Mississippi soils contain several types of clay that expand when wet and contract when dry, similar to the freeze-thaw cycle that messes up our local roads. The shrinking causes a void between the clay and the asphalt and when traffic goes over it multiple times, cracks form.

Cracks are particularly bad on rural highways lined with trees. MDOT says a mature tree can absorb 100 gallons or more of water on a hot day.

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/traffic/article117520608.html#storylink=cpy

DOT Rules Expected to be Implemented Before Jan. 1

With roughly 60 days left in the Whitehouse, what transportation policies will the Obama administration push through? According to Politico, they're looking at drone use, vehicle technology, and airline passenger protections, among others. A round up of rules expected to be passed before the end of the year can be found at the link above, along with the ones that are expected to be undone or put aside for the time being, once president-elect Trump takes office in January.

Will Your Future Home Be In A Parking Garage?

Will your next home be in a parking garage? Possibly, but not because you are living in your car. Wired says people in the future may be living in remodeled parking structures as parking rules change and less parking is needed as new forms of transportation become available along with new technology.

Currently, a tower is in the works at 4th and Columbia in Seattle which will include residential units, a hotel, office space, retail, parking and plans to overhaul the parking levels into living space in the future when it becomes needed.

It's not as easy as it sounds though- floors must be reinforced to support future furniture and appliances, support columns must be placed so they don’t ruin the look of a future living room, ceilings should be high in order to be attractive and areas must be preserved where ductwork can eventually be placed.

And floor leveling is the biggest challenge. Most garages are built on a slight incline, so water or snow vehicles carry in runs toward built-in drains. The Seattle tower solves this by building completely flat floor plates and using an elevator to carry cars between floors.

One drawback though- building for a future retrofit costs more money, usually at least five percent more, which can add up to several million. 

LV Streetlights That Are Powered by Pedestrians

Where is the best place to test market street lights that work on pedestrian power? Las Vegas of course- where there are lots of people walking around.

According to Engadget, tech startup EnGoPlanet is testing new LED streetlights there that are powered by both photovoltaic panels and kinetic footstep pads. The setup not only lights up the Boulder Plaza in Vegas, but powers security cameras, WiFi hotspots and portable charging stations.

The system uses a solar panel to charge a battery that powers the LED streetlights at night along with the charging stations and WiFi hotspots. When the sun isn't out though, there are kinetic pads installed in the sidewalk that are connected to micro-generators that put out 4 to 8 watts per footstep, depending on the pressure. This powers those same items.

City workers can change the color of the LED lights for special events and the system even has sensors that can do environmental and air quality monitoring and "smart analytics," such as counting footsteps to determine the amount of pedestrian traffic.

Utility Tax to Fix Roads Not Popular With Spokane Valley Residents

A proposed utility tax to repair roads in Spokane Valley is off the table- for now. According to the Spokane Valley News Herald, the 6-percent utility tax would have replaced an existing 6-percent telephone tax earmarked for road maintenance in the city. Public outcry scrapped the idea though and put the idea on hold.

At a hearing last week, Spokane Valley residents spoke out against the tax that would be levied against power usage, water, natural gas, garbage and sewer use. Among other issues, they cited the hardship the tax would put on low income people and how utilities aren't something people can cut back on if tight on money.

The tax would generate over $7 million a year to cover the nearly $6.5 million that is the projected need to maintain roadways. The existing phone tax only generates about $2.3 million because more people are getting rid of landlines and using only cell phones.

While the tax idea has been shelved for now, City Council members aren't done looking for a source for that revenue. They meet with utility officials this week to discuss a tax possibility and plan to work with the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce on potential ideas.

"Zach Alert" Would Target Hit-and-Run Drivers

You've heard of an "Amber Alert" when a child goes missing and a "Silver Alert" when senior citizens, especially with dementia, disapear. Well, you may soon be hearing about a "Zack Alert" that would send an alert to police departments and electronic highway message signs following fatal or serious hit-and-run collissions.

The measure, proposed in New Jersey, was inspired by the hit-and-run death of 21-year-old Zachary Simmons last June. Simmons was struck by a SUV as he ran across a street. The vehicle kept going. The incident drew national attention when the victim was identified as the cousin of Ben Simmons, the number one pick in the 2016 NBA draft earlier that month. 

So far the measure has cleared the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee and is headed to the Appropriations Committee. 

