Commute Trip Reduction

December 1999 - Chapter One

 
Introduction

Washington state is home to a unique public-private partnership designed to reduce traffic congestion, air pollution, and petroleum consumption. The Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Program focuses on reducing peak hour, single-occupant vehicle commute trips made by people traveling between their homes and places of employment in the stateís nine most populous counties. Counties currently affected by the CTR Law are Clark, King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston, Whatcom, and Yakima counties.
 
CTR efforts focus on encouraging the use of alternatives to driving alone, such as riding the bus, riding or driving with someone else, bicycling, walking, compressed work schedules, and working from home. Since 1993, the program reduced the number of people driving alone to work by more than eight percent in the nine affected counties.

This report summarizes the activities that occurred as part of the CTR Enhancement Grant Program, from July 1998 - June 1999. It describes how the program was developed, implemented, and completed. This report also provides several examples of successful employer programs initiated as a result of the grant, as well as lessons learned by grant recipients.

Background

In April 1998, the Washington State Legislature appropriated $2.5 million from the state's High Capacity Transportation Account to enhance CTR activities. The funds were allocated for distribution in the following manner:

• Vanpool Enhancements: $1 million for the purchase of new vehicles to support local agency vanpool programs
• Employer Services Grants: $500,000 to help individual employers overcome barriers that impede the use of alternatives to the single-occupant commuter vehicle
• Rideshare Subsidy Grants: $1 million to support the enhancement of employer transportation benefit programs.

To oversee the distribution and management of these funds, a 14-member CTR Enhancements Steering Committee was formed. This team was comprised of transit representatives, regional planners, employer representatives, and Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) staff. Five subcommittees were established to address components of the grant program:

• purchasing vanpool vehicles
• coordinating Puget Sound regional vanpool programs
• Employer Services grants
• Rideshare Subsidy grants
• grant program management and evaluation.

Initial Challenges

When the Legislature approved funding for this single-year grant program, it was done with an understanding of challenges facing public and private sector entities implementing the CTR Law. These challenges include the following:

Increased Vehicle Miles Traveled
The most noticeable challenge is the steady rise in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by Washington residents. As depicted in Chart 1, total miles traveled on the state's roads and highways has increased at nearly five times Washingtonís population growth rate. This VMT increaseóand subsequent traffic congestion resulting from this trendówas recently highlighted by the Texas Transportation Institute which found that the Seattle-Everett area had the third worst traffic congestion in America in 1999.

Chart 1


Increased demand for vans and vanpool coordination
Demand for more vanpool vehicles had outpaced the ability of Puget Sound vanpool providers to supply vans. In addition, a number of employers in the region had expressed the need for better coordination among vanpool providers and CTR-affected employers. Because the agenciesí policies varied significantly, it was difficult for employers to promote and administer vanpool programs for their employees.

Lack of resources to support alternative commuting
Many organizations lacked sufficient funds to implement program elements that would help them reach their goals. For example, some employers wanted to promote bicycle commuting but had poor bicycle facilities at their worksites. Other employers indicated they simply did not have enough money to offer financial incentives to their employees. Results from CTR surveys suggest that more people would consider alternative transportation modes if they received a financial incentive. Without extra financial support, many worksites were having only modest success with their CTR program.

Availability of Business and Occupation Rideshare Tax Credits
In 1994, the State of Washington established a program to help employers recover some costs associated with providing rideshare incentives to their employees. The State allows employers to claim a credit against B&O and public utility taxes. This credit was capped at $1.5 million per year. As Chart 2 reveals, this program was growing in popularity and it was projected the cap would be reached before the end of tax year 1998. Many employers had come to rely on these funds to support their rideshare subsidy programs and the lack of sufficient funding threatened to undermine the programís success.
 
Chart 2
 


Limited Access to Business and Occupation Rideshare Tax
Credits Most public sector employers are required to implement CTR programs at their worksites are not eligible for the Rideshare Subsidy Tax Credit, since they do not pay B&O tax.

Restricted Program Timeline
WSDOT and its partners were given only one year to design, implement, and evaluate the CTR Enhancement program.
 
Chart 3