Meeting_Body
REVISED
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
MARCH 20, 2019
Subject
SUBJECT: TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM UPDATE
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE update report on Transportation Demand Management Program in response to Board Motion 36 approved at the October 2017 Board meeting.
(CARRIED OVER FROM FEBRUARY)
Issue
ISSUE
In October 2017 the Board approved Motion 36 (Attachment A) directing staff to establish a robust and comprehensive countywide Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program in Los Angeles County. This Board Report represents the continuing progress made towards achieving the nine goals as outlined in Board Motion 36, Section C.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Given the comprehensive nature of the task and appreciating the complexity of existing TDM planning and the regulatory environment in the County, staff prepared a Phase One assessment. The Phase One assessment provided a detailed inventory of current Metro activities in the area of TDM. It was presented as a Board Box dated March 7, 2018 and responded to the Motion’s specific directive Section “B”.
The Phase Two analysis, which outlined TDM best practices (in response to the Motion’s specific directive Section “A”) and made recommendations on establishing a robust and comprehensive countywide TDM program (in response to the Motion’s specific directive Section “C”) was presented as a Board Box on May 16, 2018.
Both the Phase One and Phase Two analyses are referenced throughout this report and are included as Attachments B and C respectively.
Progress made towards completing Motion 36 Goals (C 1-9)
1. Countywide TDM guidelines to help municipalities create and implement TDM policies by establishing best practices for TDM application, monitoring, and evaluation, and allowing for flexibility to innovate beyond countywide standards:
In order to accomplish this goal, staff is proposing the creation of a TDM Toolkit and corresponding website made available to all 88 cities in Los Angeles County with the goal of providing municipalities with the tools and support to meet the trip reduction goals for their respective communities.
As recommended in the Phase Two report, staff has solicited feedback from various municipalities to find out “what gaps exist today in the state of TDM” through a series of TDM Focus Group meetings with municipalities and Transportation Management Associations (TMAs) in the county. The feedback received from these focus groups will be used to inform a Regional TDM Survey which will be sent to all municipalities in the county, as well as group of large and small sized employers in the first quarter of 2019.
The responses to the survey will help staff to define the TDM Toolkit elements and website. Preliminary discussions in the focus group have provided insight to the following proposed TDM Toolkit elements:
• A Plug and Play TDM program designed for cities. This program will be a customized form of Metro’s current Regional Rideshare Trapeze Platform which will allow individual cities to track employees’ and residents’ commute trips, provide on-demand ride-matching services and promote alternative commute modes.
• Network meetings and quarterly TDM workshops for city staff. Metro will host network meetings and workshops for city staff to provide an opportunity for TDM staff from all municipalities to connect with each other to share resources and TDM best practices. The workshops will be TDM-specific based on the requests of the municipalities and provide TDM information and support.
• A quarterly TDM newsletter or blog. A quarterly TDM newsletter or blog will be created and maintained by Metro, providing municipalities with articles and links on the latest TDM and mobility information and initiatives from around the world. Municipalities will also be able to submit content to Metro for inclusion in the newsletter or blog as appropriate.
• TDM ordinance assistance will be provided to municipalities by Metro staff. Staff can assist in guiding municipalities who want to develop and adopt a TDM ordinance as well as those municipalities who wish to update their current TDM policies.
• TDM Best Practices will be posted on the TDM website as a resource for municipalities. Local municipalities can also submit their own best practices to Metro for consideration.
• A TDM grant program will be developed. Most recently, the County of Sacramento implemented a small grant program aimed at trip reduction. Metro staff proposes a similar grant program available to municipalities in the county for the purpose of providing a subsidy program aimed at directly changing commuter’s drive alone habits.
2. Countywide TDM marketing, outreach, and engagement campaign that targets potential users through a compelling and recognizable brand available to local cities and jurisdictions to promote multi-modal travel choices such as transit, vanpooling, carpooling, walking, and bicycling:
A countywide marketing and outreach program will be developed after the TDM Toolkit is finalized and will be used in part to launch the toolkit and Metro’s Countywide TDM Program.
3. Facilitating regular discussions between Transportation Management Associations (TMAs) in the region to coordinate countywide and local TDM ordinance implementation activities and share best practices:
In August 2018 the first TMA Network meeting was held at Metro. Representatives from all eleven TMAs were in attendance. Since then, the group has continued to meet bi-monthly. Currently the group is working on setting minimum data collection standards so that each TMA is collecting the same type of commute data that can then be shared as a whole.
4. Working with major trip generators, major employers, and business community representatives to develop and implement tax incentives and other state legislation necessary for Metro to effectively promote and coordinate TDM strategies in Los Angeles County:
The survey for major employers, which included both private and public sectors in Los Angeles County, will help Metro shape a plan that will assist cities and employers to engage in a partnership resulting in reduced commute trips.
