TDM for local governments

Boulder, CO. TDM is one of five focus areas of the City of Boulder’s Transportation Master Plan (TMP), which serves as the blueprint for the City’s transportation system. A primary component of the City’s TDM goals is to expand transit ridership and reduce drive alone trips by increasing the distribution of annual transit passes, an EcoPass. The City estimates that more than 82,000 residents, employees, and university students have an EcoPass. With the adoption of the City’s Transit Village Area Plan, every resident or employee in Boulder Junction receives an EcoPass, subsidized bikeshare membership, and a one-time driving credit and application fee waiver for carshare memberships.

Seattle, WA. The City of Seattle requires that new commercial developments 100,000 square feet or greater implement a Transportation Management Program (TMP) that mitigates traffic and parking impacts. The TMP can include infrastructure improvements or programmatic strategies that help reduce occupant drive alone trips. The requirement for a TMP is determined during the environmental review of the development and is subsequently included in its master use permit.

Arlington, VA. The TDM for Site Plan Development Program works directly with developers and property managers to mitigate transportation impacts by increasing the availability, awareness, and use of alternative modes. TDM Site Plan staff conduct annual visits to review plan compliance. Fees associated with development review and annual site visits are assessed by developers and/or property managers and may include contributions to support public transportation services.

San Diego, CA. In support of its Climate Action Plan (CAP), the City of San Diego developed a CAP Consistency Checklist that requires new developments within Transit Priority Areas (TPAs) to implement strategies that help to reduce GHG emissions. A development may select from a predefined list of energy, water, parking, and TDM strategies that are consistent with CAP goals and measures. The checklist provides a streamlined review process for proposed new development projects that are subject to discretionary review. The City recently announced plans to eliminate parking requirements for multifamily projects within TPAs.

Buffalo, NY. In 2016, the City of Buffalo passed the Buffalo Green Code Unified Development Ordinance, which removes minimum parking requirements for developments. Additionally, developments more than 5,000 square feet and renovations over 50,000 square feet submit a TDM plan as part of the development’s approval requirements. Developers can choose from a list of pre-defined TDM strategies or propose alternative strategies with City approval. Developers are required to pass along the TDM Plan requirements to the property owner, who must submit status reports every two years thereafter, and may also be required to implement additional strategies to meet the approved trip reductions.

Ventura, CA. The City’s Parking Management Program uses pricing to ensure a 15 percent parking vacancy rate for premium on-street parking. This discourages long-term street parking so that customers who go downtown have access to the businesses they visit. To reduce the amount of new parking needed, this program also offers shared on-site parking between land uses that have different periods of peak parking demand.