Evaluating TDM:
Charlotte, North Carolina
Case Study
Presenter:
Margaret Dwyer, AICP
October 22, 2008
URS TDM Services
• National TDM Services
– Turn-key Program Management
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Employer Outreach
Community/Public Involvement
Marketing Services
Incentive-Program Development
Safe Routes to Schools Programs
Training (Commuter Choice)
– Program Service Areas
• Massachusetts, Birmingham, Charlotte, Harrisburg, Atlanta,
Southwest Florida, Las Vegas
• Long Island, Minneapolis, Tampa
Presentation Overview
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Focus on Charlotte, North Carolina, Evaluation
Air Quality Improvement Program
Pilot Testing NOx Reduction Strategies
Program Outcomes
“Lessons Learned”
Questions/Comments
Metrolina Region of North/South Carolina
Metrolina Regional Air Quality:
2002 Metrolina Nitrogen Oxide
Emissions
Area
6%
Point
Nonroad
14%
24%
Point
Mobile
Mobile
55%
Nonroad
Area
Business Case
• Key Economic Considerations:
– Traffic congestion is worsening, impacting commute times,
and shipping times
– Industrial permitting standards are becoming more difficult
to obtain and maintain
– Employee, public health risks and related health costs are
rising
– Quality of life suffers in Charlotte, as a result of traffic and
air quality factors
Prior Attempts Had Failed
• What Hadn’t Worked?
– Addressing episodic issues rather than sustainable
change
– Offering an unstructured approach
– Failing to offer the business community one-on-one
assistance
– Failing to create regional momentum
– Offering limited on-site assistance to employees
What Was Needed?
• Program Success Factors:
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A structured, voluntary approach to reduce emissions
A year-round program to sustain activity
Ongoing support from the business community
Public relations/marketing to educate and continue to raise
awareness
– Financial incentives to encourage mode-shift away from
“drive-alone” commuting
– Implementation of solutions before mandatory regulations
are enacted
Charlotte Program Overview
• Project Planning Period
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Initial Mandatory Concept, 2004
Chamber “Test” Pilot, Summer 2005
Regional Air Quality Board Formation
Consultant Selection, Winter 2005
• 2006 Air Quality Pilot Program
• 2007-2008 Program Expansion
Regional AQ Board
• Regional Air Quality Board established in December
2005
• Mission: to facilitate collaborative efforts among
businesses and public entities to address regional air
quality issues
• Supported a regional Pilot Program: Clean Air Works!
– An 8-month air quality initiative
– Program implementation June-September
– Program funding from Mecklenburg County and CMAQ
dollars
Pilot Program:
• Pilot Goals Were:
– To determine the best approaches to encourage
employees to change commuting behaviors;
– To motivate commuter mode shift;
– To track worksite/employee participation; and
– To motivate employers to change their business practices
to lower emissions.
• Business Involvement Goal:
– To secure participation by 50 of the largest companies in
the 8-county Metrolina Region
Clean Air Works!
• Program Components:
– Offered businesses a customized campaign for
their employees
– Adjusted programs to fit with corporate guidelines
and individual companies’ preferences
– Business partners received one-on-one program
support, tracking, and marketing/PR throughout
the project
Program Features
• Worksite Commute Programs:
– Carpooling: ridematching for employees; preferred
parking and signage for carpoolers
– Adjustable work schedules to avoid high commuting
times (flex schedules, compressed work weeks)
– Vanpooling promotions and match funds for vanpool
start-ups during pilot
– Try It Incentives: for employees who try alternatives
to driving alone on designated days
– Operational programs: anti-idling; delayed refueling
Program Features
• Evaluation Strategies
– Worksite assessments to determine existing business
practices
– Customized Employer Action Plans
– Online commuter tracking system established to record
travel behavior
– Mid-summer program assessments
– End of program review
Program Features
• Public Relations Components
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Business recruitment in March 2006
Partner Kick-Off Breakfast May 2006
“Clean Air Challenge” June-September
Media coverage highlighted program activities and
participants
– Final awards celebration October 2006
Business Partners by October 2006
Alltel Wireless
American & Efird
Bank of America
Belk, Inc.
