Power of partnerships

POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS: How Businesses and Municipalities Can Work Together to Solve

Transportation & Economic Development Challenges Through Transportation Demand Management

Julia Prange Wallerce

Executive Director, MassCommute

Stephanie Groll

PTDM Officer, City of Cambridge

Alison Felix, AICP

Senior Transportation Planner, MAPC

Melisa Tintocalis

Economic Development Director, Town of Lexington

Alison Felix, AICP

Senior Transportation Planner, MAPC

Strategies used to influence travel behavior

and encourage the use of alternative travel modes to reduce

single-occupancy vehicle (SOV).

WHAT IS TDM?

• Parking Cash-Out

• Parking Pricing (charge market rate/charge for on-street parking)

• Preferential Carpool/Vanpool Parking

• Shared Parking

Parking Management

• Secure and safe bicycle parking and storage

• Showers and lockers for bicyclists

• Bicycle sharing

• Connectivity between adjacent sites and paths

• Infrastructure improvements (traffic calming, bicycle lanes)

Pedestrian & Bicycling Improvements and Facilities

• Require new buildings to locate parking behind buildings, away from the street

• Limit driveway curb cuts

• Require densifications/mixed-use elements for new developments

• Promote location efficient residential and commercial development (oriented to transit, good walking/bicycling conditions)

Site Design/Land Use

• Subsidize transit

• Flexible employee work schedules (compressed work week, flexible arrival/departure times)

• Teleworking

• Ride-sharing services (guaranteed ride home, ride-matching)

• Education (inform employees of options)

• Provide incentives and rewards programs (offer transit passes pre-tax or subsidize purchase)

Employer-Based

• Coordinate with transportation providers to bring service to the project site

• Employer-provided shuttle bus services

Public Transit

BENEFITS OF TDM MEASURES

Reduce Traffic Congestion

Improve Air Quality

Decrease Energy Consumption

Support Local Economic Development

All are Components that Support MAPC’s Smart Growth Principles

Interviewed municipalities and TMAs in MAPC region.

All bylaws and zoning ordinances of the 101 cities and towns

in the MAPC region were reviewed to determine

whether, and to what extent, they include TDM measures

61 percent of MAPC’s communities contain TDM measures

to varying degrees of detail

59 percent of TDM measures address traffic and transit

40 percent of TDM measures are related to parking

CASE STUDIES

Extensively researched local and national case studies.

Case studies include various approaches such as parking and

transportation management, transportation mitigation funds,

and required TDM measures in traffic studies.

Specific TDM measures address bicycle parking, design standards,

vehicular parking, and requiring TMA membership and participation

as part of TDM programs.

Report contains over 60 case studies and

the relevant by-law or ordinance.

Partnerships

Education

Incentives

EnforcementImplementation and Monitoring

Funding

Collaboration

RECOMMENDATIONS

Stephanie Groll

PTDM Officer, City of Cambridge

1992 1993 1998 200720021973

Western Ave Cycle Track

2016-2018

PTDM Ordinance• Adopted 1998; made

permanent in 2006

• Trigger is creation of new non-residential parking

• Building permits, variances, etc. only with approved PTDM plan

• Enforcement

Large Project PTDM Plan

20+ parking spaces

SOV mode share commitment• 10% below 1990 Census Data or Traffic Impact Study/

baseline survey

Comprehensive set of TDM measures

Annual monitoring and reporting• Employee / patron mode split survey

• Implementation status of TDM measures

• Driveway and parking occupancy counts (every 2 yrs)

15

What are the MOST effective TDM measures?

1. Low parking ratios

2. Paid parking—Daily, not monthly

3. Something-for-everyone benefit

4. Hire locally

1.3

1.1

00.10.20.30.40.50.60.70.80.9

11.11.21.31.41.5

Par

kin

g R

atio

(Sp

ace

s/1

,00

0

sf)

2009 2013

Only 67%

occupied

[The city’s] transportation system may actually

function better when employers offer no commuter

benefits than when all workers are covered

regardless of mode. Benefit scenarios that include free

parking "overwhelm or render insignificant" any perks

related to public transportation or other alternative

modes.”

PTDM Participation

• 56 large plans40 in monitoring

• 17 small plans

• Office, R&D, retail, education, medical, restaurant

18

2015 PTDM Results

• 31,000 employees

• 12,000 grad students

• 10 million SF non-institutional

• 17 million SF institutional

• 18,000 parking spaces

• 38% avg. SOV

(46% SOV goal)19

Reported SOV Rate vs Average SOV Goal

38%

39%

41%

44%43%

44%44%43%43%

46%

49%47%

53%

48%

41%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

55%

201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001

Overall Annual Average SOV SOV Target

51%

46%

44%45%

47%

51%

53%52%

40%

42%

44%

46%

48%

50%

52%

54%

Drive Alone

Sustainable Modes

Commute to Work Trends

Source: Census 2000; ACS 2006-2008, 2008-2010, 2011-2013

22

Cambridge Has Come a Long Way


Executive Director, Mass Commute

What are Transportation Management Associations (TMAs)?

TMAs promote & provide transportation demand management (TDM) measures that decrease single occupancy vehicle (SOV) commuting & improve both workplace satisfaction & quality of life for commuters.

Public-private partnerships between businesses and local & state governments

No set model!