New Flashing 20 MPH Sign for LC

Starting tomorrow, Tuesday, November 1, driving through the Lewis and Clark High School area when school is in session will be a much different experience.  Lights and signs for a 20 mph area when flashing school zone sign have been installed on Stevens Street near Lewis and Clark. These new signs will have flashing yellow lights to indicate a 20 mph school zone.

The lights will flash during the following specific times:

·         School opening, 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.

·         Lunch time 10:50 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.

·         School closing, 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Lewis and Clark is the first high school to have a 20 mph when flashing light and will be a test school for potential use at other high schools in the City. 

Most Drivers Don't Use Their On-Board GPS Systems

Got a car with a built-in navigation system? But do you actually use it? CNN Money reports that almost two-thirds of new car owners with on-board GPS reported using their smartphone or a portable navigation device to find their way at least some of the time.

The market research firm J.D. Power and Associates surveyed owners of new vehicles after the first 90 days of ownership. While they were relatively satisfied with the technology in their cars, navigation systems were the item they rated worst as far as satisfaction.

Survey results say nearly a third of those with built-in navigation used it for less than two weeks before giving up on it and using their phone or another portable device. And more than half never used them at all.

The biggest cause for dissatisfaction was entering a destination. With many cars, drivers have to go through tedious menus to enter an address or deal with confusing "point of interest" search menus that don't include a lot of destinations. When users tried voice commands, they said they are often misunderstood.

To make matters worse, most systems lock drivers out from being able to manually enter a destination while the car is moving. That's understandable for safety reasons, but they won't even allow a passenger to do the entering.

City Contracts With Uber Rather Than Build A Parking Garage

Summit, New Jersey

Uber and Lyft have been in the news a lot lately for the huge change they could potentially make to the transportation system over time. Many people are opting for Uber or Lyft rather than public transit. Some people are using Uber or Lyft to get their kids to school. Now, the city of Summit, New Jersey, a bedroom community to New York City, will begin subsidizing Uber rides for residents traveling to and from the local train station.

According to BuzzFeedNews, the move was initiated to avoid building a new parking lot for the station. Parking near Summit’s train station has been called a "nightmare" by many users. Commuters buy parking permits, but are not assigned spaces, and often waste 15 to 20 minutes searching for a spot. Building a new parking lot for commuter users would be a long-term, multimillion-dollar endeavor, so the city's administrator instead decided to subsidize commuters’ Uber rides to the town’s train station. Priced at $2 each way, the rides will cost commuters the same as an all-day parking pass. Not only will this reduce demand for hard-to-come-by parking spaces, it will also create a steady pool of demand for Uber.

Uber was interested and agreed to a six-month pilot program. Over the long run, if the program becomes permanent, it is expected to cost Summit only about $167,000 annually, much less than the $10 million it would cost to build a parking lot, which doesn't even count costs to staff and maintain it.

Keep Leaves Out of Storm Drains

Leaves can clog drains, causing this kind of mess.

The many-colored leaves are beautiful right now, but not so pretty when they are clogging storm
drains. The City of Spokane Valley is asking for your help to keep leaves out of storm drains. 

When too many leaves get into the drains, they can cause standing water that damages roadways, creates a driving hazard, and may flood adjacent properties. Wet leaves can also make sidewalks and roadways slippery for pedestrians and vehicles.

You can help by keeping leaves and debris from your yard out of the street, off the public sidewalk, and away from storm drains. Here  are some tips from the City of Spokane Valley Stormwater Division to manage all those leaves and make your lawn and garden healthier: 

• Raking frequently helps your grass get needed sunlight and oxygen.
• Bag up those leaves and take them to the Spokane Valley University Road Transfer Station at 2405 N. University Road.Find information and disposal rates at www.spokanevalley.org/solidwaste by selecting the "Yard Waste/Organics" link, or by calling 509-924-5678.
• Another option is to mow over dry leaves using a mulching blade on your mower and leave them in place to provide nutrients for your lawn.
• Pile leaves on bare areas in vegetable gardens and flower beds, or around the base of trees.Spray with a little water to help generate topsoil that can absorb more water next year and reduce watering needs.
• Lean how easy it is to turn leaves and debris into organic compost that can provide nutrients for healthier trees, lawns and gardens.Find more information on composting, as well as opportunities for training to become a Master Composter, at www.spokanecounty.org/2024/Master-Composter-Program. There are a limited number of training openings available to Spokane Valley residents so be sure and visit the website soon. 

