GETTING AROUND A TRADITIONAL CITY, A SUBURBAN PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT PUD), AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

Beyond some studies relating density to mode choice, vehicle miles of travel, or gasoline consumption, little is known about the relationship of location and land use to household travel patterns. Against this backdrop a 16,000-record travel survey for Palm Beach County, Florida, was analyzed. Six communities were culled from the larger data base, and household travel data were then tested for statistically significant differences in trip frequency, mode choice, trip chaining, trip length, and overall vehicle hours of travel. Households in a sprawling suburb generate almost two-thirds more vehicle hours of travel per person than comparable households in a traditional city. Although travel differences are significant, they are smaller than one might expect given the more than 10-fold difference in accessibility among the communities. Sprawl dwellers compensate for poor accessibility by linking trips of household members in multipurpose tours. Implications for land planning are more complex than simply pedestrianizing or transitizing the suburbs. Communities should internalize as many facilities and services as possible. This is true even where the automobile reigns supreme. Communities should concentrate facilities and services in centers and corridors. This will facilitate efficient automobile trips and tours. The more sprawling the area, the more important this becomes, for through activity centers, linked accessibility to activities can be maintained even as direct accessibility falls off.