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Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element Community Transportation Coordinator, the Senior Resource Association. These meetings have been instrumental in coordinating transit planning in the county and in managing the increasing amount of federal and state grant funding. ANALYSIS This analysis section consists of several components. These components include separate sections for each of the different transportation systems. The first component is the traffic circulation system. That component is an assessment of present and future traffic flows, including roadway level of service. Other components contained in this section include an analysis of the bicycle/pedestrian, transit, aviation, rail, and other modal systems; an analysis of the energy efficiency of the transportation system and the maintenance and preservation of the system; an analysis of the relationship between transportation and land use; and other analyses. Much of the transportation system analysis is based on the MPO's 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan that was approved in 2005. Traffic Circulation System Because of the county's relatively low density and dispersed land use patterns, the traffic circulation system will continue to be the principal component of the county's transportation system through 2030. For that reason, travel demand must be assessed to determine traffic circulation system needs through the plan's time horizon. Based upon travel demand analysis and needs assessment, future roadway improvements can be identified and programmed. Travel Demand In Indian River County, the two primary contributors to the long term growth in traffic volumes are population growth and growth in the number and length of trips. Over the last decade, the county's population increased by 29.7%, a higher growth rate than the State of Florida experienced over that time. While the population growth was high, daily vehicle miles traveled and total person trips grew even faster. For daily vehicle miles traveled (VMT), the increase was 38.5%, while the person trips increase was 41.7% over the same period. This is explained in part by the fact that many new households in the area have located in residences at the edges of developed areas, resulting in an increase in miles traveled higher than population growth. Meanwhile, commercial activity has largely concentrated along only two major corridors (the US 1 corridor and, more recently, the SR 60 corridor). While the expansion of commercial establishments along SR 60 brought commercial centers closer to some of the new development, many of the newer subdivisions remain several miles away from commercial centers. In addition to the increase in VMT, person -trips in Indian River County have increased more rapidly than population. Although trip -making by individuals has historically outpaced growth in population, the rate of increase in trip -making relative to population in Indian River County may peak in the near future, as Indian River is experiencing an increase in the percentage of the population that is of retirement -age. Community Development Department Indian River County 50