Municipal Actions for Efficient Transportation
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TDM
Encyclopedia
Victoria Transport Policy Institute
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Updated
June 20, 2007
This chapter identifies TDM policies and programs suitable for implementation by municipal governments.
Description
Municipal (also called Local) Governments are responsible for local infrastructure, services and laws, and so play a key role in the TDM implementation through their influence on nonmotorized facilities (sidewalks, paths and crosswalks), roadway design and management, public transit services, local land use policies, parking policies, taxes and fees, and traffic enforcement activities. Municipal governments significantly affect the quality of Mobility Options available in a community, particularly walking, cycling and local public transit services, and overall community Accessibility.
TDM strategies can help achieve many municipal goals, including reduced traffic and parking congestion, road and parking cost savings, household cost savings, support for more local development and efficient land use (reduced sprawl), improved mobility for non-drivers, improved community livability, improved public fitness and health. Because municipal governments represent the interests of local residents they tend to recognize the diverse benefits of TDM.
Municipal governments can support TDM implementation in the following ways:
- Learn about TDM and the role it can play in
achieving local planning objectives.
- Encourage or require local Transportation
Agencies and Businesses to implement TDM
solutions when they are cost effective. Work to build partnerships with Community Organizations to support TDM
implementation.
- Help create TDM Programs and Transportation Management
Associations to provide local TDM services.
- Improve Nonmotorized
Transportation, Public Transit Services, Ridesharing, Taxi Services
and other local transportation services.
- Implement Smart Growth
Reforms and support Location Efficient Development.
- Choose Funding Options
that support TDM, such Parking Pricing and Taxes.
- Implement TDM strategies, such as Commute Trip Reduction programs for employees, and Special Event Transport Management when sponsoring
events that attract crowds.
Best TDM Strategies
The following strategies are particularly suitable for implementation by community organizations. For more detailed information see the TDM Summary Table.
Access management
increases coordination between roadway design and land use development patterns
to improve transportation system performance, including reduced congestion and
accidents, and improved accessibility.
There are various
ways to address the security concerns of people using alternative modes such as
walking, cycling, ridesharing and public transit.
Various policies and
programs can help preserve the value of assets such as roadways and parking
facilities.
Improved bicycle parking, storage and changing facilities support
cycling.
There are various
ways to improve the integration of bicycling and public transit travel,
including improved cycling access and bicycle storage at transit stops and
stations, and the ability to carry bikes on transit vehicles.
Bus Rapid Transit
(BRT) systems provide high quality bus service on busy urban corridors.
Car-free planning
strategies reduce automobile travel at particular times and places, and to
create pedestrian oriented streets.
Change Management
involves various techniques that help build support for innovation within
organizations.
Increased density
(number of people or employees located in an area) and clustering (locating
related activities close together) tend to reduce travel distances and improve
travel options.
Various commuter financial incentives can be used to encourage use of more
efficient commute modes. These include parking cash out, travel allowance, transit benefits, and rideshare
benefits. They are often provided as an alternative to subsidized employee
parking.
Transportation price
and market reforms can encourage more efficient transportation and support TDM
objectives.
Comprehensive
Transport Planning
Various planning
reforms can result in more comprehensive and accurate transportation decision-making.
Current planning results in omissions and distortions that tend to overvalue
automobile-oriented improvements and undervalue alternative solutions to
transportation problems. More comprehensive planning is particularly important
when evaluating TDM and alternative modes.
Improved roadway and
pathway connectivity tends to improve accessibility and reduce vehicle travel
distances.
Flexible design requirements
to reflect community values.
Planning that deals
with uncertainly by identifying solutions to potential future problems.
There are many ways to improve cycling conditions and encouraging cycling
activity, including improved design and maintenance of cycling paths and lanes,
improved bicycle parking and changing facilities, and user education and
information, and encouragement programs.
Downtowns
and Commercial Centers
Creating vibrant
downtowns, business districts, urban villages and other accessible, mixed-use
activity centers tends to support many TDM strategies.
