We have a drive to drive - Columbus Dispatch

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Efforts to put central Ohioans on bikes and buses haven't paid off: Commuters are driving to work more than ever, and often alone.

Monday, October 4, 2010  02:48 AM

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The mean travel time dropped in 2009 in central Ohio, which you would think could mean fewer cars on the road. A look at I-270 heading east on the North Side at the intersection with Rts. 315 and 23 seems to tell a different story.
OCTAVIAN CANTILLI | DISPATCH
The mean travel time dropped in 2009 in central Ohio, which you would think could mean fewer cars on the road. A look at I-270 heading east on the North Side at the intersection with Rts. 315 and 23 seems to tell a different story.
Enjoying a cup of coffee Downtown with Don Plank, left, John Klein is suited for his commute: a 10-mile bike ride.
TOM DODGE | DISPATCH
Enjoying a cup of coffee Downtown with Don Plank, left, John Klein is suited for his commute: a 10-mile bike ride.
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The car remains king in central Ohio despite years of "car-free" days, "bike-to-work" weeks and other programs that encourage commuters to get out from behind the wheel.
Columbus-area commuters were more likely to drive to work alone in 2009 than they were in 2008, according to numbers the U.S. Census Bureau released last week from its American Community Survey.
Rates of carpooling, bicycling and riding public transit to work all declined slightly.
For those who promote alternatives to driving, the most optimistic interpretation, after accounting for the margin of error in the census surveys, is that rates have remained steady over the past five years, with more than four of five people continuing to drive to work alone.

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