DRAFT

Auto OwnershipBased on the 2000 Census, over 9 percent of the occupied dwelling units in Pinellas County did not have avehicle available for use. Households with no vehicles are considered a primary market for publictransportation services. In most cases, persons living in occupied dwelling units had access to more thanone automobile. Table 3-2 shows the primary means of travel to work for Pinellas County residents.Census and ACS data show that automobiles are the overwhelming choice for travel. According to the2000 Census, over 90 percent of workers over age 16 use their personal automobile to drive to work, withnearly 80 percent driving alone. It is important to note that the transit mode split increased from 1.5 percentin 1990 to 1.9 percent in 2000, an increase of 27 percent. However, according to 2008 ACS data, singleoccupancy vehicle travel has decreased only 0.1 percent, while the carpool, walking, and transit modeshares have all decreased between 2000 and 2008. Work at Home has seen the most significant increasefrom 1990 to 2008.Table 3-2Means of Transportation to WorkMode Preference 1990 2000 2008% Change1990-2000% Change2000-2008Drive Alone 78.9% 79.7 % 79.6% 1.0% -0.1%Carpool 12.5% 11.0% 9.2% -12.0% -16.4%Walk 2.4% 2.0% 1.7% -16.7% -15.0%Public Transportation 1.5% 1.9% 1.6% 26.7% -15.8%Work at Home 2.5% 3.5% 5.0% 40.0% 42.9%Other Means 2.2% 1.8% 2.9% -18.2% 61.1%Sources: 1990 and 2000 Census, and 2008 ACS.EmploymentUnemployment rates in the county have been on the rise since 2000. In 2000, the unemployment rate was2.5 percent. Due to the economic recession beginning in 2007, the unemployment rate in 2009 reached10.8 percent. This trend is consistent with the unemployment rates of adjacent counties and the nation asa whole. As of July 2010, the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation indicated that the unemploymentrate had increased to 11.8 percent in Pinellas County. That unemployment rate is higher than thestatewide average for Florida (11.5%).The economy in Pinellas County is primarily service-oriented, with over 45 percent of employment fallingwithin this category in 2002. Although service jobs have seemed to level off more recently, according to thePinellas County MPO 2035 LRTP, it was projected that approximately 60 percent of the jobs in the countywill be in the service industry in 2035.Other major industries include medical and biotechnology products, plastics, navigational instruments,electronic equipment, printing and publishing equipment, and industrial machinery. Table 3-3 shows theemployment breakdown by major employment category for Pinellas County in 2008. The table also showsTindale-Oliver & Associates, Inc.Pinellas Suncoast Transit AuthoritySeptember 2010 3-7 Transit Development Plan