Several researchers from the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Davis, will be presenting papers at this meeting, which includes more than 1,800 papers and presentations and will be attended by some 8,000 people. Among the ITS-Davis presentations will be: Commuting May Have Its Merits Can commuting actually be a good thing? Certainly it's a hassle for many people. But some people also say that their commute offers benefits, such as the ability to transition between home and work, and the opportunity for some quiet time alone. In this study of 1,300 employed residents of the San Francisco Bay Area, respondents were asked about their ideal commute time. Less than 2 percent of the sample wanted a commute of under five minutes; the average time desired was 16 minutes. The implication is that most people have an optimum commute time that is greater than zero and, while they may want to reduce a commute that is longer than they desire, few people would eliminate it entirely. Presenters: Lothlorien Redmond, graduate research assistant, and Patricia Mokhtarian, professor of civil and environmental engineering Session: "Driving, Driving and More Driving" Paper: "Two Measures of Commute Preferences: Modeling Ideal Commute Time and Relative Desired Commute Amount" Time and place: Monday, Jan. 10, 7:30 p.m., Washington Hilton, Georgetown West Room Media contacts: Patricia Mokhtarian, (530) 752-7062, plmokhtarian@ucdavis.edu. In Washington: (202) 797-5820. Sylvia Wright, News Service, (530) 752-7704, swright@ucdavis.edu. Results of a Survey of Yosemite.com Users Yosemite.com is a web site developed by a consortium of five counties in the Yosemite National Park region and the California Department of Transportation to help travelers. The site provides information about roads, transit, events, activities and services in the five-county region around the park. The UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies has conducted three online surveys and eight focus groups in four California cities to understand how Yosemite visitors use the site, how the site might be improved and how the site might facilitate transit and more efficient travel in the region. Presenters: Tom Turrentine, associate researcher, Ken Kurani, associate researcher, and Sean Co, graduate research assistant Session: New Transportation Initiatives for National Parks and Public Lands, Part 2 Paper: "Visitor Use and Design of Traveler Information Web Sites for Park Regions: The Case of the Yosemite Area Traveler Information Web Site" Time and place: Monday, Jan. 10, 3:45 p.m, Washington Hilton, Cabinet Room Media contacts: Tom Turrentine, (831) 685-3635, tomtur@scruznet.com. In Washington: (202) 797-2000. Sylvia Wright, News Service, (530) 752-7704, swright@ucdavis.edu. Information is Essential in Recruiting Car-sharers Most trips in U.S. metropolitan regions are drive-alone car trips, an expensive and inefficient form of transportation. A system that is more efficient, but often less convenient, allows drivers to share cars. Carsharing organizations are becoming common throughout Europe and are being introduced in North America. Shared-use vehicles offer an alternative that can make metropolitan regions more livable. A shared-use system aims to reduce traffic by reducing the number of cars needed by households and encouraging commuters to walk, bike and use transit, at least for part of their trips. Further, carsharing could help air quality by incorporating low-emission vehicles into shared-use fleets, further reducing traffic and vehicle miles traveled. For commuters, shared-use vehicles could offer a low-cost, low-hassle alternative to private vehicles. This paper describes the CarLink study approach; presents market results from a longitudinal survey on the CarLink concept, conducted in 1998; and describes an early CarLink user profile for the East San Francisco Bay region. This study found that willingness to use CarLink was influence by the amount and type of exposure. Specifically, participants who read only a CarLink brochure lost interest over time, while nearly 78 percent of those who read a brochure, watched a CarLink video and participated in a drive clinic said they would use CarLink. Presenter: Susan Shaheen, research scientist Session: Carsharing and Station Cars Paper: "CarLink: A Smart Carsharing System -- A Study of Behavioral Adaptation" Time and place: Wednesday, Jan. 12, 4 p.m., Washington Hilton, Thoroughbred Room Media contacts: Susan Shaheen, (530) 754-9000, sashaheen@ucdavis.edu. In Washington: (202) 797-2000. Sylvia Wright, News Service, (530) 752-7704, swright@ucdavis.edu.