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June 2004
Telework and e-shopping take on traffic congestion
Integrating telecommuting policies into a broad economic and community-building strategy may help combat traffic congestion, according to John Sanger of St. Paul-based Tele-Commuter Resources, Inc.
Sanger joined Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs researchers Frank Douma and Milda Hedblom in a concurrent session about the opportunities, strategies, and impacts of telecommunications on transportation. Douma focused his remarks on the impact of information and communications technology on travel in the Twin Cities, and Hedblom discussed ITS, or intelligent transportation systems, opportunities resulting from developments in residential broadband communications.
Sanger, who defined telecommuting as "any application that replaces a physical trip," explained that traditional telework models, driven by employees, don't typically consider the benefits to an organization. Tele-Commuter Resources (TCR) however, is working to change that mindset with its Regional Telecommuting Assessment Program, which identifies potential job functions suited to remote performance, determines prevailing organizational attitudes toward telecommuting, and calculates the value of telecommuting in terms of time and resources saved. Based on that assessment, TCR helps set organizational goals and objectives and will help develop an appropriate implementation plan.
As an example of the benefits from integrated telecommuting strategies, Sanger pointed to Las Vegas, where TCR found a potential savings of 21 million trips (159 million vehicle miles traveled) and the associated congestion cost of $28 million. The Twin Cities, ranked 22nd nationally (among 370 major U.S. cities) for telework potential compared with Las Vegas' 306th ranking, stands to gain even more from telework. But special interests and a lack of political will have stymied the growth of telecommuting in this area, he added. "It's really a question of wanting to do it," Sanger concluded, "and then doing it."
Douma and his University research team also found telecommuting a rarity in the Twin Cities, but a broadband connection to the Internet is common among those who do telecommute. More important, information and communications technology can modify commute times, especially among managerial, professional, and technical workers, Douma added.
In addition to the telecommuting research, Douma's team examined the effects of broadband on shopping habits. While broadband users are also more likely to "e-shop," Douma said, that activity is often centered on shopping efficiency—browsing, comparisons, obtaining directions—and may generate even more shopping trips than among traditional shoppers. The researchers also identified a small but distinct group of "anti-e-shoppers," comprising 10 percent of survey respondents and characterized as "technology-phobic."
Finally, Hedblom, working with Douma on a related project, presented an overview of the variety of broadband connections available to residential users. Though DSL (digital subscriber lines) and cable connections currently dominate the market, Hedblom discussed the vast potential of "Wi-Fi" (wireless fidelity) and fiber-optic lines. In particular, she explained several benefits from applications using broadband, such as advanced traveler information systems, telecommuting, and mobile work.