Colfax Municipal Code Ch. 10.40 Trip Reduction Program

The purpose of this chapter is as follows:

A. Reduce total vehicle emissions in Placer County and South Placer region by reducing the number of vehicular trips that might otherwise be generated by home-to-work commuting.

B. Reduce traffic congestion in Placer County by reducing both the number of vehicular trips and the vehicular miles traveled that might otherwise be generated by home-to-work commuting.

C. Reduce or delay the need for major transportation facility improvements by making efficient use of existing facilities.

D. Reduce present and future motor vehicle emissions as a contribution for complying with federal and state ambient air quality standards.

E. Implement measures that will work towards attainment of ambient air quality standards and compliance with congestion management program (CMP) requirements.

F. Increase the average vehicle ridership (AVR) during the weekday commute period ("peak period") to work towards goals set forth in the California Clean Air Act.

(Ord. 407 § 2 (part), 1993: prior code § 6-6.01)

The fundamental objective of the trip reduction program as established by this chapter is to increase the average vehicle ridership (AVR) for home-to-work commuting to thirty-three (33) percent higher average number of passengers per vehicle (AVR=1.4) than would occur if all such trips were made in single-occupant vehicles (AVR=1.0). Large employment facilities or common work locations will be expected to accomplish a higher portion of this reduction than small employment centers in recognition of the greater opportunity for rideshare matches and increased viability of transit at large employment facilities.

(Ord. 407 § 2 (part), 1993: prior code § 6-6.02)

It is the intent of this chapter that employers strive to reach the goal of an average vehicle ridership (AVR) of 1.4 persons per vehicle. Employers are required to put forth a good faith effort to encourage employees to use alternative transportation modes through the methods described below.

(Ord. 407 § 2 (part), 1993: prior code § 6-6.03)

As used in this chapter:

"Alternative commute mode" means a method of traveling to and from the worksite other than by single-occupant vehicle (i.e., transit, carpool, vanpool, bicycle, walking, telecommuting).

"Average vehicle ridership (AVR)" means the average number of persons occupying each vehicle. AVR is calculated by multiplying the number of employees by the standard number of trips in a work week (generally ten (10)), then divided by actual number of vehicular trips per work week. For example, if all employees drive alone to work each day, the AVR = 1.0. If there are ten (10) employees and only sixty-seven (67) vehicular trips, then the AVR is 1.5, which means that, on average, each vehicle is transporting 1.5 people to their destination. The higher the AVR, the more people are using alternative transportation methods.

"Carpool" means a motor vehicle occupied by two or more persons traveling to and from work.

"Common work location" means a single building, building complex, campus or work sites at common location. A common work location is typified by a common private parking lot or area to be used by employees, tenants, customers and/or other visitors to the complex, notwithstanding parking slot designations, such as specific spaces designated for specific tenants. Common work locations may be public, private or educational facilities. More than one employer may be grouped at one common work location.

"Commuter" means an employee who travels regularly to and from an employment facility three or more times a week.

"Commuter matching service" means any system for mapping and matching home and work locations of interest commuters to identify prospects for ridesharing.

"Employee" means those who provide a paid service for twenty (20) or more hours per week.

"Employee transportation coordinator (ETC)" means an employee or other individual designated by the employer or project controller to coordinate and implement TSM activities as required by the transportation plan.

"Peak period commuter" means any employee who travels regularly to and from a facility three or more days a week and arrives or departs from the facility between six a.m. to nine a.m. Monday through Friday.

"Project controller" means the owner, lessor and/or manager of a common work location.

"Rideshare program" means the commuter matching service and commuter information service operated by the South Placer TMA or Caltrans-Sacramento Rideshare.

"Ridesharer" means any employee who commutes to and from his or her work location by any mode other than single-occupancy light or medium duty vehicle, motorcycle or moped.

"Shift of employment" means any group of employees who work at a common work location and who arrive and depart from work in a common time interval not greater than one hour.

"Single-occupant vehicle (SOV)" means a motor vehicle occupied by one employee for commute purposes.

"Transportation control measures (TCMs)" means measures used to maintain or improve the efficient movement of persons and goods while reducing the congestion and air quality impacts associated with motorized vehicles.

