# May 2006 

# Commute Trip Reduction Program **Implementing the CTR Efficiency Act**

The Washington State Legislature passed the Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) law in 1991. The CTR program
uses partnerships among employers, local jurisdictions, planning organizations, transit systems, and the state to encourage employees to ride the bus, vanpool, carpool, walk, bike, work from home, or compress their workweek. The major goals for the CTR program are to:

• Improve transportation system efficiency

• Conserve energy

• Improve air quality In 2006, the Legislature unanimously adopted changes to the CTR law to make the program more effective, efficient, and targeted. The modified CTR program will officially start on July 1, 2007. To implement the CTR Efficiency Act, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is working with cities, counties, planning organizations, and transit systems to develop the rules and create new plans. 

# Implementation Process

For more information on the CTR Program, contact WSDOT’s Public Transportation and Rail Division. Keith Cotton cottonk@wsdot.wa.gov 360-705-7910 www.wsdot.wa.gov/tdm/taskforce/tfmaterials.cfm#program Implementing the CTR Efficiency Act will require updating the state guidelines into rules, creating regional plans, and updating local plans and policies. Everyone involved—affected local jurisdictions, regional transportation planning organizations (RTPOs), major employers, transit agencies, WSDOT, and the CTR board—will need to work collaboratively through July 2007 and beyond to implement the changes. An implementation work group is developing the CTR program rules. The work group consists of CTR board members and staff from cities, counties, RTPOs, transit agencies, WSDOT, and others, as well as representatives from major employers. 

## What’s in the Rules? Building on the existing CTR guidelines, the new rules will specify the requirements in the CTR Efficiency Act for:

• Program goals and measurement

• Local CTR ordinances, plans, and administration

• Regional CTR plans

• State CTR plan and role of the CTR board

• Growth and Transportation Efficiency Centers (GTECs)

• Other details related to the CTR Efficiency Act 

## Implementation Schedule The timeline for implementing the new law includes:

• WSDOT, in collaboration with the implementation work group, develops the program rules from April to June 2006

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• Public comment on the draft rules in July 2006

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• WSDOT releases the final draft rules in August 2006

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• Supported by state planning funds and following the final draft program rules, local jurisdictions and RTPOs develop CTR plans in a collaborative process from August 2006 to April 2007 . During this time, local jurisdictions may choose to designate Growth and Transportation Efficiency Centers (GTECs). The CTR board will approve local and regional plans by June 2007

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• CTR program rules are adopted into Washington Administrative Code (WAC) by January 2007

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• The modified program begins in July 2007 . Local jurisdictions begin to implement plans, update ordinances, and educate employers on the program changes; employers begin to evaluate potential program changes. 

## How Can You Be involved? It is vital that everyone be informed and active in the rules development process, so that WSDOT can build consensus around the changes. There are several ways to be involved:

• Visit the CTR Efficiency Act website often at www.wsdot.wa.gov/tdm/taskforce/tfmaterials.cfm#program

• Sign up to receive e-mail announcements on the CTR program implementation and learn about opportunities to give your feedback on the draft rules.

• Attend one of many CTR briefings for local jurisdictions, planning organizations, employers, legislators, and others.

• Request a presentation for your group. Governor Signs CTR Efficiency Act March 2006 Rules Development April – June 2006 Public Comment on Rules July 2006 Draft Rules Released August 2006 Local and Regional Planning

August 2006 –

April 2007 New CTR Rules Adopted January 2007 Modified CTR Program Starts

July 2007 

## Major Milestones for Implementing the Modified CTR Program

May 23, 2006 0605-0186

# Current CTR Program Modified CTR Program

Washington State’s CTR program works with major employers in the state’s ten most populous counties to encourage employees to commute without driving alone. About 500,000 employees at nearly 1,100 worksites in the state have access to CTR programs.



## The CTR Program Is Working The drive-alone rate at worksites participating in CTR decreased from 70.8 percent in 1993 to 65.7 percent in 2005. This contributed to Washington’s overall drive-alone commuting rate declining slightly from 1990 to 2000 (one of only two states where the percentage dropped). Statewide, employees commuting to CTR worksites made over 20,000 fewer vehicle trips each weekday morning in 2005 than they did when they entered the program. 

## CTR Enhances Transportation Efficiency Making the state’s transportation system more efficient is the CTR program’s most important goal. The 7 percent reduction in drive-alone trips at CTR sites from 1993 to 2005 creates substantial benefits, particularly at bottlenecks and chokepoints
on key highways. CTR employees in the central Puget Sound made more than 14,200 fewer vehicle trips each weekday morning in 2005 than they did when their employers entered the program. The absence of these trips reduced travel delay by an estimated 11.6 percent on average during the peak morning commute in the region. 

