Personal Mobility in North Dakota: Trends, Gaps and Recommended Enhancements
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1. Introduction

In many ways, North Dakotans appear to be more mobile than average Americans. While the United States averages 675 licensed drivers per 1,000 residents, North Dakota has 725. The average American traveled 9,941 miles in personal vehicles in 2003; the average North Dakotan traveled 11,782 miles. In 2003, the United States averaged 1.12 registered cars, pick-ups, vans, and sport utility vehicles per licensed driver; North Dakota averaged 1.35. In summary, North Dakota has more drivers, more vehicles, and more miles per capita than the national average.

Source: United States Department of Transportation - Bureau of Transportation Statistics - http://www.bts.gov/publications/state_transportation_profiles/state_transportation_statistics_2004/html/table_04_02.html

Similarly, North Dakotans are not faced with the same mobility problems that routinely confront many Americans. Given North Dakota's sparse population and relative lack of metropolitan areas, mobility factors such as traffic congestion and related travel times, vehicle pollution, parking problems, and land use planning are usually non-issues for the state's traveling public.

This does not mean, however, that personal mobility is not an important issue in North Dakota. Personal mobility is, in fact, of utmost importance because of significant distances between places and the relative lack of transportation options available to many North Dakotans. Personal mobility is especially difficult for those who do not have direct access to a private automobile or those who live in small urban or rural areas where transit services are not readily available.

In September 2002, the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) published TransAction, a long-range transportation plan for the state. One of the plan's goals involves improving North Dakota's passenger transportation system to allow for optimal personal mobility (North Dakota Department of Transportation, 2002).

This personal mobility study is an extension of TransAction. Its purposes are to:

To accomplish these goals, this study will inventory existing forms of personal transportation in North Dakota, develop targeted levels of transportation services, identify unmet personal mobility needs, and formulate recommendations that will facilitate the satisfaction of unmet personal mobility needs. This study will also present recommendations to help NDDOT monitor progress being made towards the satisfaction of the personal mobility needs of state residents.

TransAction presented 16 initiatives and related strategies to further develop and enhance North Dakota's personal and freight transportation systems. The plan included a comprehensive public input process which utilized surveys, interviews, public input sessions, and advisory committees comprised of representatives from the transportation industry and all levels of government to generate input concerning the status of North Dakota's transportation system and related needs.

This personal mobility study addresses at least four of TransAction's initiatives and presents several strategies to implement related recommendations which will enhance personal mobility in North Dakota. These enhancements will provide direct and indirect benefits to state residents and to the state's business community.

TransAction initiatives that are addressed, either in full or in part, by this study include:

TransAction's recommendations concerning the need to develop specific plans regarding personal mobility coincide with federal statistics regarding transportation options available in North Dakota. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics ranks North Dakota last among the 48 continental states in terms of rural residents' access to commercial intercity transportation services.

According to the Bureau's April 20, 2004, report on "Scheduled Intercity Transportation: Rural Service Areas in the United States," 94.4 percent of the nation's residents live within easy driving distance of a commercial intercity transportation service provider. Conversely, only 62 percent of North Dakota's rural residents live within 25 miles of a commercial, intercity transportation service (bus, air, or rail). Other low-ranking states include South Dakota (66.8 percent), Nebraska (72.7 percent), Montana (77.5 percent), and Wyoming (78.6 percent) (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2004).

NDDOT and the Small Urban & Rural Transit Center (SURTC) identified several tasks which, if completed, would ensure the completion of a comprehensive personal mobility plan. The approach to this study and the chapters in this report focus specifically on these tasks. The remaining chapters in this report include:

This study was undertaken with input and direction provided by staff from NDDOT and a steering committee comprised of representatives of transit operators, constituent groups, and government agencies involved with the provision of transportation services. Members of this steering committee are identified in Appendix A. Related study information is also available on SURTC's website at www.surtc.org.

Government's role in satisfying personal mobility needs is unavoidably subjective. Every person has different mobility needs and a different view of the role that government should play relative to the satisfaction of those needs.

The 2001 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation found that people travel at different frequencies and for a variety of reasons. Nationally, people make an average of 4.1 trips per day. Daily trip counts vary by age and a person's status as a licensed driver. People age 25-54 make an average of 4.6 trips per day while people age 65 and over average 3.4 trips per day (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2001).

