Mid-South Transportation and Parking Association March 20, 2007 1

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• 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.
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• ACT International Conference • Chapter/Regional Events • TDM Review (quarterly journal) • TDM eReview (biweekly e-mail) • Online members-only directory • NetConferences • Professional development seminars 4

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• 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 6

• 511 Council • Employer Council - Coming Soon! • HOV/HOT Council • Public Policy Council • Telework Council • TMA Council • University Council • Vanpool Council 7

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) 8

• 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) 9

• 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 10

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• 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?
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• 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 15

• 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 16

Brian Shaw Director of Campus Transportation & Parking Services University of Chicago 17

Storing Vehicles...
Debt service + operating costs ~ $30,000/space?
Plus…opportunity cost of land
…more expensive than facilitating movement of people.
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• 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 19

• • 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 (CO 2 ) 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 NO X and reduce 7,750 short tons of CO 20

2002 • Drive alone: 72% • Train: 4% 2006 • Drive-alone: 55% • Train: 15% 21

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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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) 25

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
.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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 30

• 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 31

• 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.
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• 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/ 33

• 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.
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• Public transportation via Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) • University-operated extensive shuttle system • Vanpooling • Zipcar (6 cars on campus) • Bicycling 35

• 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 36

• 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 37

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• 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 39

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• 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 new parking construction expenses.” in • Contacts – Keith Johnson (734-764-3427; rkj@bf.umich.edu) and Brian Pawlowski (734-764-1100) 41

• 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 42

• Vital niche • Competing for funds • USDOT commission • Challenge of climate change • New thinking…new partnerships 43

• Old: parking versus TDM • New: parking
and
TDM together • Explore opportunities to collaborate 44

• Participate via membership • Participate via ACT International Conference • Mark Wright mark@actweb.org
202-712-9050
www.actweb.org
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