## CTR Conserves Energy and Improves **Air Quality**  CTR worksite commuters reduced petroleum use in Washington by about 5.8 million gallons of fuel in 2005, saving $13.7 million through the choices they made. They also reduced emissions of three regulated air pollutants by nearly 3,800 tons and emissions of greenhouse gases by the equivalent of 74,200 tons of carbon dioxide. 

## Other Programs Support the Success of CTR Several strategies contribute to the success of the CTR program. Washington has over 2,000 vanpool vans operating on our roads, the largest vanpool program in the nation. The legislature recognized that the vanpool program increases the CTR program’s effectiveness and provided an additional $3.9 million to purchase over 150 new vans in 2006. Some of the state programs that support CTR include:

• Trip Reduction Performance Program

• Rideshare Tax Credits

• Vanpool Grant Program

• Regional Mobility Grant Program

• Park and Ride Lots For information about these programs, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/tdm



## CTR Task Force Recommended **Program Changes**  The Governor-appointed CTR Task Force represents the varying statewide perspectives of residents, businesses, state agencies, transit agencies, and local jurisdictions. The Task Force reported to the Legislature in December 2005 and recommended that CTR be continued, with modifications to make the program more effective, efficient, and targeted. 

## Governor Signs CTR Efficiency Act On March 29, Governor Chris Gregoire signed the Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Efficiency Act, Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6566. At the signing, Governor Gregoire was surrounded by members of the CTR Task Force and program partners celebrating the culmination of two years of work to improve the CTR Program. The most significant changes to the CTR law include:

• Focusing the Program on Congested Highway Corridors The new CTR law shifts the program from the ten most populous counties to those urban growth areas that contain the most congested state highways. This change focuses the program on the areas of the state that will deliver a high return on state and private investment. Other jurisdictions may participate and tribal governments are encouraged to establish CTR programs.

• Increasing Planning Coordination Among Local, Regional, and State Levels The new CTR law establishes a state CTR planning framework that will better integrate CTR with local, regional, and state transportation and land use planning and investment. Based on an evaluation of local, regional, and state needs, local jurisdictions may create customized programs with goals and strategies that best fit the complexities of that particular area. In addition, more state agencies must participate in the modified program.

• Providing Flexibility to Local Jurisdictions to Develop Customized Trip Reduction Programs in Key Employment and Residential Centers The new CTR law gives local jurisdictions the option to establish Growth and Transportation Efficiency Centers (GTECs) where they may implement customized trip reduction programs and transportation-efficient land use policies that go beyond the requirements of the base CTR program.

• Streamlining the CTR Task Force Into a Smaller, More Policy-Oriented CTR Board The new CTR law reduces the size of the Task Force to 16 members and establishes it as a permanent board to review and approve local and regional plans, develop the program funding allocations and the state plan, and provide general policy guidance for the program. Today: Ten Counties in the CTR Program W ashing t on

All CTR Si t es US A v e r age 78

76

74

72

70

68

66

64

62

60 1990 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 Only CTR Sites that been with in the program since it began Drive Alone Comparison CTR Worksites, Washington State, and the United States, 1990 to 2005 Percentage of commute trips taken by driving alone

Public Vanpools Operating in Washington January 2003 to February 2006

Jan 2003 Jan 2004 2,100
1,950

1,800

1,650
1,500

1,350
1,200 Jan 2005 Jan 2006 2003-2005 Biennial Goal: 10% increase in operating vanpools met in March 2005

2003-2005 Biennial Goal

Legislative Decision Vanpool Grant Program Begins Program Development Van Purchases and Implementation Incentives Offered Goal met in March 2005

Source: WSDOT Vanpool Database **Urban Growth Areas in the CTR Program** (Preliminary Determination)

**Current CTR Program Modified CTR Program**  (effective July 1, 2007)
**Where** County-wide in ten counties Urban growth areas **Participation** Population over 150,000 Congested highway corridors **Who Participates** Major employers (over 100 employees) Major employers (over 100 employees) in urban growth areas in ten counties required to participate required to participate; in voluntary centers, more employees and residents may participate **Who Oversees Program** 28-member CTR Task Force establishes 16-member CTR Board establishes policy, provides guidance, policy and provides guidance and allocates funding **Performance Goals** All employers have same goal targets Employer goals may vary based on local and regional goals beyond the state minimum target **Performance Review** Worksite programs reviewed each year Worksite programs may be reviewed every two years **Planning Requirements** No planning required Coordination with transportation and growth planning required 

## How the CTR Program is Changing