"Transportation control measure (TCM) coordinator" means the city employee or other individual designated to manage and enforce employer compliance with TRO requirements.

"Transportation management association (TMA)" means an association, usually of public agencies and private firms organized to facilitate, support and encourage the use of alternative transportation methods for commuters.

"Transportation plan" means the plan developed by the employer or project controller to reduce single-occupant vehicle trips, pursuant to Section 10.40.060 of this chapter.

"Trip reduction credit" means the number of points credited to an employer's transportation plan for implementing a specific transportation control measure (TCM) program.

"Vanpool" means a motor vehicle, other than a motor truck or truck tractor, suited for occupancy by more than six but less than sixteen (16) persons including the driver, traveling to and from work.

(Ord. 417 § 1 (part), 1993; Ord. 407 § 2 (part), 1993: prior code § 6-6.04)

A. Level 1—All Employers. Every employer shall encourage use of alternative commute modes by providing the following:

1. Posting in a conspicuous place or places informational material provided by the TCM coordinator to encourage ridesharing, such as:

a. Current schedules, rates (including procedures for obtaining transit passes) and routes of mass transit service to the common work location or employment site;

b. The location of all bicycle routes within at least a five-mile radius of the facility;

c. Posters or flyers encouraging the use of ridesharing and referrals to sources of information concerning ridesharing;

2. Commuter Matching Service. Disseminating annually to all tenants and employees and to new tenants and new employees when hired, written information provided by the TCM coordinator regarding an area-wide commuter ridesharing matching service.

B. Employee Survey Tabulation. All employers will be asked to complete and return an annual survey regarding employees' use of alternative transportation modes. For employers of less than fifty (50), a brief survey form on a postcard will be used. Employers of more than fifty (50) shall be provided a more detailed survey form for completion.

C. Level 2—All Employers or Common Work Locations With One Hundred (100) or More Employees. In addition to the requirements of Level 1, all employers or common work locations with one hundred (100) or more employees shall provide additional encouragement for the use of alternative transportation modes, through the provision of the following incentives and resources:

1. Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC). Every employer or common work location with one hundred (100) or more employees shall facilitate the employees use of an area-wide ridesharing program by designating an employee transportation coordinator (ETC). The name, title, address and telephone number of such coordinator shall be reported to the TCM coordinator within sixty (60) calendar days of the effective date of this chapter for those employers currently having one hundred (100) or more employees or within sixty (60) calendar days after reaching one hundred (100) or more employees. In the case of common work locations, property managers or owners may not be immediately aware when the one hundred (100) employee threshold is met. Annual surveys and/or employers database updates may provide this information to the TCM coordinator sooner, in which case they would then notify the property manager or owner of the new employment level. The ETC should be strongly encouraged to take advantage of educational resources, including training seminars, workshops, training manuals and discussions with other ETCs. ETCs need not be full-time employees, not is it necessary that ETC duties take up a majority of the designated employee's time.

2. The ETCs responsibilities shall include:

a. Publicizing the availability of public transportation;

b. Communicating employee or tenant transportation needs to the city TMC coordinator, property manager, property owner and/or city staff as appropriate;

c. Assisting employees or tenants in forming carpools or vanpools;

d. Developing, coordinating and implementing the employer's transportation plan;

e. Coordinating, documenting and preparing the annual transportation mode survey and report;

f. Performing an annual survey of employees and tenant transportation profile showing the distribution of employees and tenants by transportation mode;

g. Coordinating with property owner and other tenants' transportation plans as applicable;

h. Coordinating participation in a ridesharing program through a transportation management association, either as a member agency or otherwise, including the distribution and collection of commuter matching forms and submittal to the appropriate rideshare program. The information on these forms will then be entered into the regional database to match commuters by home and work address for carpools and vanpools;

i. Coordinating any necessary, authorized on-site visit by city TCM coordinator.

3. Any specific common work location may be excluded from Level II requirements if implementation is deemed infeasible by the city council.

