Skip to main content

How People Traveled Through San Francisco in 2021

How People Traveled Through San Francisco in 2021
By Maia Moran

Earth Day is April 22 and a great time to think about changes we can make in our own lives to support the health of our planet. When it comes to climate change, one of the most meaningful actions we can take is to drive less and get around more by biking, walking and taking forms of public transportation like Muni. Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in San Francisco, with personal driving accounting for 72% of the sector’s emissions. By comparison, Muni accounts for about 1% of GHG emissions in and out of the city. 

But when it comes to driving less, the San Francisco Bay Area is going in the wrong direction. Public transit use fell by 11% between 2019 and 2021 and private automobile use increased by 13%, according to the results of the 2021 Travel Decision Survey. That’s why we’ve been working so hard to make transit, walking and biking more appealing and convenient with new transit lanes, better ventilation on Muni, protected bike lanes and more. 

Travel Decision Survey 

Once every two years, the SFMTA conducts a telephone survey of over 750 Bay Area residents to ask them questions about their daily travel patterns and how they get to destinations in and around San Francisco. Results from the 2021 Travel Decision Survey (TDS) indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has driven a shift away from our vision for a transit-first city. The survey allows us to understand whether people in San Francisco are traveling by “priority” modes (walking, biking and public transit). Priority modes are those encouraged by San Francisco’s long-standing transit-first policy, which seeks to improve the city’s economy, environment and quality of life. Trips by transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft, driving with others and driving alone are all categorized as “privately owned vehicle” modes and grouped into one category.  

2021 Mode Share pie chart with 7 categories, split into green and grey color shades representing the two mode-type groups. Green represents priority modes; priority mode share percentages are 24 percent walk, 11 percent transit, and 3 percent bicycle. Grey represents privately-owned vehicle modes; privately-owned vehicle mode share percentages are 36 percent drive alone, 25 percent drive with others, 2 percent Transportation Network Company, and 1 percent other.

Key Findings 

Using San Francisco County Transportation Agency data, the total number of anticipated daily trips decreased from 4.5 million in 2019 to 4.4 million in 2021, consistent with daily travel pattern shifts prompted by the pandemic such as more people working at home and fewer commuting to offices. Despite an agency goal of increasing travel by priority modes, the share for these trips fell from just under half (46%) in 2019 to just under two-fifths (38%) in 2021.  

Mode share over time bar chart grouped into priority modes and non-priority modes. Priority modes are green, non-priority modes are grey. Percent mode share in 2012 was 49 percent priority, 51 percent non-priority. Percent mode share in 2013 was 53 percent priority, 48 percent non-priority. Percent mode share in 2014 was 51 percent priority, 50 percent non-priority. Percent mode share in 2015 was 51 percent priority, 49 percent non-priority. Percent mode share in 2017 was 53 percent priority, 48 percent non-priority. Percent mode share in 2019 was 46 percent priority, 54 percent non-priority. Percent mode share in 2021 was 38 percent priority, 64 percent non-priority.

The most significant decrease in travel mode was by public transit, which fell 11% between 2019 and 2021. The most significant increase in travel mode was by private automobile use, including both driving with others (up 8%) and driving alone (up 5%). Walking and biking both had minor increases. 

Mode share change from 2019 to 2021 bar chart. Between 2019 and 2021 surveys, mode share change was 1 percent increase for bicycle, 2 percent increase for walk, 11 percent decrease for transit, 0 percent change for other, 5 percent increase for drive alone, 8 percent increase for drive with others, and 3 percent decrease for TNC.

San Francisco residents still used priority modes twice as often as non-residents for trips within San Francisco. Respondents with a household income of $75,000 or less had the highest transit ridership, while a majority of those with incomes over $75,000 chose non-priority modes. Individuals identifying as women or non-binary were more likely to travel by privately owned vehicles than those identifying as men. 

The Future of Travel 

Many of the travel pattern changes revealed by the survey were likely a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which many people limited their non-essential travel and worked from home instead of commuting to an office.  

Anticipated commute by mode, for pre- & mid- pandemic. Pre-pandemic, 45 percent of commuters drove alone; end of 2021, 53 percent of commuters anticipated driving alone. Pre-pandemic, 35 percent of commuters used public transit; end of 2021, 24 percent of commuters anticipated using public transit. Pre-pandemic, 9 percent of commuters drove with others; end of 2021, 11 percent of commuters anticipated driving with others. Pre-pandemic, 9 percent of commuters walked; end of 2021, 6 percent of commuters anticipated walking. Pre-pandemic,6 percent of commuters biked; end of 2021, 7 percent of commuters anticipated biking. Pre-pandemic, 3 percent of commuters used a TNC; end of 2021, 3 percent of commuters anticipated using a TNC. Pre-pandemic, 2 percent of commuters used a private shuttle; end of 2021, 2 percent of commuters anticipated using a private shuttle. Pre-pandemic, 0 percent of commuters used a scooter; end of 2021, 1 percent of commuters anticipated using a scooter.