Emergency
Response Transport Management
Mobility management
strategies can help improve transportation services during emergencies.
Employee
Commute Trip Reduction
Commute Trip
Reduction (CTR) programs provide encouragement, incentives and support for commuters
to use alternative modes, alternative work hours, and other efficient transport
options.
Freight
Transportation Management
Freight Transport
Management increases freight transportation efficiency by shifting improving the
quality of efficient freight modes (such as rail and integrated distribution
services), providing incentives to use the most efficient option for each type
of delivery, increasing load factors, improving logistics, and reducing
unnecessary shipping distances and volumes.
There are various
ways to fund transport programs, some of which support TDM objectives by
charging directly for vehicle use.
High Occupant
Vehicle (HOV) priority strategies give priority to public transit vehicles,
vanpools and carpools in traffic and parking.
Institutional
reforms include various changes to transportation organizations’ policies and
practices that support Transportation Demand Management.
Least Cost Planning
refers to planning and investment reforms that support demand management
implementation when overall cost effective. This tends to support TDM policies
and programs.
Light Rail Transit
(LRT) systems provide convenient local transit service on busy urban corridors.
Location
Efficient Development
Location Efficient Development consists of residential and commercial development located and designed
to maximize accessibility and overall affordability. Location Efficient Mortgages recognize the household savings at such
locations, increasing borrowing ability.
A Multi-modal Access
Guide provides customized directions to a particular destination by various
modes.
New Urbanism (also
called Neotraditional Design) includes various design and development
practices that create more accessible, walkable, multi-modal, and livable
communities. People who live and work in such communities tend to drive less
and rely more on alternative modes than in more automobile-dependent locations.
Nonmotorized
Facility Management
Nonmotorized
facilities such as walkways, sidewalks and paths can be managed to reduce
conflicts and improve user convenience and safety.
Nonmotorized planning can improve walking and cycling conditions, and
encourage use of nonmotorized modes.
Improved operations
and management can encourage more efficient use of existing roadways.
Park & Ride
facilities are parking lots at transit stations and stops. They support
ridesharing and public transit use.
Various management
strategies can result in more efficient use of parking resources. These include
sharing, regulating and pricing of parking facilities, more accurate
requirements, use of off-site parking facilities, improved user information,
and incentives to use alternative modes.
Parking pricing involves charging motorists directly for using parking
facilities and services, which provides revenue and cost recovery, encourages
more efficient use of parking facilities, reduces parking facility costs and
land requirements, reduces vehicle traffic and encourages use of alternative
modes.
Comprehensive menu
of solutions to parking problems.
Improved pricing
methods can reduce the transaction costs and increase the cost efficiency of
road tolls, parking fees and mileage charges.
Principles for
prioritizing transportation activities and investments.
There are various
ways to encourage public transit ridership by improving service, reducing
fares, increasing user convenience and information, providing incentives, and
supporting marketing programs.
Ridesharing refers to carpooling and vanpooling. Rideshare programs
include ridematching services (which help travelers find travel partners), and
strategies that give rideshare vehicles priority in traffic and parking.
Changes in roadway
design and management practices can encourage more efficient transportation by
providing more space for walking, cycling, ridesharing and public transit.
School Transport Management programs encourage parents, students and staff to reduce
automobile trips and use alternative modes when traveling to and from schools.
Sharing parking
facilities among various users can increase efficiency and support various TDM
strategies.
Shuttle services
include circulating shuttle buses, demand response and other special mobility
services, jitneys and free transit zones.
Small-wheeled
vehicles include wheeled luggage, walkers, skates, scooters and handcarts.
Smart Growth involves various local and regional land use planning practices that create more
accessible, multi-modal, efficient and livable communities. This tends to
reduce driving and increase use of alternative modes.
Various planning,
regulatory and fiscal reforms help create more efficient land use. These
reforms can help correct existing practices that encourage automobile-dependent
land use development patterns.
Special programs can
help managed transportation efficiently during major events, construction
projects and emergencies.
