THE EFFECTS OF "SHARE A RIDE DAY" ON LOS ANGELES FREEWAYS

VEHICLE EXHAUSTS ARE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO THE AIR POLLUTION OF THE LOS ANGELES BASIN. WHEN THE DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS DETERMINED THAT CAR OCCUPANCY ON THE CITY'S FREEWAYS AVERAGED ABOUT 1.2 PERSONS, A CAMPAIGN WAS ORGANIZED TO ENCOURAGE CAR POOLING AND BUS RIDING. OCTOBER 6, 1971, WAS DESIGNATED "SHARE-A-RIDE DAY," AND VARIOUS ACTIONS WERE TAKEN TO PROMOTE THE SUCCESS OF THE EFFORT TO REDUCE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAYS. TWO ORGANIZATIONS OFFERED TO SET UP CAR POOLS FOR ANY COMPANY THAT ASKED, THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RAPID TRANSIT DISTRICT SET UP THREE SPECIAL BUS LINES, AND ALL THE MEDIA COOPERATED. TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF THIS CAMPAIGN, OCCUPANCY COUNTS WERE TAKEN ON THREE LOS ANGELES FREEWAYS EIGHT MONTHS BEFORE OCTOBER 6, ON OCTOBER 6, AND A WEEK AFTER "SHARE-A-RIDE DAY." IT WAS FOUND THAT ON OCTOBER 6 CAR OCCUPANCY ROSE FROM A JANUARY AVERAGE OF ABOUT 1.16 OCCUPANTS PER CAR TO ABOUT 1.17 AND THAT A WEEK LATER CAR OCCUPANY RETURNED TO THE JANUARY LEVEL. THE TOTAL PATRONAGE FOR THE DAY ON THE THREE BUS LINES WAS SEVEN PASSENGERS.

• Authors:
  • Meyers, P
  • Walker, J
• Publication Date: 1972-8

Media Info

• Features: Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 35-7
• Serial:
  • Traffic Engineering, Inst Traffic Engr
  • Volume: 42
  • Issue Number: 8

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Bus transportation; Carpools; Commuting; Marketing; Modal diversion; Passengers; Public relations; Traffic diversion; Work trips
• Uncontrolled Terms: Occupancy
• Old TRIS Terms: Diverting
• Subject Areas: Highways; Motor Carriers; Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00226457
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 13 1972 12:00AM