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Commute trip reduction
Promoting green commuting for a better environment
Washington's Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Law, enacted in 1991, encourages eco-friendly commuting options like public transit, carpooling, biking, walking, and telecommuting. If your workplace has over 100 employees arriving between 6 to 9 am, it may be subject to the CTR law.
Build your CTR program
Encourage employees to find alternatives to driving themselves to work.
Employers subject to the CTR law must develop and implement a CTR program.
Your program will be designed and run by you, and will reflect your industry, region, and organizational culture. Each program will promote commuting in a more sustainable way through incentives.
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Appoint staff to run your program
CTR law requires employers to appoint an Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC) to implement, promote and administer your CTR program. In most cases, the ETC is an internal role, not a full-time staff position without other duties. King County offers training and resources for ETC staff.
Your ETC is the point person for coordination with jurisdictions and employees. Larger employers often also appoint a Program Manager within their company to develop and oversee the program. Your CTR staff should be knowledgeable about your jurisdiction’s CTR ordinances and familiar with the universal steps involved in managing a CTR program.
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Develop a CTR program
Your program will be a combination of incentives and resources aimed at reducing the number and length of drive-alone commutes to your worksite(s). Common elements that many CTR programs in the Puget Sound have found successful:
- Provide free or subsidized ORCA passes through ORCA Business Programs
- Support bike commuting by providing secure bike storage, showers and lockers
- Offer WorkSmart programs—allowing employees to work from home or alter their schedules
- Charge for parking
- Priority parking for carpools and vanpools
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Submit your program for approval
Your CTR program must be approved every 2 years by your jurisdiction representative.
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Implement and promote your CTR program
Put your program into practice and tell your employees about your CTR program.
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Conduct a baseline survey
You must conduct a baseline survey within 90 days of becoming affected by the CTR law. A program report must be submitted to your jurisdiction 90 days after receiving your baseline survey results.
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Stay in compliance
Distribute information annually about your CTR program to your employees. Conduct a survey every 2 years on your employees' commute behavior and compare against benchmark goals based on the previous results.
Program roles
Staffing your CTR program
CTR law requires employers to appoint an Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC) to implement, promote and administer your CTR program.
Some employers, particularly large organizations or those with more than one CTR-affected worksite, also appoint a CTR Program Manager. The Program Manager is commonly tasked with the broader tasks of developing a CTR program and policies that fit within your organization’s culture and then ensuring compliance.
In most cases, the ETC is an internal role, not a full-time staff position without other duties. King County offers training and resources for ETC staff.
Successful ETCs are frequently:
- Interested in environmental issues.
- Interested in alternative commuting or already commuting by transit, carpool, vanpool, bike or foot.
- Good communicators with access to employees across the company.
- In positions that allow the flexibility to implement and promote the program.
The ETC is responsible for:
- Developing the CTR program and submitting it for review by your jurisdiction.
- Implementing the CTR program in compliance with your jurisdiction’s CTR laws.
- Completing the biennial Employer Program Report.
- Conducting biennial survey of employees’ commute behavior.
- Promoting use of alternatives to driving alone and other duties specific to your worksite.
The Program Manager is commonly tasked with the broader tasks of developing a CTR program and policies that fit within your organization’s culture and then ensuring compliance. A Human Resource or Personnel Manager is often an appropriate CTR Program Manager.
Successful Program Managers generally have:
- Skills and background necessary to develop and manage an employee program.
- Policy and budget authority.
- Access to (or a member of) your management team.
- An interest in environmental issues.
- An interest in commute alternatives or someone who already commutes by transit, carpool, vanpool, bike or foot.
Program strategies
Financial motivators are the most effective thing you can offer your employees to encourage changes in commuting behavior.
Thoughtful and strategic subsidies and incentives can bolster your Commute Trip Reduction program and alleviate strain on company resources like parking lots.
Subsidies
Commute subsidies are a direct financial benefit the employer provides that lowers employees’ costs of commuting.
- Subsidized ORCA cards
Provide free or shared-cost transit cards to incentivize commuting by transit. - Pre-tax benefits
Allow employees to use pre-tax income to purchase transit or vanpool passes, or to purchase HOV parking at the jobsite. - HOV parking
Offer discounted or free parking to carpools and vanpools. - Vouchers
Give vouchers or cash to employees who carpool, bike or walk to work.
Incentives
Commute incentives are an offer of a reward that can motivate employees to try an alternative commute or avoid driving alone to work.
- Prize drawings
Employees who change their commute habits are entered in a drawing. - Time and food
Offer paid days off or free lunch for using commute alternatives. - Bonuses
Offer cash bonuses to employees who form new carpools or vanpools. - Contests
Run bicycle commute mileage contests or other competitions to incentive staff to try new commute options.
Better commuting through smarter parking
Providing employees with free parking for their private vehicles can be a large company expense and a surprising source of strife if demand outstrips supply. Offering free parking also actively discourages employees from alternative commuting modes. Even charging for parking spaces can end up encouraging people to drive to work more often!
- Parking cash-out
Calculate your company’s daily per-vehicle parking cost and offer employees who drive the option of accepting a cash payout to give up their parking spot. Payouts can be distributed weekly or processed with payroll. - Daily parking
Monthly parking creates a sunken cost effect that encourages more driving. If you’ve already paid for parking this month, you are more likely to drive because you want the most bang for your buck. By making the employee weigh the cost of parking versus other commute options each day, it encourages positive commuting behavior change.
Program materials
Marketing and communications
Most King County jurisdictions require, at a minimum, that you distribute information about your CTR program to all employees annually and as part of your new-hire onboarding process.
Presentations, summaries and internal marketing are useful tools for describing your worksite’s CTR program and can help your employees learn about alternative commutes. Program materials typically outline available commute options and include:
- Name and contact information of your Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC)
- Commuting resources
- Company policies that influence commute choice
CTR-affected worksites are required to include a copy of their current CTR program summary when submitting their program report. Some cities have additional requirements, so you will need to check your jurisdiction’s ordinance.
Success stories
Sea-Tac: Delta Airlines
Delta Airlines had a 96% response rate to their survey—the highest response of any employer in the south King County region.
Auburn: Green River College
Like other community colleges in south King County, Green River College (GRC) is experiencing—and managing—phenomenal growth.
Des Moines: Highline College
Highline College also experienced success with their Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) program.
Federal Way: International Paper
International Paper has had one of the longest-running Vanpools for any business: 28 years.