Our research focuses on moving the state toward a more sustainable transportation system--one that relies less on private vehicles, and more on walking, biking, and public transportation, in order to reduce the environmental, economic and social impacts of our travel. We coordinate Sustainable Transportation Vermont -- a blog and website with articles and resources for planners and the public.
Telecommuting Survey
In this project, researchers are examining the opportunities and obstacles to continuing to see high levels of telecommuting when things return to relatively normal.
According to Google mobility, Vermont is currently experiencing a 42 percent drop in workplace travel, a 58 percent decline in retail shopping and an 11 percent increase in residential travel. And twice as many Vermont workers are telecommuting from home. Will these trends continue? Why or why not? In this research we investigate those issues.
See previous page for results.
For further background see this blog posting and talk by RSG's Jon Slason and this article in VTDigger.
See also Go Vermont - a state initiative to reduce SOV use.
Contact Richard Watts at rwatts@uvm.edu or 802-373-1131 with any questions.
An Extraordinary Act
When was the last time you thought about walking? Not as a form of transportation, but the physical act of striding forward, upright on two legs. Walking is utterly human. We’re the only species that does it. It’s a basic form of mobility and the most egalitarian of activities. It’s absolutely free and almost everyone can do it. Moving on two legs keeps our bodies healthy. It focuses our minds and, as recent research confirms, also makes us happy.
Bringing back the Corner Store
When you think about sustainable transportation, what image comes to mind? Perhaps it’s a bus, a bike, or an electric car. These vehicles can certainly lower the negative impacts of the miles we travel. But what about something that could shrink the distances we drive, lowering the number of miles we need to go every day?