Reducing traffic speeds tends to improve walking and cycling conditions,
increase safety, reduce air and noise pollution, encourage more compact
development, and reduce total automobile travel.
Street reclaiming
involves various strategies that increase community interaction on neighborhood
streets.
Streetscaping
involves various ways to redesign roadways (particularly urban arterials) to
support more multi-modal transportation and create more attractive and
accessible communities.
TDM can help achieve
sustainable transport planning objectives.
Taxi service improvements can help support TDM.
TDM marketing
programs and strategies investigate the types of transportation services people
want, identify barriers to alternative modes, and promote use of efficient
transport options.
TDM
Planning and Implementation
Discusses various
issues to consider when planning and implementing Transportation Demand
Management programs.
This chapter
discusses different types of transportation management programs, how they are
organized and funded, and their role in implementing TDM strategies.
Tourist Transport
Management involves various policies and programs that improve recreational
travel options and reduce automobile traffic in resort areas.
Traffic Calming refers to various roadway design features intended to
reduce traffic speeds and volumes.
There are many ways to improve public transit service quality, including
increased service speed, frequency, convenience, comfort, user information,
affordability and ease of access.
Transit Oriented Development (TOD) refers to residential and commercial
districts located around a transit station or corridor with high quality
service, with good walkability, parking management and other design features
that facilitate transit use and maximize overall accessibility.
Transportation
Management Associations (TMAs)
Transportation
Management Associations (TMAs) are member-controlled organizations that provide
transportation services in a particular area. They support implementation of
many TDM strategies.
Transportation
systems can be better designed and managed to accommodate all users, including
people with disabilities and other special needs.
Vehicle use
restrictions limit vehicle traffic at a particular time and place.
There are many ways to improve walking conditions and encourage
pedestrian transportation, including improved design and maintenance of
sidewalks, paths, crosswalks, and better user information.
Walking
and Cycling Encouragement
There are many ways to encourage walking and cycling transport, including
facility improvements, promotion campaigns, events, educational programs, and
development of guides and other information materials.
Examples and Case Studies
The Chattanooga
Over the last
20 year,
Concerned
about the impacts that pollution was causing on local economy, the Chattanooga
Chamber of Commerce created a Air Pollution Control Board in 1967. The board
included a diversity group of business leaders and citizens. It established a
1972 deadline for all existing major sources of pollution to be in compliance
with emission standards, which was met at a cost of $40 million. National and
international attention was focused on a city that in three years had changed
from the most polluted city in the
In the
early 80’s, city officials established a goal that
This
led to creation of the RiverCity Corporation, a private, nonprofit organization
with a mandate to implement the Riverfront Master Plan and 40 community
development goals. Among other achievements, it developed the Tennessee
Aquarium, the world’s largest freshwater aquarium, which opened in 1992. The
structure has become a trademark for the city that in 10 years transformed
itself from a dying city to one of growth and sustainable development.
A
second "structure" that defines
Municipal Traffic Reduction Program (Nelson\Nygaard, 2006)
After the City of Pasadena,
California commissioned a detailed study of potential traffic reduction
strategies, the city manager and Transportation Advisory Committee recommended
the following:
- Establish a target occupancy rate for on-street
parking meters and request staff and develop a program to adjust meter prices
to achieve that target.
- Investigate the conversion of an existing
Residential Preferential Parking District to a Residential Parking Benefit
District (so revenues are dedicated to that neighborhood).
- Prepare a budget proposal that would: (a) use a
portion of parking meter revenues for transportation demand management
programs within those districts, (b) use a portion of parking meter
revenues to purchase Universal Transit Passes for employees within those
districts, and (c) use a portion of parking meter revenues to support Car
Sharing programs within those districts.
- Study the feasibility of removing minimum parking
requirements for new development in the Central District and other
suitable locations in the city.
- Study the feasibility of requiring the unbundling
of parking costs for the second parking space per unit for new residential
structures in the Central District and in the Transit Oriented Development
Zones.