U.S. Hit's "Peak Demand" for Gas- Again

Apparently we were doing this with gasoline this summer
because gas sales hit an all-time high in August.

August was the biggest month ever in the United States for gasoline consumption. According to the Energy Institute at Haas, Americans burned through 9.7 million barrels per day- more than a gallon a day for every man, woman and child.

This comes as a surprise for some as analysts have said the U.S. reached "peak demand" in 2012 and that gas consumption would continue to decline in the foreseeable future. Ummmm, no. U.S. gas consumption has increased steadily four years in a row now for a couple reasons. Those include the end of the recession and people having more income, plus low gas prices.

Economists have shown in many studies that there is a definite relationship between income and gasoline consumption – when people have more to spend, gasoline usage goes up. During the recession, Americans gravitated toward smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. Today, they are buying bigger cars and trucks again and driving more miles. Gas prices were also high during the recession, above $4 a gallon at times.

Pilot Program To Provide Rides to Urgent Care, Rather Than Ambulances to the ER

An ambulance isn't necessary for many of the medical
calls they are currently being used for.

So what is THE most expensive way to obtain healthcare? Take an ambulance to the emergency
room, according to a Rockwood official who was in our office last week. And yet, he says it happens all the time for people who aren't in emergency situations but just don't have any other way to access healthcare. We've had this discussion in our office several times recently- there has to be better transportation services to get people to the services they need rather than over-using emergency services.

That trend may end if a local experiment works out. According to the Spokesman-Review, Spokane Neighborhood Action Programs (SNAP) is coordinating a pilot program where patients who call 911 with minor medical issues are given a ride to an urgent care center rather than the hospital.

The majority of 911 calls received by the Spokane Fire Department are medical; over half for “low-acuity” conditions such as urinary tract infections and broken fingers that could be handled better at an urgent care facility. So far in 2016, the department has dealt with 3,735 of these calls, for issues including back pain, toothaches and fatigue.

The problem is that many people either don't realize that urgent care is an option or don't have a way to get there. Starting in early 2017, patients will have the option to be taken to urgent care in a vehicle paid for by SNAP. The "Ride to Care" service, as it's being called, will be paid for with grant funding and contributions from some insurance companies and other private sources. The pilot program will run six months if enough money can be raised to fund it.

When someone calls 911 in the future, they will be offered the less urgent option of a ride and be allowed to decide if they want to go to the emergency room or urgent care. That frees up an ambulance to respond to more serious calls. The SNAP vehicle can take the patient to a pharmacy before returning them home after the visit. The option will only be available during the hours urgent care centers are open, usually 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

SNAP estimates the average patient will save $300 to $800 in health care costs by being taken to urgent care, rather than the emergency room. This will also save tax payers money as many of the people who use this program will be low income. Because emergency rooms treat people in order of the severity of their medical issues, patients also will avoid long ER waits.

Because the idea is so new, there’s no medical code to bill insurance for a ride, which was how the nonprofit SNAP became involved. The eventual goal is to bill these rides to insurance, reducing or eliminating the need for nonprofit funding. Several insurance companies have agreed to provide funding, include Amerigroup (one of the insurance providers for Washington’s Medicaid program), Premera Blue Cross and Group Health.

Data from the pilot will be tracked to see if taking people to urgent care reduces overall emergency room visits and costs and to identify long-term funding strategies for a permanent program.

Oh Deer! How Likely You Are to Hit A Deer Depends on the State You Live In

Perhaps training deer to use crosswalks could help?

Live in West Virginia? Then you have a greater chance of hitting a deer than drivers in other states.

KCRA News reports that the odds for such an accident in WV are an estimated 1 of 41 drivers, according to a report from State Farm Insurance.

Hawaiians, on the other hand, have the lowest risk in the U.S. of colliding with a deer with 1 in 10,281 chance.

Surprisingly, Washington ranks 41, with a 1 in 372 likelihood of hitting a deer. Oregon is 37 and Idaho 28. Nationally, the odds of a driver hitting a deer are 1 in 169.

Nationally, 191 people were killed in 2013 (the most recent year with available data) as a result of collisions with animals, according to the Insurance Information Institute and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Deer were the most common animal to be struck.
These accidents tend to happen most frequently at dusk and dawn and in the fall. November is the month that drivers in Ohio are mostly likely to hit a deer, followed by October and December.