But as the city recovers from the effects of the pandemic and travel begins to increase, we urgently need to educate Bay Area residents about how their travel decisions impact our environment. To meet San Francisco’s climate goals, including net zero emissions by the year 2040, it is critical that many of us shift from driving personal vehicles to taking public transit, walking, bicycling and using other “non-carbon” travel modes. 

To encourage that shift, the SFMTA has improved the speed and reliability of our most popular bus lines by creating an unprecedented number of transit lanes. We introduced changes to make Muni more equitable. We recently increased the staff presence on Muni vehicles to deter crime and increase safety. We also upgraded our transit fleet HVAC systems, which now turn the air over once every minute. Earlier this month, we launched the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit Corridor, and later this year the Central Subway extension to Chinatown will be open to one and all.  

To complement transit use, we have created safe bicycling and walking routes throughout San Francisco. The city now boasts 42 miles of protected bike lanes and approximately 43 miles of Slow Streets where through traffic is limited. By lowering speed limits and completing Quick Build street improvements, we’ve made walking and bicycling safer and more comfortable.  

Now, we need to make sure people in the San Francisco Bay Area know about and take advantage of these improvements. 

The 2021 Travel Decision Survey report and results are available to download here.



Published April 19, 2022 at 08:02PM
https://ift.tt/v9gLHZ8
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CBSE very likely to announce Class 10, Class 12 exam schedule tomorrow https://ift.tt/34zqEYO

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is very likely to announce the board exam schedule for Class 10 and Class 12 on Tuesday, official sources have said. The CBSE Class 10 and 12 exams are scheduled to be conducted next year through the paper-pen mode and an announcement regarding the examination dates is expected by Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, who will interact with teachers across the country tomorrow. 
Post a Comment
Read more

New top story from Time: Ireland Abandons 12.5% Tax Pledge as Global Deal Races to Finish

https://ift.tt/3iFmrts Ireland is ready to sign up to a proposed global agreement for a minimum tax on companies, a climbdown that removes one hurdle to an unprecedented deal that would reshape the landscape for multinationals. On the eve of a key meeting between 140 countries hosted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Irish government said it will join the push for a floor of 15% levied on profits of corporate entities. “This agreement is a balance between our tax competitiveness and our broader place in the world,” Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said in a statement Thursday evening announcing the pledge. The decision “will ensure that Ireland is part of the solution in respect to the future international tax framework.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The rate agreed is 2.5 percentage points higher than the longstanding level that has been a pillar of Ireland’s economic model for a generation, underscoring its huge symbolic signifi...
Post a Comment
Read more

New top story from Time: All 53 People Aboard Indonesia Submarine Declared Dead After Vessel’s Wreckage Found

https://ift.tt/3ezrzg5 ANYUWANGI, Indonesia — Indonesia’s military on Sunday officially said all 53 crew members from a submarine that sank and broke apart last week are dead, and that search teams had located the vessel’s wreckage on the ocean floor. The grim announcement comes a day after Indonesia said the submarine was considered sunk, not merely missing , but did not explicitly say whether the crew was dead. Officials had also said the KRI Nanggala 402’s oxygen supply would have run out early Saturday, three days after vessel went missing off the resort island of Bali. “We received underwater pictures that are confirmed as the parts of the submarine, including its rear vertical rudder, anchors, outer pressure body, embossed dive rudder and other ship parts,” military chief Hadi Tjahjanto told reporters in Bali on Sunday. “With this authentic evidence, we can declare that KRI Nanggala 402 has sunk and all the crew members are dead,” Tjahjanto said. An underwater ro...
Post a Comment
Read more

New top story from Time: Hurricane Ida Winds Hit 150 MPH Ahead of Louisiana Strike

https://ift.tt/3jmdoyl NEW ORLEANS — Hurricane Ida rapidly grew in strength early Sunday, becoming a dangerous Category 4 hurricane just hours before hitting the Louisiana coast while emergency officials in the region grappled with opening shelters for displaced evacuees despite the risks of spreading the coronavirus. As Ida moved through some of the warmest ocean water in the world in the northern Gulf of Mexico, its top winds grew by 45 mph (72 kph) to 150 mph (230 kph) in five hours. The system was expected to make landfall Sunday afternoon, set to arrive on the exact date Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana and Mississippi 16 years earlier. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The hurricane center said Ida is forecast to hit at 155 mph (250 kph), just 1 mph shy of a Category 5 hurricane. Only four Category 5 hurricanes have made landfall in the United States: Michael in 2018, Andrew in 1992, Camille in 1969 and the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. Both Michael and Andrew were u...
Post a Comment
Read more