5. Expanding U-Pass, the Employer Annual Pass Program (EAPP), the Bikeshare for Business Program, and other TAP purchase programs to allow TMAs, telework centers, tourism organizations, residential and other non-employer entities to purchase bulk-rate transit and bike share passes:
Staff provided a progress update in the Receive and File Board item on May 16, 2018. The group transit pass programs are an ongoing effort and are currently managed by Metro Commute Service (MCS) unit under the Marketing Department.
6. Strategies and information to promote telecommuting:
An inventory of current Telecommuting Handbooks has been completed and the best guides available for employers and employees have been identified. Links to these handbooks will be available on the TDM Website.
Marketing materials promoting telecommuting will be developed as part of the Countywide TDM marketing effort.
Additionally, once the TDM Toolkit kicks off, Metro will host telecommuting workshops for employers that focus on the benefit of telecommuting as well as a plan for implementing telecommuting at a worksite.
7. Establishing a Countywide Commuter Tax Benefit Ordinance to provide incentives for non-single occupancy vehicle travel:
On August 20, 2018, AB2548 was signed by Governor Jerry Brown, granting Metro the authority to write a Commuter Tax Benefit Ordinance for employers of 50-249 employees located in Los Angeles County.
Currently, staff is analyzing 1) the resources required to implement, administer and enforce a Commuter Benefits Ordinance, 2) what mechanism Metro would use to enforce and fine for noncompliance, and 3) the workload to collect and report commute data for the estimated 65,000 employers who would be required to comply with the ordinance.
A question about a Countywide Commuter Benefits Ordinance will be included in the city TDM survey in order to solicit feedback from all of the cities in the County.
Staff is preparing a plan for implementation of the ordinance that incorporates Metro providing education and outreach to cities, employers and users through the other TDM actions in Board Motion 36 (#1-6). The ordinance will be drafted concurrent with the education and outreach and will incorporate feedback received during that process.
8. Assist employers with compliance of the State of California’s Parking Cash-Out law for worksites within Los Angeles County:
In order to support parking cash-out in Los Angeles County and ensure that all employers of fifty or more employees who fall under the purview of the Parking Cash-Out Law are informed of their requirement to comply, Metro will send a Parking Cash-Out survey to employers of fifty or more employees. This survey will ask employers if they are complying with the law and provide them with information about parking cash-out requirements and how to ensure compliance.
9. Considering consolidation of Metro’s various TDM functions into a single group and/or creating a Countywide TDM Manager position tasked with coordinating Metro’s TDM efforts, including identifying additional staffing needs:
As noted in the May 2018 Board item, staff recruited a person to serve the function and the position currently resides in Metro’s Planning Department.
Equity Platform
By developing a regional TDM program, Metro will provide support and a user-friendly TDM toolkit for all cities in the county, allowing them to provide employees and residents in all areas of their communities access to customized commuter support.
Metro outreach and coordination for the regional TDM program has a unique opportunity to provided outreach and support directly to resource limited communities while also providing opportunities for Metro staff to discuss and answer questions about ongoing and planned initiatives in commuter benefits and congestion reduction programs with community members in the communities where they live and work.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There could be a range of financial impacts associated with implementing future actions arising from recommendations included in this Board report. Discrete actions and an assessment of their capital and/operating costs would be brought before the Board for action individually, or as part of a program of associated actions as appropriate. Since this is a multi-year program, the cost center manager and Chief Planning Officer will be responsible for budgeting the cost in future years.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The recommendations support Metro’s Regional Transportation Demand Management Program and serve to implement the following Metro Vision 2028 Strategic Plan Goals:
• Goal 3.3: Genuine public and community engagement to achieve better mobility outcomes for the people of LA County.
• Goal 4.1: Metro will work with partners to build trust and make decisions that support the goals of the Vision 2028 Plan.
• Goal 4.2: Metro will help drive mobility agendas, discussions and policies at the state, regional and national levels.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The recommendations for further development included in this Board report could be deferred by the Board. In all cases, staff would endeavor to pursue next steps that are coordinated with existing or anticipated related initiatives, to maximize resource efficiency.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Next steps are for staff to: conduct the Regional TDM Survey; continue to facilitate the regional TMA; provide informational and strategic support on telecommuting and parking cash-out programs for municipalities, TMAs and employers; analyze the implications of adopting a countywide TDM ordinance; develop the TDM grant program and selection criteria for the Board to consider in FY20. Staff will report back to the Board in 90 days on the implementation plan for the TDM ordinance.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - TDM Motion
Attachment B - Phase One Analysis
Attachment C - Phase Two Analysis
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Jacquilyne Brooks de Camarillo, Manager, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-3034
Frank Ching, DEO, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-3033
Holly Rockwell, SEO, Countywide Planning and Development (213) 922-5585
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Laurie Lombardi, Interim Chief Planning Officer, (213) 418-3251