- Require proof of compliance with the State of
- Develop a proposal to implement Parking Cash-Out
for City employees.
- Support efforts to establish a
- Establish a priority for use of funds collected
through the Traffic Reduction and Transportation Improvement Fee for the
projects needed to implement a transit network.
- Study the feasibility of implementing a
Congestion Pricing mechanism within the Central District Area.
Successful Municipal Traffic
Reduction Programs (Nelson\Nygaard, 2006, Appendix A)
- introduced in central
Seattle
The
City of Seattle, Washington has implemented more than 700 traffic circles on
residential streets and adds dozens more each year (Mundell, 1998). It has a
standard process for residents to request Traffic Calming, and various funding
sources (
Palo
Alto Zoning Code Update
(www.city.palo-alto.ca.us/zoning)
The city of
Cities for Climate Protection (www.iclei.org)
The
International Council for Local
Environmental Initiatives sponsors the Cities
for Climate Protection Program, which helps local governments create
programs to encourage more efficient energy use, including transportation
demand management.
Downtown Pasadena
(from Douglas Kolozsvari and Donald Shoup, “Turning Small Change Into Big Changes,” ACCESS 23, University of Calif. Transport Center, www.uctc.net/access/access23lite.pdf, Fall 2003, pp. 2-7)
Old
With
this proviso, the merchants agreed to the proposal. They began to see parking
meters in a new way: as a way to fund the projects and services that directly
benefit their customers and businesses. Because parking had previously been
unpriced, the city didn’t lose anything from the general fund by dedicating the
revenue to the local area. In fact, the city gained additional revenue from
overtime fines. The city formed a PMZ advisory board consisting of business and
property owners, which recommended parking policies and set spending priorities
for the meter revenues. This approach of connecting parking revenues directly
to added public services and keeping it under local control help guarantee the
program’s success. Investments included new street furniture and trees, more
police patrols, better street lighting, more street and sidewalk cleaning,
pedestrian facility improvements and marketing (including production of area
maps showing local attractions and parking facilities. To highlight these
benefits to motorists, each parking meter has a small sticker which reads,
“Your Meter Money Will Make A Difference: Signage, Lighting, Benches, Paving”
This created a “virtuous cycle” in which parking revenue funded community improvements that attracted more visitors which increased the parking revenue, allowing further improvements. This resulted in extensive redevelopment of buildings, new businesses and residential development. Parking is no longer a problem for customers, who can almost always find a convenient space. Local sales tax revenues have increased far faster than in other shopping districts with lower parking rates, and nearby malls that offer free customer parking. This indicates that charging market rate parking (i.e., prices that result in 85-90% peak-period utilization rates) with revenues dedicated to local improvements can be an effective ways to support urban redevelopment.
More Accurate Parking Requirements (www.sfu.ca/~ssbc/Resources.htm)
The
City of
Boulder
Starting in 1989, the city of
Parking Levies (www.vtpi.org/parking_tax.pdf)
Three Australian cities have levies on non-residential urban parking, intended to encourage use of alternative modes and fund transport facilities and services:
· In
·
In
·
In
TravelSmart Program: Kamloops ,
British Columbia
The
TravelSmart program in
Land
use integration: Recognizing the strong links between transportation and land use, the
city's official plan was revised to minimize the demand for car travel by
influencing growth patterns. The plan now favours a compact form of development,
situating accommodation close to employment and community services, and
increasing density of the central area.
Less
expensive road structure alternatives: To avoid expensive improvements to road networks,
the city has slowed or halted development in some areas and identified
underutilized arterial corridors for access to the downtown core. Rather than
building bypasses over the busy highway that runs through town, the city
encourages residents to use alternatives to the highway.
Improved
public transit:
A comprehensive travel plan was developed to improve the level of service and
provide alternatives to the single occupant vehicle. Some improvements include
increased frequency of service to outlying communities and the use of smaller
buses that feed into the main system.