New top story from Time: At 114, the Oldest Living American Just Wants to Eat With Her Friend After a Year of Pandemic Restrictions

https://ift.tt/3tYBvGe (OMAHA, Neb.) — A 114-year-old Nebraska woman who has taken the title of America’s oldest living person says what she wants most is to eat with her friend after a year of pandemic restrictions. Thelma Sutcliffe, of Omaha, became the nation’s oldest living person and seventh-oldest in the world on April 17 when Hester Ford, a 115-year-old woman, died in North Carolina, according to the Gerontology Research Group. The Omaha World-Herald reports that Sutcliffe was born on Oct. 1, 1906. Her longtime friend, Luella “Lou” Mason, said she is happy that the senior living center where Sutcliffe lives is locked down, but “Thelma is as determined as ever to do what she wants to do.” Until visitors are allowed in the dining room, Thelma is taking all her meals in her room. Mason, who has Sutcliffe’s power of attorney, calls the senior living center 24 hours ahead of time to schedule visits. “She asks me every time I visit, ‘Are you going to eat with me today?’” M...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to inculcate Financial Literacy in your Children

    Many of us may have experienced the kid insisting to get alluring stuff being shown on TV in various ads. The kid may be scrolling through e-commerce websites and finding some attractive clothes, toys or, articles of makeup falsely claiming miraculous results. Are they worth buying? Are their usefulness had proven. In several examples, they end up being useless.                                                 Despite having felt their worthlessness, most parents yield to the pressure of their kids only just to make them happy. The big business houses understand this basic instinct and exploit the parent by pushing ads that might allure children and the parent find no way but to buy those stuff for their kids. Thus making a big profit by leveraging their product to target children and adolescents.           This is why we...
Post a Comment
Read more

New top story from Time: All Your Falcon and the Winter Soldier Finale Questions, Answered

https://ift.tt/2PfRssr This post contains spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier managed to jam a lot of plot into just six episodes of television. Sam Wilson struggled with whether to take on the mantle of Captain America —and whether the country was ready for a Black Cap. He discovered that the government had created, and then jailed, a Black Captain America before him, Isaiah Bradley. He also had to contend with a so-called terrorist organization, the Flag Smashers, who used questionable means to reach noble ends of helping refugees. Meanwhile, Bucky Barnes was trying to make amends for the evil he did as the Winter Soldier; Sharon Carter had become a black market art dealer in Magipoor; Baron Zemo was hunting down and killing supersoldiers; John Walker, the new Captain America, was letting his newfound power go to his head; a mysterious new villain played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus made a cameo; and Sam’s sister worked to fix u...
Post a Comment
Read more

New top story from Time: This Is the White House’s Plan to Take on Facebook

https://ift.tt/3oEQl4Y Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen’s testimony this week on Capitol Hill turned the Klieg lights on the social media platform’s algorithm that, by design, amplifies dangerous disinformation and lures people to spend more and more time scrolling. The question now is what the Biden Administration will do about it. White House officials know that the momentum generated by Haugen’s testimony will fade over time and the window of popular support for major structural changes to the technology landscape will close. “The White House, like everyone else in Washington, recognizes that the tide is high and the time for action is now,” Tim Wu, special assistant to the president for technology and competition policy, said in a statement to TIME. White House officials are “distressed” by Haugen’s revelations that social media companies’ products are targeting children, Wu said, and “the era of ‘let’s just trust the platforms to solve it themselves’ needs to be ...
Post a Comment
Read more

New top story from Time: How Fixing Facebook’s Algorithm Could Help Teens—and Democracy

https://ift.tt/3Fj086H What does teen anorexia have to do with the crumbling of 21st century democracy? It’s the algorithm, stupid. On its surface, helping young girls feel better about their bodies doesn’t seem to have much to do with the deep polarization and disinformation threatening civic society around the world. But Tuesday’s testimony by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen suggests that they’re both symptoms of the social media platform’s flawed algorithm and corrupt business model , and adjusting Facebook’s algorithm to tackle one problem could go a long way towards addressing the other. Until Haugen’s whistleblower revelations, which have been published in the Wall Street Journal and on 60 Minutes, most of the conversation about regulating Facebook has focused on hate speech, disinformation, and the platform’s role in enabling the January 6 riot at the Capitol—a conversation that inflames tensions on both sides of the aisle and has led to a political impasse ...
Post a Comment
Read more