1
Transportation Demand Management for Colleges,
Universities and Municipalities
Mid-South Transportation and Parking Association
March 20, 2007
2
Overview
• Introduction to ACT
• Introduction to TDM
• University Applications
• Parking & TDM
• Building a Dialogue
3
Introduction to ACT
• Association for Commuter Transportation
• ACT supports individual transportation demand management professionals and organizational members in their efforts to reduce traffic congestion, enhance mobility, improve air quality, and conserve energy.
4
ACT Resources
• ACT International Conference
• Chapter/Regional Events
• TDM Review (quarterly journal)
• TDM eReview (biweekly e-mail)
• Online members-only directory
• NetConferences
• Professional development seminars
5
6
ACT Chapters
• Cascades• Chesapeake• Great Lakes• Lone Star• Mid-Atlantic• Midwest• Northern California
• Northern California – Inland
• Patriot• Rocky Mountain• South East (SEACT)• Southern California• Valley of the Sun
7
ACT Councils
• 511 Council • Employer Council - Coming Soon! • HOV/HOT Council • Public Policy Council • Telework Council • TMA Council • University Council • Vanpool Council
8
ACT University Council Members
• California Poly State University - San Luis Obispo
• California State University - Dominguez Hills
• California State University - Eastbay
• California State University - Northridge
• California State University - San Marcos
• Center for Urban Transportation Research (USF)
• Clayton State University• Cornell University• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University
• George Mason University• Georgia Institute of Technology• UCLA• UNC Asheville• University of California - Riverside• University of Chicago• University of New Mexico• University of Southern California• Vanderbilt University• Virginia Tech
(25 campuses)
9
Public Policy
• ACT was instrumental in educating Congress about need for tax-free commute benefit (transit/vanpool).
• Parking parity issue• Engaged in 2005 passage of SAFETEA-
LU: Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users. (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/index.htm)
10
Introduction to TDM
• Transportation demand management
• History: “What if…?”– Gas lines/prices > air quality > congestion
• Transportation: Less or more?– More mobility…few problems– Multi-modal focus– Redefine ‘supply’…not just highways
11
Demand vs. Choice
12
What Kind of Choice?
• More choice
• Easy choice
• Convenient choice
• Affordable choice
• Positive experience
13
“Ahhh…”
• Oasis experience
• Refreshed…rejuvenated…or just relieved
• Operational choices affect experience– Starbucks barista vs computer tech support– Bus always on-time?– Vanpool driver competent & pleasant?– Parking attendant welcoming & helpful?
14
15
Mobility Options
• Public transportation– bus (local, express, BRT)– rail (heavy, light, mono)
• Private buses(coaches)
• Vanpools(15-passenger or mini-vans)
• Circulators(rail, bus, shuttle, tram, van)
• Carpools– formal or informal
• Bicycles– rider-owned– loaner/donor
• Walking• Car sharing
– Flexcar– Zipcar
• Telework– home-based– remote work center
16
Supportive Strategies
• Infrastructure– HOV lanes– HOV off-ramps– HOT lanes– Preferential parking– Broadband– Transit-oriented
development
• Policies– Flextime & flexplace– Commute benefits
• Transit/vanpool fare media ($110/mo)
• Pre-tax purchase
– Parking• Charge for parking• Equal treatment
– GRH/ERH– Land use
17
Shifting Role
“Instead of justselling parking,
we have toget into mobility.”
Brian ShawDirector of Campus Transportation & Parking Services
University of Chicago
18
Comparing Costs
Storing Vehicles...
Debt service + operating costs~ $30,000/space?
Plus…opportunity cost of land
…more expensive thanfacilitating movement of people.
19
Can We Deliver Choices?
• Many employers do it everyday:– Stanford– Harvard– University of Michigan
• See more examples via U.S. EPA’s Best Workplaces for Commuters (www.bwc.com)– Colleges/Universities– Municipalities– Companies
20
BWC Campus Highlights
• U.S. EPA recognized 72 institutions of higher education in 26 states via its 2006 list of Best Workplaces for Commuters from colleges and universities.