Not surprisingly, licensed drivers also tend to make more trips. Licensed drivers average 4.5 trips per day while individuals without a drivers license average only 2.6 trips per day. NHTS results indicate that 91.2 percent of all trips are made in personal automobiles; 4.9 percent are via transit and 2.8 percent are walking trips.

The survey also found that family and personal business accounted for 44.6 percent of all trips. Other major trip purposes included social/recreational (27.1%), work and work-related (17.7%), and school/church (9.8%).

The NHTS did not generate results specific to North Dakota but it is assumed that North Dakotans' travel patterns are fairly similar to those of the rest of the country. If major differences exist, they might be expected in the area of travel mode. Given North Dakota's relative lack of transit compared to major population centers, the state might see a higher percentage of trips via personal automobile and a lower percentage by transit. More importantly, however, national findings concerning the purpose of daily trips probably mirror those found in North Dakota. The lack of related data specific to North Dakota may warrant further study.

Despite the lack of North Dakota-specific NHTS-type data, it is possible to identify segments of the population that are traditionally transit dependent (senior citizens, low income families, minorities, etc.). This study will identify these populations on a county-by-county basis and develop county ratings that will permit comparisons by county and region around the state.

This study will also inventory the personal mobility facilitators that exist within each North Dakota county (transit services, commercial transportation providers, etc.). Comparing these inventories with the needs ratings discussed above will help identify areas which may be candidates for service enhancements to address local mobility deficiencies.

Before mobility deficiencies can be addressed, however, goals must be established concerning the availability of mobility facilitators. To develop these goals, this study's steering committee was asked to consider a wide array of factors and to identify base levels of service for various geographic areas (rural, small city, regional hubs, etc.) and demographic groups (pre-school, adults, disabled, etc.). This analysis included consideration of the following mobility factors:

Important considerations in this goal-setting process included "wants" vs. "needs," program funding, and the role of government vs. that of the individual, other family members, commercial entities, private organizations, churches, etc. The steering committee's recommendations concerning mobility goals will be discussed in Chapter 6.

The steering committee was also asked to balance state mobility goals with local value determinations. While state-level policy makers may establish certain personal mobility goals, those goals and related values may not necessarily be shared at all local levels.

Because program funding and service operations are at least partially dependent on local involvement, state goals may not be forced on local units of government. While the state may establish its own goals and related program incentives and requirements, local implementation requires local affirmation and involvement. Conversely, if local citizens and decision makers decide not to provide local transit services, the state should honor that decision. This action should, however, result in a lack of state funding for related personal mobility programs.

Concerning the achievement of program goals, there is a related need to monitor progress. The ideal way to monitor progress is by "indexing" or developing a numbering system to compare "then" and "now" levels of mobility. Unfortunately, such indices would be highly subjective and do not currently exist.

Despite the lack of a personal mobility index, it is possible to subjectively monitor related progress. For example, monitoring the creation of mobility enhancements in deficient areas is one way to determine if the state is achieving its personal mobility goals. Other means of assessing related achievements might include observing the creation of county-wide transit services over time, monitoring performance indicators of various service providers (ridership, frequency of service, miles traveled, etc.), and conducting annual reviews concerning the removal of mobility constraints facing state residents. Related discussions and recommendations will be presented in the final chapter of this report.

Personal mobility is vitally important – it creates economic activity, facilitates personal well-being, and enhances quality of life. Personal mobility is easily taken for granted, especially by people who have direct access to a personal automobile. Not everyone, however, has access to personal transportation and certain types of travel are better accomplished by other means.

Unlike many urban states, North Dakota does not typically monitor personal mobility in terms of travel times, traffic congestion, pollution, land use, commuter choices, cost, reliability, quality, safety, etc. While these factors are certainly important, in states like North Dakota, the ultimate concern, in many instances, is simply whether or not service is available.

This study therefore focuses on the extent to which North Dakotans have access to mobility-enhancing facilities and services and presents recommendations concerning related enhancements. This study will help state policy makers develop goals and strategies to enhance personal mobility, both now and in the future.


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