Commute it or boot it: More travel options through a park and ride system
The Iowa Department of Transportation works to make getting from point A to point B easier, both logistically and on your wallet through a park and ride plan. A park and ride facility is a centrally located spot offering parking spaces for vehicles when the owners are carpooling, vanpooling, or taking public transit.
The Iowa DOT recently released a new plan for statewide park and ride facilities on the state’s highway system. The main goal of this plan is to develop a location-specific and priority-based park and ride system that maintains highway safety, encourages ridesharing, supports commuter transportation, and promotes energy conservation. The Iowa DOT decided to pursue a formal plan after members of the public began contacting the Iowa DOT more frequently for information regarding existing park and ride facilities. Planners saw the opportunity for a better system after reviewing the existing system.
Providing park and ride services aligns with the three goals in the department’s long-range plan, Iowa in Motion – Planning Ahead 2040. The Park and Ride plan is in lock step with these long-term goals through:
- Increasing safety by reducing traffic volumes
- Boosting efficiency by reducing congestion
- Reducing fuel consumption, and
- Reducing vehicle emissions; and
- Providing a better quality of life by offering more commuting options and lowering individual costs
Garrett Pedersen, planning team leader, said, “As the Iowa DOT strives to meet the goals outlined in the 2040 state transportation plan, we should consider not only roadway investments, but also incorporate strategies that offer Iowa’s commuting public more choice in how they travel. By providing a park and ride system that is strategically placed and consistently managed, Iowans are provided with more options and greater opportunities.”
To develop the Park and Ride plan, Iowa DOT planners looked at trends in urban area growth and commuting to determine the need for a park and ride system. Urban areas have been the fastest growing Iowa communities in recent years. In addition, health care and service sector jobs that are traditionally more supportive of transit and ridesharing have seen an increase, primarily in urban areas.
In a survey conducted by the Iowa DOT Office of Public Transit in 2012, 80 percent of respondents stated they saw a need for a rideshare service in their area. Additionally, 70 percent stated park and ride facilities would have a medium to high value in their area.
“Park and ride facilities may have an important role to play in achieving Iowa’s transportation goals in the future. Reducing wear and tear as well as congestion on our roadways through ridesharing activities such as carpooling, vanpooling, and taking public transit are key components of any transportation system,” said Jennifer Roberts, the Park and Ride plan project manager.
To support the Park and Ride program, the Iowa DOT has launched a website with an interactive map. The interactive map includes locations of state-owned and operated park and ride lots as well as amenity information.