Californians relying less on personal vehicles

Californians are walking, biking, or using public transportation twice as much as they did in 2000.

Nearly 23 percent of household trips were taken by walking, biking, and public transportation. In 2000, that share was only 11 percent, according to the California Household Travel Survey.

“Based on this research, we can make good decisions about transportation that will improve mobility, air quality, and travel choices for all Californians and make our state a better place to live and work,” Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty said in a statement.

The 2012 study provides a snapshot of the travel behavior of approximately 109,000 people from more than 42,000 households in 58 California counties. This included parents driving to work or kids biking to school.

The average number of trips for a household was 9.2, while the average number of trips per person was 3.6.

Last year, legislation was approved creating California’s $129 million Active Transportation Program, which distributes funding for human-powered transportation projects and programs to increase the proportion of trips accomplished by biking and walking.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report