Other articles by Gary G. Hayes:

Gary G. Hayes: Alternative fuels - which alternative is best?Gary G. Hayes: Alternative fuels - which alternative is best?

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Q Given projected population growth rates in Tucson and increasing gas prices, should we not be more vigorously promoting and creating facilities for increased bicycle and transit use? If a large fraction of people in — and projected to be in — cars were moved onto bikes or into buses, road-maintenance costs could be reduced, congestion mitigated and air quality improved. Yet there appear to be no serious efforts made in this area. Why?

A Interest continues to grow in alternative modes of transportation (transit, hiking, walking, vanpools, et cetera) and sustainability, particularly with the high price of gasoline.

At this time, alternative modes of travel account for a relatively small amount of total regional movement (less than 10 percent of the total trips made). If more people chose to use alternative modes, this would be beneficial on many levels.

Not only would people save on fuel and insurance costs, they would contribute to clean air and healthier lifestyles in many cases.

It's all about choices. Unfortunately, some of the transportation choices that could have been made years ago to positively affect the region were not made.

Fortunately, the Regional Transportation Authority's $2.1 billion plan includes $533 million toward transit improvements, plus an additional $60 million for better greenways, pathways, bikeways and sidewalks, and $20 million for elderly and pedestrian safety enhancements.

The transit plan include funding for the additional service of a modern streetcar. These are all exciting additions to our array of alternative modes.

Adding these services will take time. Still, improvements are already beginning to take shape. RTA funding has enhanced Sun Tran evening and weekend service, and ridership is up 12 percent from last year.

RTA funding will help increase bus frequency, add routes, provide more express service and add neighborhood circulators to outlying areas.

Most of these services will be added over the next four years.

As these services come online, more people are likely to turn to them if gasoline prices continue to climb.

The public also can tap into carpooling and vanpooling services currently available through Pima Association of Government's RideShare program.

Carpools may make sense for a group of employees who live near one another. Vanpools can be a cost-effective commuting choice and are often subsidized by major employers.

Other difficult choices people need to make include where to live in relation to where they work, factoring in housing costs and available education.

Will their choices allow them to use more alternative modes? Or will they buy a flex-fuel vehicle?

In other words, it is not always a matter of providing alternate-mode facilities or services and they will come.

People need to be willing to change their behavior and they need to be aware of the options and benefits associated with any changes they could make.

As long as the public is willing to drive alone and travel farther to work, shop or school, it is likely that future investment in infrastructure will continue to favor building roads.

Efforts to provide more alternative modes, indeed, are under way, including additional investment in alternative-mode options within new transportation proposals at the state level. Some options are costly and will take longer to put into place than others.

In the meantime, market factors, public education about alternative modes and availability of new services are certain to help more people choose to ride the bus, walk or ride their bikes.

The Pima Association of Government's new Travel Demand Management program will play an important role in that effort.

We are migrating from an employer-based travel-reduction program to services that are available to all residents of the community.

The new Vanpool is one example of a service that was once available only to a limited segment of the community but is available regionwide.

We are also in the early stages of developing an extensive outreach and marketing effort to better educate and inform the public about their transportation options.