Posted on: Tuesday, September 14, 2004

DRIVE TIME
Comparably speaking, traffic is improving here

By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer

A lot of Drive Time readers are still shaking their heads over that report last week that traffic is getting better in Honolulu. The conclusions seem, well, just so wrong. Or counter-intuitive anyway.

"Hey, are they stupid, or what?" said a caller named Sean. "I'd like to know who these so-called experts are so that I can set them straight."

The "experts" are researchers at the Texas Institute of Transportation, which is considered the nation's leading authority on traffic problems.

Of course, Texas is a long way from Fort Weaver Road, but the authors of the annual Urban Mobility Report say they make their determinations using local numbers reported to the federal government.

Since 1982, they've used a complicated formula to crunch the local statistics for 85 metropolitan areas and compile a Travel Time Index (TTI) that is supposed to show at a glance whether traffic is getting better or worse over the years.

Among the many factors included in the calculation are the total number of freeway and arterial lane miles, the normal time it takes to make a trip, and delays caused by recurring problems (such as heavy traffic) and specific incidents (including accidents) along both freeways (like H-1) and principle arterial streets (like Pali or Kalaniana'ole highways).

This year the report put Honolulu's TTI at 1.18, which means an average commute during morning and afternoon rush hour took 18 minutes longer than the same trip would normally take when traffic is flowing freely, say at 2 a.m.

When you add all that time up, the researchers said, it means each Honolulu driver spends about 18 hours a year stuck in traffic. Break that down by every man, woman and child in Honolulu and it still comes to 10 hours a year wasted inside a car.

So how can they say things are getting better?

Because you have to look at the long-term trends, the researchers say. Last year, the average lost time per driver came to 20 hours. In 1997, it was 27 hours. In 1989, the worst year ever, it was 31 hours.

Then again, back in 1982, the average delay was only 10 hours.

All of these calculations will be of little consolation if you live in West O'ahu, where traffic delays have undoubtedly increased in the past 10 years. But this might help: It could be a lot worse.

In fact, compared to the rest of the country, things really are getting better. Back in 1982, when we had only 10 hours of delay, Honolulu's travel time index was the 16th worst in the nation. This year, we were down to No. 49 on the list, which means that traffic congestion in a lot of other metropolitan areas is even worse than it is here, no matter how you figure it.

Reach Mike Leidemann at mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5460.