BellSouth
Bissell Companies
Bowater
Burchette & Associates
Carolinas Medical Center
Carolinas Medical Center
- Pineville
CaroMont Health
Central Piedmont
Community College
Charlotte Chamber of
Commerce
The Charlotte Observer
Charlotte Pipe & Foundry
Citigroup
Coca-Cola Consolidated
Compass Group
Dixon Hughes
Duke Energy
Environmental Building
Solutions
Family Dollar Stores
First Charter Bank
Food Lion
Froehling & Robertson
Harris Teeter
Hospitality Tourism
Alliance
Johnson C. Smith
University
Johnson & Wales
University
Kennedy Covington
Lash Group
Loftin Printers
Lowe's
Moore & Van Allen
National Gypsum
Northeast Medical
Center
Pharr Yarns
Piedmont Natural
Gas
PSNC Energy
Quaero Corporation
Pharr Yarns
Radiator Specialty Company
Springs Global
SPX
Superior Seeding
Terracon
Time Warner Cable
Tuscan Development
University of North Carolina
Charlotte
Wachovia
Winthrop University
York County Chamber of
Commerce
York Technical College
2006 Outreach Outcomes
• 52 Employer partners
• 13,875 Surveys completed
• 56,283 Employees
participating
• 1,798 Commuters tracking
mode use monthly
• 37,775 alternative trips
captured (23% new)
• 411,650 vehicle miles
reduced (19% new)
• 128 new commute &
operational programs
• 34 Incentive programs
implemented
Sample Programs
• Duke Energy- Implemented a $50 transit/vanpool subsidy; this
fostered a 37% increase in transit pass sales at their Uptown
location
• Moore & Van Allen- Implemented a 10-trip transit pass program; 11
employees gave up their parking spaces and switched to using
transit full time
• Harris Teeter- HT implemented an anti-idling policy for their
distribution center and fleet of vehicles; with 1,200 deliveries each
week, HT reduced 196 pounds of NOx in one month
• Between June and July, Clean Air Works! tracked an increase from
6,354 to 14,027 in alternative-mode trips reported at Partner
worksites
Program Features
• Media Highlights
– Secured over 70 placements in print, radio, television and online
– Reached over 20 million readers, listeners and viewers within the
target market
– Media outlets include:
• Charlotte Observer (including Cabarrus, Union, Gaston and York
sections)
• Charlotte Business Journal
• The Herald (Rock Hill)
• Salisbury Post
• The Mecklenburg Times
• Charlotte Magazine
• Charlotte Chamber’s newsletter, Ventures
• WBTV-TV, WCNC-TV, WSOC-TV, WCCB-TV
• WFAE (NPR), WHRI, WNKS, WKQC, WFNZ, WFNA, WSOC
• MSNBC.com
Media
NOx Emissions Reduced
• Daily
Commute
Reductions
• Monthly
Commute
Reductions
June
July
August
Days
Tracked
20.38
17.25
16.97
Total Pounds
Reduced
4.34
12.68
9.59
June
July
August
Worksites
Tracking
15
31
32
Total Pounds
Reduced
95.47
266.38
220.63
NOx Emissions Reduced
• Daily
Operations
Reductions
• Monthly
Operations
Reductions
June
July
August
Worksites
Tracking
5
5
4
Total
Pounds
Reduced
1,092
1,249
8.56
June
July
August
Worksites
Tracking
5
5
4
Total Pounds
Reduced
22,925
27,717
202.8
Phase Two:
• Program Continuation through 2007
– Year-round effort
– Sustained commute/business practices
– New Operational Focus with onsite operational audits
• Operational Audits
– Customized energy assessments
– Onsite “walk-throughs”
– Summary of findings with recommendations for
implementation
– Follow up
New Operational Audit Service
• Audit consists of:
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Introductory meeting and audit overview
Audit interviews with key facility personnel
Walk-through of facility
Examination of how facility uses energy
Cost of that energy
Review of emission reduction opportunities
Targets for one or two specific areas for examination
Audit Features
• Focus on:
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Fuel, electricity and water-consuming equipment;
Controls;
Ancillary and operational process;
Building envelope;
Renewable energy supply;
Maintenance practices and fleet management
What do Companies Provide?
• Company Provides Information On:
– Energy and fuel usage
– Information on utility rate structures
– Physical and operational data
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Description of operations
Hours
Production levels
List of major energy consuming equipment
Post-Audit Actions
• After the audit, the employer receives a customized
report which includes:
– Energy usage cost information
– NOx patterns
– Facility recommendations and action plan
• Include ideas to reduce emissions on high ozone days
• Staff will work to help implement the action plan
Sample Results
• Identified natural gas usage reduction opportunities
related to space heating in dock and warehouse
areas that will save approximately $14,000 (US) per
year with almost no capital expenditure.