• 568,000+ employees receive an excellent package of commuter benefits from these innovative colleges and universities. Annually, these employees:
– Save 30 million gallons of gasoline – Reduce 616 million miles of driving – Save $86 million spent on gasoline (based on average of $2.92/gal for week of
May 2006; Source: Energy Information Administration)
– Reduce 260,000 metric tons of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent to:
• Over 50,000 passenger cars not driven for one year • Over 700,000 barrels of oil
• Providing 33,000 households with electricity for one year
– Reduce 370 short tons of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) precursors to ozone commonly referred to as smog
– Reduce 700 short tons of NOX and reduce 7,750 short tons of CO
21
Campus Example: Stanford
2006
• Drive-alone: 55%
• Train: 15%
2002
• Drive alone: 72%
• Train: 4%
22
23
Stanford - continued
• Free train fare for eligible employees• SU buys for all 9000+ eligible faculty/staff. Costs
$100/person, but real cost closer to $600/person since train ridership averages about 1,500.
• ‘We’d rather spend that than $1500-$2000/employee per year in debt service on a parking structure space. We’re spending to get them out of their cars vs spending on keeping them in their cars.’ - Brodie Hamilton, Director
• Has about 8 or 9 vanpools.
24
• Growth plan between Stanford and Santa Clara County (started Jan. 2001)– No net commute trips during peak hour
– Limited number of net parking spaces
• 23,000 parking spaces on campus: “We don’t fill up everyday, but we want to be good custodians of that space. We don’t want to build unnecessarily. Eventually available space will become more of an issue.” -Brodie Hamilton
• Approx. 26,500 people (11,500 students + 8,000 hospital employees + 11,000 faculty/staff)
• Implemented incentive programs so people won’t leave campus during peak commute times.
• Shuttles take them to shopping areas, etc., for errands.
Stanford - continued
25
• Parking and TDM operation “under same umbrella” so staff not working at odds.
• Staff understands joint mission and goals, so usually no conflict over goals or revenue.
• As our TDM program expands it reduces the number of people buying parking permits. Have seen a drop in parking revenue. We have to adjust our rates to deal with that.
• “The fact that we charge for parking is very helpful, because free parking makes sale of TDM options even more difficult.”
• Contact: Brodie Hamilton, Director for Parking Transportation Services (650-723-5815)
Stanford - continued
26
Sustainable funding:
• New building projects on campus taxed to help pay for the impact.
• 4.6% fee assessed on total cost of project to support total campus infrastructure.
• If project creating net new square footage, there’s an $75/square foot additional assessment.
• “A lot of campuses approach TDM half-heartedly, but if they have to accomplish certain things then they have to get more serious in how they establish and pay for these programs on an ongoing basis.”
• Stanford doesn’t pay debt service out of its parking permit fees, so the permit fee typically goes toward operations.
Stanford - continued
27
• Support: “Need understanding, appreciation and support at highest levels for what you want to accomplish.”
• Funding: “Identify what could be sustainable funding sources. Stanford’s is rare but effective. You don’t want to worry year to year how you’re going to pull this off. You need a funding mechanism that allows you to be creative and offer the resources and programs to meet your goals.”
• Leverage: “Don’t recreate the wheel. Analyze the resources available in your area. Try to avoid competing with providers. We relied on existing transit and train services.”
• Promote: “Marketing and outreach can’t be emphasized enough.” Has a 2-year comprehensive marketing plan that’s developed and refined on an ongoing basis, reviewed annually.
Stanford’s Success Tips
28
• Comprehensive ‘Commuter Choice’ Program
• Century-long transit culture– Only 17% drive alone– About 1/3 use public transportation– Almost half the employees live within 3 miles,
which helps bicycling & walking.