Non-profits - independent 501(c)3, (c)4 or 501(c)6 orgs

Multi-stakeholder groups comprised of representatives from local businesses, institutions, organizations, and communities

Joined together under a legal agreement

Supported by combination of member dues & public funding

October 21st, 2016 SNEAPA Conference 2016

Why do we have TMAs?


What do TMAs do?

TMAs provide a variety of programs & services that benefit employees, employers, and local communities:

Gap shuttles & vanpools Ridematching

Guaranteed Rides Home Promotional campaigns Incentive programs

Transit Passes/Resources

Bike/Walk Resources Advocacy & marketing

Unite businesses, institutions & communities around common transportation concerns

Shape land use decisions Support environmental concerns & economic development


October 13th, 2015 RTAC Meeting 29


Where does MassCommute fit in?

MassCommute is a registered non-profit coalition of 14 TMAs led by a part-time Executive Director and TMA staffed committees.

The MassCommute TMAs serve over 350 member companies and institutions in 48 municipalities

MassCommute’s Mission is to “Collaborate, Advocate, and Inform”


TMA funding

The majority of TMA funding comes from member dues, which vary from TMA to TMA

CMAQ (Congestion Management & Air Quality) grants through MassDOT for Operational Assistance or Marketing & Public Outreach

MassDOT administers a statewide CMAQ program via FHWA

11 Massachusetts TMAs were receiving annual CMAQ dollars from MassDOT – Considered “Operational Assistance Funding”- since 2009

5 year cap on Operational Assistance Funding. As of 2016, new funding through CMAQ “Education &

Marketing” (also funds MassRIDES)

Look for opportunities for to tap into state/local grant programs –Example: CIC Grant in Massachusetts



MassCommute Annual Events


How are TMAs formed?

Secure at least three businesses/institutions as founding members.

Seek the support of the municipalities in which the businesses are located

Notify and work with MassCommute, MassDOT and MassRIDES to identify other potential members and determine if there are any existing MassRIDES partners within the proposed service area.

Determine the minimal services that the TMA will provide

Decide how the organization will be funded:

Establish annual dues structure

Work with MassCommute to determine any existing funding opportunities Consider applying for a TDM funding grant to the local Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). If

appropriate, approach a supporting municipality to be the grant sponsor.

Decide how the organization will be managed (staffing, contracting, etc)

Establish by-laws and incorporate the TMA as a not-for-profit organization.

File necessary paperwork with IRS and Commmonwealth of MA

Once established, form an Advisory Board (Board of Directors depending on structure).

Warning: Forming a TMA is not easy!


TMA Research: White Paper 2015


Massachusetts’ TMAs:

Are uniquely collaborative

Support state climate and transportation initiatives

Augment regional rideshare and employer programs

Three Tiers of Effective TDM Synergy!1. State & Regional TDM Programs (like MassRIDES)

2. Local TDM Programs (like TMAs)

3. Employer TDM Programs

Recommendations


Expand and Enforce Existing Trip Reduction and Congestion Mitigation

Policies

Utilize TMAs to Achieve State Transportation and Climate Goals

Increase Coordination Between TMAs and the Statewide Travel

Options Program

Employ TMAs to Pilot Transportation Initiatives

Dedicate State Funding to Leverage Private Sector Funding for Existing

and Future TMAs


Contact Information:


Executive Director,

MassCommute

[email protected]

@Masscommute


Melisa Tintocalis

Economic Development Director, Town of Lexington

Introduced New Regulatory Tools

1. Increase in the FAR

2. Transportation Demand Management Overlay

3. Transportation Demand Management Plan• Developer fee per SF into a fund

• Town Commitment

• State and Federal Funds

Don’t Just Sit There, Show Some Love!

1. Organize the property owners

• Develop relationships

• Set up monthly meetings

• Include elected officials

• Identify common issues

2. Agree on short-term objectives that can be accomplished

Town, TMA, & Private Sector Collaboration

Average Cost Estimates

Year 4 Funding

Property Owner # of Employees % of Shuttle Shuttle Subsidy 128BC TMA Membership Total

Town of Lexington Contribution [28%] $50,000.00 $50,000

Town of Bedford Contribution [2.83%] $4,000 $5,000

OmniGuide 70 2.74% $3,400 $1,700 $5,100

Griffith Properties 420 16.46% $20,500 $5,100 $25,600

King Street/Lincoln Properties 345 13.52% $16,800 $5,005 $21,800

Alexandria 424 16.61% $20,600 $5,675 $26,300

Boston Properties 993 38.91% $48,400 $5,860 $54,200

TBD* 300 11.76% $14,600 $4,000 $18,600

2552 100.00% $178,300

Estimated Cost of Shuttle Operation $178,300

Total Covered by Property Owners $124,300

REV Ridership, 2014 – 2015, January-April 2016

612576

636

536

832

666

760

960

696

861

669

852911

824

1102

956

1094

1011

1510

1191

1026

1439

952

1095

1401

11681165

1513

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1100

1200

1300

1400

1500

1600

Janary Febrary March April May June July August September October November December

2014 2015 2016

Food Truck Rodeo Hartwell Area Shuttle Launch

500+ lunch goers

Any examples of how the

REV has improved your

daily commute?

Convenience and comfort

Spending less gas money

Less stressful than driving or taking a public bus

Most Common Responses

Ridership Growth, 2014 - 2015

2014: 8,656 rides

2015: 13,111 rides51% increase in ridership

Lexington Center Rides, 2015: 2,445

Value of Alternative Transportation in Marketing Real Estate

Government & Nonprofit

Power of partnerships