Our Basic Needs Are Met

An Estimated

53%

of Travis County Residents DRIVE ALONE TO WORK

Data Source: Table B08301, 2021 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates

WHERE DO WE STAND?

Slightly over half (53%) of Travis County workers drove a car alone to work in 2021. Travis County has a lower percent of commuters who drive alone to work than surrounding counties or Texas.

The Housing + Transportation Index estimates that people in Travis County pay $13,090 a year in gas and auto ownership costs, and that rate increases the further someone lives from Central Austin. Housing is estimated to be 29% of household costs and transportation is estimated to be 20% of household costs.

A City Lab analysis done for Vancouver found that for every $1 a person spends on driving a car, society pays another $9.20 of costs in road construction and maintenance, pollution, car crashes, and congestion.

Data Source: Table S0802, 2016-2020 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

A FOCUS ON EQUITY

Approximately 6% of Travis County residents with incomes below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level rely on public transportation to get to work, a rate that is three times higher than it is for residents with higher incomes (2%). Travis County residents with lower incomes also carpool at a higher rate. However, driving alone to work remains the predominant mode of transportation for workers in both of these income categories.

Data Source: Table B08301, 2021 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates

FINDING ALTERNATIVES

The most recent American Community Survey 1-Year data suggests that there was a significant increase in the number of people working from home in Travis County in 2021, along with a decrease in the number of people who drive alone to work.

Data Source: Table B08301, 2016-2020 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

FINDING ALTERNATIVES

The most recent American Community Survey 5-Year data suggests that there was a significant increase in the number of people working from home in Travis County in 2020.

Cities with much lower “drive alone” rates rely on public transit and other alternatives such as biking, walking and carpools. In San Francisco, more people commute by public transportation than by driving alone!

Data Source: Texas Department of Transportation Crash Record Information System

UNDERAGE IMPAIRED CRASH DATA

The information below is regarding crashes involving impaired drivers below the age of 21 in Hays, Travis, and Williamson Counties. An “impaired driver” is defined as a driver who has a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) greater than 0.00g/dL, or who had a positive alcohol test, or had a positive alcohol test, or had a contributing factor flagged as had been drinking, taking medication, under the influence – alcohol, or under the influence – drugs.

Data Source: Texas Department of Transportation Crash Record Information System

In terms of age, the majority of crashes involving impaired drivers under the age of 21 involved driver aged 18, 19, 0r 20.

Data Source: Texas Department of Transportation Crash Record Information System

From 2016 to 2018, impaired drivers under the age of 21 who crashed were male in the majority of cases reported.

Data Source: Texas Department of Transportation Crash Record Information System

From 2016 to 2018, crashes involving impaired drivers under the age of 21 happened with most frequency between the hours of 8:00 pm and 4:00 am. In Travis County, 66% of crashes involving impaired drivers under the age of 21 occurred during these hours in the time period analyzed.

LOCAL EFFORTS

Movability Austin is a partnership of public & private employers who help people find alternatives to driving alone. Membership increased from 27 in 2016 to 37 in 2017.

In June, Capital Metro will implement significant improvements to transit system services. Dubbed Cap Remap, the changes will expand the number of high frequency routes, reduce wait times, and make routing more direct and easier to understand.

Last fall, Austin voters approved a $720 million mobility bond to fund local, corridor, and regional transportation and mobility investments. $137 million dollars of that funding will go towards local mobility projects like improvements to sidewalks, safe routes to school, bikeways, urban trails, and safety improvements. Additionally, $482 million dollars of the funding will go towards corridor projects, which could provide improvements for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users along designated corridors.

The Austin Transportation Department shares information about addressing congestion and promoting sustainable transportation.

Metro Rideshare is a vanpooling service that lets 5-12 people share a ride to work. Even commuters who live outside the Capital Metro service area can receive a van to carpool to a job that is within the service area.

The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is an independent government agency created in 2002 to improve the transportation system in Williamson and Travis counties. The Authority has constructed a new Express Toll Lane on MoPac Loop 1. While drivers pay a toll, express buses and vanpools do not. The hope is these express lanes will encourage more commuters to find alternatives to driving to work. Similar Express Toll Lanes are included in plans for I-35 and other major roadways.

The City of Austin is also conducting the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan, which is a new city-wide transportation plan. The plan will create actionable mobility-related goals and objectives which will guide Austin’s near- and long-term transportation investments. The plan will provide an integrated approach to planning for all modes of the transportation system, including walking, biking and transit.

CAMPO is currently in the process of developing its Regional Active Transportation Plan, which will develop a blueprint for a safe and easy-to-use active transportation network of trails, sidewalks, bike lanes and streets for the six-county CAMPO region.

Travis County is in the process of developing a locally focused transportation plan that will identify transportation needs and solutions, incorporate future options and choices, and prioritize improvements for areas outside of city limits.