Promoting
bicycle use:
The Kamloops Bicycle Plan identifies $6 million worth of additional cycle
routes and initiatives for businesses to provide "end of trip"
facilities to cyclists, such as showers and bike racks.
Promotional
programs:
Transportation alternatives, such as carpooling, biking and walking, are
promoted through workshops and seminars in workplaces; the "Safe Routes to
School" program in schools; "Go Green" billboards on commuter
streets; and door-to-door neighborhood education by city staff. The plan
recognizes the need for an ongoing awareness campaign and community involvement
to sustain TravelSmart.
Total
project planning costs $300,000, of which $245,000 was funded by the city and
$55,000 by the province. The full program is funded through city's general
revenue, development cost charges, the B.C. Transportation Financing Authority,
specific developers and BC Transit.
TravelSmart
will be updated every five years as one component of "Kamplan", the
city's growth management strategy.
After
three years of operation, the program has improved air quality and reduced
planned road expenditures by 75 per cent. Economic and environmental benefits:
· Anticipated road
expenditures were reduced from $120 million to $14 million.
· Annual energy consumption is
expected to decline from 128 to 125 gigajoules per capita.
· Carbon monoxide is expected
to decline from 116 to 111 kg/capita/year, and carbon dioxide from 7,200 to
7,000 kg/capita/year.
City of Salem
The City of
References And Resources For More Information
AARP (2005), Livable Communities: An Evaluation Guide, AARP Public Policy Institute (http://assets.aarp.org).
ARC (2002), Community Choices Quality Growth Toolkit - Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) Implementation, Atlanta Regional Commission (www.atlreg.com/qualitygrowth/planning/Toolkits/TND_TOOL.pdf). This document provides information on Traditional Neighborhood Development, including case studies and TND model ordinances.
CCAP (2005), Transportation Emissions Guidebook:
Land Use, Transit & Transportation Demand Management,
City Repair (2003), Placemaking Guidebook, City Repair Project (www.cityrepair.org).
Reid
Go Green Choices (www.gogreen.com)
is a
ICMA (2005), Creating a Regulatory Blueprint for
Healthy Community Design: A Local Government Guide to Reforming Zoning and Land
Development Codes, International
City/County Management Association (www.icma.org)
and Active Living By Design
(www.activelivingleadership.org).
Living Streets Initiative (www.livingstreets.org.uk) is a campaign to create streets that give priority to walking, cycling and play.
Todd Litman (2006), Parking Taxes: Evaluating Options and Impacts, Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org/parking_tax.pdf).
Local Government Commission (www.lgc.org) has a variety of useful resources for neighborhood planning and pedestrian/bicycle improvements, including “Designing Safe Streets and Neighborhoods”, “The Economic Benefits of Walkable Communities" and “Why People Don't Walk and What City Planners Can Do About It” fact sheets.
MTE, Moving On the Economy Online Best Practices Database (http://w4.metrotor.on.ca/inter/mte/mte.nsf/$defaultview?OpenView&Count=5) is an ever-expanding searchable inventory of economic success stories in sustainable transportation.
NALGEP (2005), Clean Communities on the Move: A Partnership-Driven Approach to Clean Air and Smart Transportation, National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals (NALGEP), (www.nalgep.org).
NCS, Climate Protection Manual For Mayors,
Natural Capital Solutions (www.natcapsolutions.org/ClimateProtectionManual.htm),
provides case studies, best practices, cost/benefit analyses, legislation,
technical descriptions and contacts to facilitate local energy conservation and
emission reduction planning and program implementation.
Project for Public Spaces (www.pps.org) provides information on “placemaking” and community redevelopment techniques.
Seattle (1996), Making
Streets that Work, City of
Walkable Communities (www.walkable.org) helps create people-oriented environments.
This
Encyclopedia is produced by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute to help
improve understanding of Transportation Demand Management. It is an ongoing
project. Please send us your comments and suggestions for improvement.
Victoria Transport Policy Institute
www.vtpi.org info@vtpi.org
Phone
& Fax 250-360-1560
“Efficiency - Equity - Clarity”
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