Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan

Mission Statement

The Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan for Everett Community College is established to reduce single occupant vehicle (SOV) travel to the college campus, by all groups, including employees, students and visiting users of campus facilities. It is expected that the TDM Plan will contribute positively to the community college as a quality place to work and study. Its program elements are to be designed and administered in a manner that emphasizes commitment, flexibility, innovation, and leadership among community colleges in Washington State.

Program Goals

1. EducationandAwareness. Inform and educate all college groups and users about the college TDM plan and about the availability of alternatives to travel by SOV and provide persuasive marketing to motivate changes in commute modes.

2. CommuteAlternatives. Significantly increase the convenience, availability, and attractiveness of alternatives to SOV commuting and provide for reductions of commute trips through programs that support transit, bicycling, walking, carpooling, vanpooling, telecommuting and compressed work schedules.

3. ParkingManagement. Develop and manage college parking assets in ways that:

a. reduce the demand for parking spaces;
b. optimize parking availability and space allocations,
c. enhance access and convenience for all campus users; and
d. promote safety, security and positive management of the college parking program.

4. IncentiveBased. Establish a broad, incentive-based TDM program that is developed and implemented in a phased approach, and which is available and accessible to all employees and students.

5. CommunityImpacts. Mitigate negative impacts of college generated travel on the surrounding community, including traffic congestion and parking spillover into adjacent residential areas and on adjacent community features.

6. CommitmentofResources. Determine the costs and resources needed to develop and administer the TDM plan and develop mechanisms by which to commit needed resources, to evaluate performance on an on-going basis, and to recover costs from potential funding sources.


Short-Term Measurable Goals

The TDM Committee adopted specific short-term, measurable goals for reducing travel in single occupant vehicles. In its discussions about potential trip reduction, the committee considered CTR goals and the expectations of the City of Everett. It also considered the commitment to inaugurate a TDM program without any new fees being placed upon students or employees and without incurring any new operating expenses. In light of these constraints, every effort was made to define realistic and achievable goals. The following discussion highlights the goals adopted by the committee. It is the committee's belief that these goals can be achieved during fall '97 and winter '98 quarters. These goals are based on consultants' estimates of the commuting modes used by students, staff, and faculty who arrive at campus during peak hours. The assumptions about current mode use are presented in Exhibit A. Additional goals, for future phases were proposed and examined; they are presented in Exhibit B.


Total Campus TDM Program

Trip reduction goals and distinct TDM programs were developed for staff, faculty and students. The combined impact of the trip reduction goals is substantial. Among the estimated total of 2600 peak period commuters in 1996 and 1997, it is assumed that 1844 - or 72% - travel to campus by single-occupant-vehicles. The combined trip reductions adopted for staff, faculty, and students, will result in changes in commute for 184 people.


Combined Campus Trip Reduction Goal:

Reduce the percentage of people commuting in single-occupant-vehicles from 72% in 1996-1997, to 64% in the spring of 1998.

A great variety of possible TDM programs were identified and discussed within the development of this plan. The plan presented herein reflects the committee's interest in implementing no cost (or very low cost) programs. Implementing the proposed programs will allow the college to better understand the potential for changing SOV commutes and to observe the impact of a minimal cost TDM program. It is noted by TDM committee members, that additional budget dollars could allow the development of more aggressive TDM programs and incentives to motivate campus commuters to make changes in their commutes.

In the absence of additional funding, the TDM Committee has developed, and begun to implement, a strategic TDM Plan. Separate programs were designed and adopted for the three campus populations and are outlined below. In general, the programs reflect three common strategies:


Educational and Promotional Efforts
Support For Alternative Commutes
Providing Incentives to Motivate and Reward non-SOV Commutes

Committee members have taken the lead to implement the programs highlighted below. At the end of fall '97 quarter, the college is already seeing some positive results. Those are presented in the next section.

Staff Trip Reduction Short Term Goal

College classified staff and administrators are the only college commuters who are covered by Commute Trip Reduction laws. The college has had a voluntary CTR program in place for several years. Only recently, effective with the 1997 CTR survey, has EvCC been classified as an affected employer that is mandated to respond to CTR laws.

EvCC's voluntary CTR program has had some success in reducing the numbers of college employees driving alone to work. However, the reduction has not been large enough to achieve the CTR goal set out in state law. Commuting in SOVs, by staff and administrators, was measured at 82.4% in 1993 - tne base year for CTR measurements. That was reduced to 77.3% in 1995 and to 76.3% in 1997. CTR laws call for a 20% reduction in the SOV rate by 1997. When applied to the college base rate that equals a reduction of 16.5 percentage points, to an SOV rate of 66%. The EvCC reductions were less than half of that required (i.e. a 6.1 percentage point reduction compared to the required 16.5 point reduction). In the future, EvCC will be £"ked to achieve a 25% reduction by 1999 (to an SOV rate of 61.8%) and a 35% reduction by 2005 (SOV rate of 53.6%).

The TDM committee endorsed efforts to continue SOV trip reductions among staff and administrators. It is based on these assumptions. Among a total of about 180 staff and administrators, it is estimated that 160 arrive at campus during peak hours. Employee surveys and CTR measurements show that in the spring of 1997, 76% commuted by SOV. This is equal to 122 commuters. Committee members suggested a reasonable goal - to reduce the number of SOV commuters by 10. The goal represents a net change of 8% in one year and achievement of an SOV mode split of 70%. This is equal to the 1997 CTR goal and about half of the trip reduction needed to achieve the 1999 CTR goal.

EvCC Staff Trip Reduction Goal:

Reduce the percentage of staff commuting in single-occupant-vehicles from 76% in the spring of 1997, to 70% in the spring of 1998.

Staff TDM Program
Education and Promotion:

Support for Alternatives:

Faculty Trip Reduction Short Term Goal

Approximately 300 faculty commute to the central college campus, however, only 200 arrive during peak commute hours. The employee survey undertaken in spring of 1997 indicates that approximately 86% of peak hour commutes (172 individuals) are by SOVs. This is not surprising, considering the numbers of part time faculty at the college. Faculty representatives adopted the goal of lowering the number of SOV commuters to 158. Achieving this goal would result in a net change of 8% in one year, thereby achieving a SOV mode split of 79%.

EvCC Faculty Trip Reduction Goal:

Reduce the percentage of faculty commuting in single-occupant vehicles from 86% in the spring of 1997, to 79% in the spring of 1998.

Faculty TDM Program

Education and Promotion:

Student Trip Reduction Short Term Goal

Students at the Everett Community College have very different travel needs than college employees. A survey completed in the fall of 1996 indicated that students are much more likely to commute by alternative transportation than are employees. The student survey revealed that 69% of peak period commuters (about 1550 students) traveled to campus by driving alone. The committee recognized, however, that in spite of their lower SOV mode split, numerically the student population has the highest impact on traffic and parking. A more aggressive goal for trip reduction among students was therefore adopted. Students proposed a net decrease of 160 SOV trips, a 10% reduction in one year. If achieved, this would result in a mode split of 62%.

EvCC Student Trip Reduction Goal:

Reduce the percentage of students commuting in single-occupant vehicles from 69% in the fall of 1996, to 62% in Spring of 1998.

Student TDM Program

Education and Promotion:

Support for Commute Alternatives:

TDM PROGRAM RESULTS

FUTURE TDM PROGRAM OPTIONS

The preliminary results of the TDM plan are positive and it is likely that additional program elements will be added early in 1998. Programs being pursued include:

Funding Alternatives for Future Consideration