America’s Emerging Megapolitan Areas : America’s Emerging Megapolitan Areas April 6, 2006 Robert Lang, Virginia Tech/ASU Midwestern Transportation Conference Kansas City, MO


The US is Not Like Europe?: The US is Not Like Europe? “The United States is not Europe or Japan. Passenger rail cannot compete with air travel in most markets in the United States. The country is simply too large; our population centers are too distant…You do not ride Amtrak from New York City to Los Angeles…or Denver…or probably even Chicago. Not when you can make the trip by air in hours, rather than days, and in most cases at a lower price.” Norman Y. Mineta U.S. Transportation Secretary


What’s in This Talk?: What’s in This Talk? Review of Virginia Tech’s Megapolitan Area Geography Examples of Virginia’s Dominion Corridor and Arizona’s Sun Corridor The Two “Midwestern Megapolitans” Great Lakes and I-35 Corridor Policy Implications for Transportation Planning


Megapolitans in The NewsUSA Today July 2005: Megapolitans in The News USA Today July 2005


Megapolitans in The NewsBusiness 2.0 November 2005: Megapolitans in The News Business 2.0 November 2005


2005 Megapolitan Geography: 2005 Megapolitan Geography


Business 2.0 Centerfold: Business 2.0 Centerfold


“Megapolitan 2.0” Geography: “Megapolitan 2.0” Geography


Megapolitans 2.0 at a Glance: Megapolitans 2.0 at a Glance


Megapolitan Area Population and Growth Rates: Megapolitan Area Population and Growth Rates


What is in Megapolitan Areas?: What is in Megapolitan Areas? Over 210 Million People by 2006, or About 70 Percent of the U.S. Population Top 16 most Populous Metropolitan Areas, and 40 of the Top 50 U.S. Metros Will Account for Three Quarters of US Growth by 2040 Yet Megapolitans Make Up Only a Fifth of the Continental US Almost as Dense as Europe West of Warsaw, But will Easily be More Dense Than Europe by 2040


Types of Urban Complexes: Types of Urban Complexes


20th CenturyMetropolitan Form: 20th Century Metropolitan Form


21st CenturyMetropolitan Form: 21st Century Metropolitan Form


Virginia’sDominion Corridor: Virginia’s Dominion Corridor


Arizona’s Sun Corridor 2006: Arizona’s Sun Corridor 2006


Sun CorridorTypes of Urban Realms: Sun Corridor Types of Urban Realms


Midwestern Megapolitans: Midwestern Megapolitans Great Lakes Megapolitan Area—Slow Growing, but Second Largest Mega Chicago to Milwaukee Forms an Extended Metroplex I-35 Corridor—the Front Door of the Great Plains that is Booming in Texas San Antonio to Austin is Forms and Extended Metroplex


Megapolitan Transportation Policy: Megapolitan Transportation Policy Megapolitans are a Targeted Area for Transportation Improvements Truck only Lanes High-speed Rail Transit Megapolitan Planning Organizations, or Super MPOs Census Adoption of Megapolitan Statistic Even Combined Statistical Area Designation will Bring About Super MPOs by 2010 in a Dozen Big Regions


Growth in US Daily Truck Traffic to 2020: Growth in US Daily Truck Traffic to 2020


www.mi.vt.edu: www.mi.vt.edu