Sample Results
• Identified lighting retrofit to save an additional
$17,000 (US) per year
• Identified additional savings from compressed air leak
survey
• Total operational NOx emission reductions from these
changes are over 1T/yr at this warehouse and light
mfg facility
AbitibiBowater
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AQ Training (1000 employees)
AQ Alerts on Intranet
Gate Greetings/Events
Anti-Idling Policy
Letters To Vendors
CAW Operational Audit
Lighting Replacement Project
Increased Unoccupied Hours of HVAC
Air Quality Flag Program
Preferential Parking Program
Employee Refueling Raffle
Commuter Carpool Raffle
American & Efird
• Kickoff Events (20)
• Air quality education for all 1,300
employees
• Information in new hire packets
• Telework Pilot Program
• Gas Cap Check events
• ‘Try It’ Day events
• CAW Operational Audits (2)
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Delayed Refueling of Fleet
Vehicles
Commuter & Fleet Driver
Refueling Raffles
‘Stay In For Lunch’ Weekly
Raffles
‘Free Fridays’ Cafeteria Item
Onsite Check Cashing
Energy Star Computers
Motion Detector Lighting
“Turn It Off” Energy Saving
program
Duke Energy
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100% Transit & Vanpool Subsidy
Installation of Bicycle Racks
Kickoff Events and ‘Try It’ Days
Flexible work schedules
Telework Initiative
Anti-idling policy
One setting for thermostats
Refuel company vehicles between 7pm and 6am
Hybrid fleet vehicles
Continued Program Success
* Up
from
37,000
in 2006
* Up
from
411,000
in 2006
• 2007 Program Results:
• 130,242 alternative trips reported
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57,170 transit trips
53,445 carpool trips
8,339 vanpool trips
4,294 trips reduced by telecommuting
3,499 walk trips
3,495 bike trips
• 1,741,437 vehicle miles reduced
• 2,573 lbs. of emissions reduced by commuters
• 106,336 lbs. of emissions reduced by operational practices
Program Has Expanded To 100+ Partners
Alltel Wireless
Duke Energy
American & Efird
AT&T
AXA Equitable
Baker & Taylor
Elmer’s Products
Environmental Building Solutions
First Charter Bank
Flakeboard
Food Lion
Freightliner
Froehling & Robertson
Gaston County Chamber of
Commerce
Bank of America
BaxterHarriss
Belk
Bissell Companies
Blythe Brothers Ashphalt
Blythe Brothers Development
Bowater
Burchette & Associates
Carolinas Healthcare System
CaroMont Health
Charlotte Regional Partnership
Charlotte Regional Visitor’s Authority
Bobcats Arena
Charlotte Convention Center
Crickets Arena
Ovens Auditorium
VisitCharlotte
CPCC
Charlotte Chamber of Commerce
The Charlotte Observer
Charlotte Pipe & Foundry
Citi Fort Mill
Coca-cola Consolidated
Compass Group
Comporium
Crescent Resources
Dixon Hughes
GE
Goodwill Industries
Grant Thornton
Greater Statesville Chamber
Harris Teeter
Helm Mulliss Wicker
Home.Charlotte.com
Houser Transport
Hunton & Williams
HTA
Johnson & Wales University
Johnson C. Smith University
Kennedy Covington
KPMG
Lash Group
LeeBoy
Lincolnton-Lincoln County Chamber
Littler Mendelson
Loftin Printers
Marsh
McGee Brothers
Moore & Van Allen
National Gypsum
NewDominion Bank
Pharr Yarns
Piedmont Medical Center
Piedmont Natural Gas
Pratt Industries
PSNC Energy
Quaero Corporation
Radiator Specialty Company
Robert Bosch Tool Company
Sherpa
SHS JAN
Sole Spanish Grille
Southern Building Maintenance Company
Springs Global
SPX Corporation
Superior Seeding
Terracon
Time Warner Cable
The Herald
Travelers
Tube Specialties
Tuscan Development
Tyco Electronics
UNC Charlotte
Union County Chamber
URS Corporation
US GreenFiber
US Security
Valspar
Vanguard
Wachovia
Winthrop University
WSOC-WXAN TV
York County Chamber of Commerce
York Technical College
Zen Asian Fusion
Feedback from Employers
“Harris Teeter
would like to see
the Clean Air Works!
become a yearround effort…”
Terrie Priore, VP
Benefits &
Administration
“We have been very impressed
with the dedication of the
entire Clean Air Works! team
throughout this important
project…”
John Eapen,VP Environmental
Health & Safety
American & Efird
“The team’s enthusiasm,
resourcefulness, and hands-on
assistance made offering and
promoting these programs easy…”
Thomas Pizzo, President
“I have continually
been impressed both
by the entire team’s
attitude toward their
work and their
performance on this
project….”
T. Randolph Perkins,
Moore&VanAllen
“Thank you all for your efforts to provide UNC
Charlotte with an important program to unite us with
the greater Charlotte community to improve air
quality…”
Wayne Walcot, Sr. Associate Provost,
Key Findings
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Aggressive outreach efforts are critical to success
Results can be achieved quickly
Accountability is key
Incentives played a key role in changing and sustaining
behavior
• Umbrella organization supported transportation/AQ
options in the region
– CATS
– NC Air Awareness
– MCAQ (Gas Cap Checks/Change-a-Light events)
Questions/Comments
Margaret Giery Dwyer, AICP
URS Corporation, TDM Services
678.808.8969 – Atlanta office
Margaret_Dwyer@URSCorp.com