Facts From the Research Center

Arlington County’s transportation system and services have a big impact on the quality of life and the business climate in Arlington. The variety of transportation options and quality of services are highly valued by travelers in Arlington, as they reduce traffic, lessen pollution, provide choice and convenience, and aid businesses. Here are selected facts from many sources that highlight the benefits to residents, businesses, employees and visitors in the County.

Benefits to Residents

• The more satisfied Arlington County Residents are with the Arlington Transportation System, the more likely they are to be satisfied with their quality of life. (Source: 2006 Arlington County Residents' Satisfaction with Transportation Telephone Study)
• Arlingtonians make less than half of their non-work trips driving alone (45%). One third of non-work trips are by foot. (Source: 2006 Arlington County Residents' Satisfaction with Transportation Telephone Study)
• Only half of Arlington residents drive alone to work, compared to 74% for the Washington regional average. (Source: 2004 Washington, DC Region State of the Commute Survey)
• Twice the percentage of Arlington residents take mass transit to work as compared to the Washington regional average. (Source: 2004 Washington, DC Region State of the Commute Survey)
• In 2006 one in five Arlington residents used a service of Arlington County Commuter Services, and of those 40% took action to change their travel. (Source: 2006 Arlington County Residents' Satisfaction with Transportation Telephone Study)
• 32% of Arlington residents have made a change in work travel since first visiting The Commuter Store, and most of those changes included starting or increasing transit use (often in lieu of driving alone). (Source: 2007 Arlington County Commuter Services (ACCS) Commuter Store Study
• The more a teenager’s family rides Arlington County mass transit, the more that teen is likely to use it (and vice versa!) (Source: 2006 Arlington County Teen Transit Initiative Study)

Benefits to Businesses

• 87% of Arlington Business Leaders say that Arlington is a good place to locate a business. (Source: 2007 Arlington County Business Leaders Study)
• The more satisfied Arlington Business Leaders are with the Arlington Transportation System, the more likely they are to find Arlington County a good place to locate a business. (Source: 2007 Arlington County Business Leaders Study)
• Arlington Business Leaders cite the quality of the transportation system and services as the number one reason they rank Arlington as a good place to locate a business. (Source: 2007 Arlington County Business Leaders Study)
• Arlington employers say commuting services result in significant benefits to their businesses, including improved employee morale, easier recruitment and retention, increased productivity, and less parking demand. (Source: 2007 Arlington County Business Leaders Study)
• At offices where commuting assistance services (such as provided by Arlington Transportation Partners) are offered, twice as many employees use mass transit and 30% fewer drive alone to work, compared to offices where commuting assistance is not offered. (Source: 2007 Arlington Transportation Partners (ATP) Client Study)
• Residential Property Managers find that providing transportation assistance services helps them attract and retain tenants. (Source: 2007 Arlington Transportation Partners (ATP) Client Study)
• Four in 10 Employers and 7 in 10 residential Property Managers would not have implemented transportation services for employees or residents without assistance (such as provided by ATP). (Source: 2007 Arlington Transportation Partners (ATP) Client Study)
• Arlington County business leaders understand the importance of a comprehensive transportation system and say the County should invest nearly half of its transportation budget in non-road transportation facilities and services. (Source: 2007 Arlington County Business Leaders Study)
• 37% of Arlington County Business Leaders say access to transit/highways is the reason Arlington County is a good place to locate a business. (Source: 2007 Arlington County Business Leaders Study)

Benefits to Commuters

• Three-quarters of CommuterPage.com users find its content to be better than that of other informational sites. (Source: 2007 Arlington County Commuter Services (ACCS) CommuterPage.com Study)
• 55% of CommuterPage.com users made changes in how they travel to work since they first started using CommuterPage.com. CommuterPage.com was instrumental in 70% of those changes. (Source: 2007 Arlington County Commuter Services (ACCS) CommuterPage.com Study)
• 43% of CommuterPage.com users made changes in how they make non-work related trips since they first started using CommuterPage.com. CommuterPage.com was instrumental in 52% of those changes. (Source: 2007 Arlington County Commuter Services (ACCS) CommuterPage.com Study)

Miscellaneous Interesting Facts

• Arlington County has 86 miles of multiuse trails and bike paths – that’s enough to take you from Rosslyn to Baltimore and back again! (Source: Arlington County Parks and Recreation)
• 40% of Arlington County’s workforce commutes into the County every day. (Source: Arlington Planning Division estimates)
• 11 Metrorail stops are located in Arlington – more than half of the 20 stops in all of Northern Virginia.
• The average commuting distance for Arlington County Residents is 10.3 miles. (Source: 2006 Arlington County Residents' Satisfaction with Transportation Telephone Study)
• For residents of the regional area, the average commuting distance is 16.3 miles. (Source: 2007 Metro Washington Council of Governments State of the Commute Study)
• The average commuting time for Arlington County Residents is 34 minutes. (Source: 2006 Arlington County Residents' Satisfaction with Transportation Telephone Study)
• For residents of the regional area, the average commuting distance is 35 minutes. (Source: 2007 Metro Washington Council of Governments State of the Commute Study)