In 2006, the Washington State Legislature passed the Commute Trip Reduction Efficiency Act which requires local governments in those counties experiencing the greatest automobile-related air pollution and traffic congestion to develop and implement plans to reduce single-occupant vehicle trips.
By encouraging people to ride the bus, vanpool, carpool, walk, bike, work from home, or compress their workweek, the CTR program helps to make the transportation system work more efficiently. A higher proportion of trips made in high-occupancy vehicles, or by walking or bicycling, or avoided altogether during the morning commute means reduced delay for everyone traveling on the system.
Statewide, employees commuting to CTR worksites made nearly 26,000 fewer vehicle trips each weekday morning in 2007 than they did when they entered the program. The percentage of people who drove alone to work to CTR worksites declined from 70.8 percent in 1993 to 65.5 percent in 2007.
In the central Puget Sound, the CTR program plays an especially important role. Many of the trips reduced by participants in the CTR program would otherwise have passed through the region's major traffic chokepoints during peak travel periods. The absence of 19,200 vehicle trips every morning reduced peak travel delay by an estimated 18 percent on average mornings in the region.
The absence of about 26,000 vehicles on the state's road each weekday morning in 2007 reduced gas consumption by about 7.9 million gallons, saving commuters about $23 million. It also reduced criteria pollutants by nearly 4,000 tons and the emissions of carbon dioxide-equivalent gases by nearly 85,600 tons.
Read more about CTR results
The CTR program's results are achieved through collaboration between local jurisdictions, employers, and WSDOT. The state's nine most populated counties, and the cities within those counties, are required to adopt CTR ordinances and support local employers in implementing CTR. Employers are required to develop a commuter program designed to achieve reductions in vehicle trips and may offer benefits such as subsidies for transit fares, flexible work schedules, telework opportunities, and more.
The CTR law affects the state's nine most populated counties: Clark, King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston, Whatcom, and Yakima. Employers in those counties must participate in CTR if they have 100 or more full-time employees at a single worksite who begin their scheduled workday between 6 and 9 a.m. (Most construction and seasonal agricultural workers are exempted.) More than 1,110 worksites and more than 560,000 commuters statewide participate in the CTR Program.
WSDOT provides technical assistance to jurisdictions and employers to help implement the program. Technical assistance includes training, support with data collection and analysis, and maintaining networks of partners and documentation on best practices. WSDOT maintains 14 years worth of CTR data that WSDOT, local jurisdictions, and transit systems use to conduct planning. WSDOT also staffs the CTR Board. State CTR Laws
Every two years, the CTR Board must report to the Legislature and recommend whether the program should be continued, modified, or terminated. The Governor-appointed CTR Board represents the varying statewide perspectives of citizens, businesses, state agencies, transit agencies, and local jurisdictions.
Why invest in CTR?
CTR reduces the effects of climate change
In February of 2007, governor Gregiore issued executive order 07-02 setting targets to reduce Washingtons greenhouse gas emissions. CTR will continue to contribute to reducing emissions by managing demand on Washington's transportation system.
CTR reduces traffic delay.
The CTR Program removes more than 26,000 vehicles from roadways statewide every morning. Employees at CTR worksites drove alone to work only 65.5 percent of the time in 2007, compared with the statewide commuting drive-alone rate of 75.3 percent in 2004.
CTR helps preserve infrastructure.
CTR helps preserve the capacity we have by saving space on existing roadways.
CTR is accountable.
Every two years employers survey their employees and jurisdictions analyze progress toward meeting the CTR statutory goals. Employers report yearly on their programs, activities, and expenditures. Jurisdictions report progress and account for the expenditure of state funds every quarter.
CTR provides essential data.
The state and local jurisdictions benefit from consistent evaluation and measurement of CTR's impacts on congestion and the environment.
CTR promotes partnerships.
Since 1991, CTR has brought business and government to the table working together to solve transportation challenges. In 2006 (the latest year for which data is available), employers invested about $45 million in their CTR programs—$16.70 for every $1 invested by the state.
The CTR Program had a budget of $5.6 million for FY 2005–2007. Of that amount, WSDOT distributed $3.9 million during the biennium to the local jurisdictions managing the program in the nine counties affected by the CTR Law. For 2005–2007, local jurisdictions invested about $1.8 million of their own funding in CTR.
The program is described in detail in the CTR Board 2007 Interim Report to the Legislature. You may also contact the staff of the Public Transportation and Commute Options Office.