Campus Example: Harvard
29
30
Harvard - continued
• Subsidize transit passes by 50%
• A rapid transit line comes right to the heart of campus.
• Little parking available at campus core.
• No vanpools (schedule challenges and relatively short commutes)
• Emergency ride home
31
Harvard - continued
• Intra-campus mobility:– Zipcar– Free shuttles– Bicycle program (Departments can order a
free bike, which gets labeled with dept’s name…comes with helmet, lock, etc.)
• One-day permit– Can pay and download online– Good back up when car really needed
32
• Carpooling Challenges– Shift worker best candidate– Rigid rules: Must carpool w/another Harvard
employee 5 days/week to qualify for discount.– Parking enforcement is awkward
• Attendant looks for ‘carpool’ hang tag• Driver might have dropped off partner…
…or might be untruthful about carpool status.• Not every lot/garage is staffed.
Harvard - continued
33
Harvard - continued
• Parking staff about 50 people– Most are parking monitors– Two dedicated to Commuter Choice program
since it started in 2000.• Contact: Holly Parker 617-496-5354• http://www.commuterchoice.harvard.edu/
34
• Know the culture of your employees and students to understand what kinds of incentives will work...what will really encourage them.
• Know where your employees live.
Harvard’s Success Tips
35
Campus Example: U-Michigan
• Public transportation via Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA)
• University-operated extensive shuttle system
• Vanpooling
• Zipcar (6 cars on campus)
• Bicycling
36
U-Michigan - continued
• AATA– All students/faculty/staff can show campus ID and ride
for free. 5-year, $1.8 million/yr deal began Aug 2004.– U-M riders make up 40 percent of AATA’s ridership.– Ridership has increased 33% in last 3 years.
• U-M Transit/Shuttles– 6 regular routes Mon-Fri– 4 medical center routes
37
• WAVE Community Connector– Chelsea Area Transportation System bus
discounts $1.50 per ride for faculty, staff, students between Chelsea/Dexter/Ann Arbor.
• Special Services– AATA after-hours shared-ride taxi service– Free emergency ride home via taxi– Scheduled para-transit, plus S.A.F.E.WALK
/Night Van campus accompaniment service
U-Michigan - continued
38
39
• Late 1970s: U-M starts vanpool program with 16 university-owned vans. Eligible faculty and staff paid monthly fee. Vanpools got free, reserved parking near workplace entrance, plus GRH eligibility.
• 2001: U-M made vanpooling free.
• 2003: U-M partners with MichiVan (operated by VPSI), providing mini-vans owned, maintained, insured and managed by VPSI.
• Participation tripled.
• Vanpoolers buy own gas; driver must gain MichiVan approval.
• Currently saves 370 parking spaces/day.• “U-M looks at it as saving $30,000 per parking space, because if we
had to park that many vehicles we would need a new structure.”-Keith Johnson, Assistant Director, Parking & Transportation
U-Michigan - continued
40
41
• Result = Big Savings– “By offering a comprehensive commuter benefits
program, including exemplary transit benefits, the University has avoided building more than 1,300 parking spaces alone, saving nearly $17 million in new parking construction expenses.”
• Contacts– Keith Johnson (734-764-3427; [email protected])
and Brian Pawlowski (734-764-1100)
U-Michigan - continued
42
Launching TDM Programs
• Know your culture and appropriate options
• Determine cost/benefit for your facility
• Educate your audiences
• Get support of top decision makers
• Set realistic, measurable goals
• Plan & implement strong marketing
• Track, evaluate, refine
43
TDM in Transition?
• Vital niche
• Competing for funds
• USDOT commission
• Challenge of climate change
• New thinking…new partnerships
44
Separated at Birth?
• Old: parking versus TDM
• New: parking and TDM together
• Explore opportunities to collaborate
45
Building a Dialogue
• Participate via membership
• Participate via ACT International Conference
• Mark [email protected]