Comments on: Decongestion http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/02/26/decongestion/ Just another WordPress weblog Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:07:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: aaron http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/02/26/decongestion/#comment-6330 aaron Sat, 28 Feb 2009 02:17:36 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=662#comment-6330 I haven't done a thorough reading of the report, but I have done some thinking that may reconcile my experience and analysis of fuel economy with the INRIX report. When I look at diesel consumption as well as gasoline, there actually is net improvement in 2008. I think what is happening is that there two traffic flows that exist at the same time. The fuel economy decline is smaller when diesel is also included. And it does improve a little in 2008, agreeing with INRIX conclusion. Car traffic may have gotten worse while commercial traffic became more efficent. My thinking is that car drivers responded to gas prices by erroneously accelerating and driving slower, this worsened fuel economy for car drivers. Commercial driving habits probably didn't change much for non-freeway driving. Trucking probably benefitted from decreased congestion and also improved fuel efficiency by driving at lower top speeds on the freeway, while car traffic suffered from decreased throughput at intersections and decreased speeds for non-highway driving (below 55MPH, higher cruising speeds are more efficient). I haven’t done a thorough reading of the report, but I have done some thinking that may reconcile my experience and analysis of fuel economy with the INRIX report.

When I look at diesel consumption as well as gasoline, there actually is net improvement in 2008. I think what is happening is that there two traffic flows that exist at the same time.

The fuel economy decline is smaller when diesel is also included. And it does improve a little in 2008, agreeing with INRIX conclusion. Car traffic may have gotten worse while commercial traffic became more efficent.

My thinking is that car drivers responded to gas prices by erroneously accelerating and driving slower, this worsened fuel economy for car drivers. Commercial driving habits probably didn’t change much for non-freeway driving. Trucking probably benefitted from decreased congestion and also improved fuel efficiency by driving at lower top speeds on the freeway, while car traffic suffered from decreased throughput at intersections and decreased speeds for non-highway driving (below 55MPH, higher cruising speeds are more efficient).

]]> By: aaron http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/02/26/decongestion/#comment-6317 aaron Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:46:40 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=662#comment-6317 The exception being recent months, since the autoplants shut down, there's less congestion. But throughout the year, things certaintly haven't improved much or at all. The exception being recent months, since the autoplants shut down, there’s less congestion. But throughout the year, things certaintly haven’t improved much or at all.

]]> By: aaron http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/02/26/decongestion/#comment-6304 aaron Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:33:30 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=662#comment-6304 I'm not tracking. What is the WSJ calling a decline in congestion? Are drive times really declining per trip? I really doubt it. I'm in the detroit area, and it certainly isn't my experience. My commutes seem to be getting longer. Congestion probably isn't less, only that people are driving less. <a href="http://cumulativemodel.blogspot.com/2009/02/recession-in-transit-activity-and-fuel.html" rel="nofollow">The deline in fuel economy since 2006</a> suggests the opposite, that we are driving less but people who are driving are wasting more fuel and time. I’m not tracking. What is the WSJ calling a decline in congestion? Are drive times really declining per trip? I really doubt it. I’m in the detroit area, and it certainly isn’t my experience. My commutes seem to be getting longer.

Congestion probably isn’t less, only that people are driving less. The deline in fuel economy since 2006 suggests the opposite, that we are driving less but people who are driving are wasting more fuel and time.

]]>