(Ord. 417 § 1 (part), 1993; Ord. 407 § 2 (part), 1993: prior code § 6-6.04)

A. A transportation plan is required for each existing employer or common work location having one hundred (100) or more employees and/or for every employer or common work location upon reaching one hundred (100) or more employees.

B. The transportation plan shall include:

1. Description. A description of the activity and operating characteristics of the proposed or existing project (e.g., business hours and peak hours of travel), including a parking area map or diagram.

2. Existing Conditions. A description of the alternative transportation facilities and programs currently in place, such as bike lockers, preferential carpool parking, rideshare information posting, vanpool subsidies, etc.

3. Estimate. A description and estimation of the commuting characteristics of the labor force (e.g., travel distance and mode).

4. Transportation Control Measures (TCMs). Measures designed to reduce the number of single-occupant vehicle trips.

5. Implementation Schedule. A timeline showing the approximate schedule of implementation of each of the selected mitigation measures.

6. Management Support Letter. In order for the transportation plan to be successfully implemented, the top management of the employer of common work location must be aware of the program and committed to making it work. A letter expressing this commitment is required.

C. If an existing project generates or a new project is expected to generate one hundred (100) or more employees, the plan shall be designed with a goal of achieving an AVR of 1.4. To do this, the plan must include mandatory and optional transportation control measures (TCMs) from the list in subsection B of this section. Each of these transportation control measures (TCMs) are assigned a trip reduction credit; the plan must include measures that have a cumulative total of twenty (20) trip reduction points.

D. The city TCM coordinator shall provide assistance to ETCs in preparing and managing their transportation plan. This assistance may include, but is not limited to, guidebooks to an estimate of the potential effectiveness of common ridesharing activities, sample transportation plans, educational resources and networking opportunities.

(Ord. 407 § 2 (part), 1993: prior code § 6-6.06)

A. In order to meet the required levels of trip reduction, every transportation plan shall list the TCMs proposed to be implemented. Every plan shall include and implement all of the mandatory TCMs set forth in the project requirements. The employer or project controller may then select from optional TCMs that will best serve to reduce commute trips of the employees of the particular project. The transportation plan will then receive the vehicle trip reduction credits as defined in Section 10.40.040 of this chapter. These TCMs shall be selected by the applicant and may include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Payment of subsidies or provision of other incentives to carpoolers or vanpoolers;

2. Payment of parking charges or absorption of vanpool operation expense for ridesharers;

3. Payment of subsidies or provision of incentives for the use of transit or transportation by other than single-occupant motor vehicles;

4. Provision of amenities, such as bicycle lockers, transit shelters, shuttle buses, etc. designed to enhance the use of other than single-occupancy motor vehicles;

5. An adequate number of shower and personal locker facilities for regular bicycle commuters;

6. A vanpool program consisting of a continuously outstanding offer to acquire a van or vans (by purchase, lease or otherwise), to obtain insurance and to make available to any group of at least seven employees a van for their use in a vanpool;

7. Provisions for a flex-time program to shift vehicle trips from the peak period to nonpeak hours. A reduction in vehicle trips per day shall be permitted and calculated in the following manner:

The number of trips taken out of the peak period, divided by the estimated total trips multiplied by 25% would equal the percent reduction of vehicle trips per day credited.

8. Implementation of telecommuting and teleconferencing programs;

9. Implementation of a compressed work week program;

10. Joining and maintaining active membership in a transportation management association (TMA);

11. Provision of necessary services on-site, such as child care, banking, dry cleaning, restaurants and so on;

12. Any other program the applicant may devise, with approval of TCM coordinator and designated approving body.

B. Required Transportation Control Measures (TCMs). Each of the following transportation control measures (TCMs) are assigned a trip reduction credit. Each transportation plan must include measures that have a cumulative total of twenty (20) trip reduction points.

C. Optional Transportation Control Measures (TCMs).

D. A county-wide technical advisory committee comprised of representatives of jurisdictions, the Placer County air pollution control district, TMAs, regional planning agencies, Caltrans and the business community as represented by chambers of commerce will be available to provide technical evaluation of innovative TCM proposals to TCM coordinators and designated approving bodies. This technical advisory committee will then advise the TCM coordinator and designated approving body on the appropriate trip reduction points to be credited to the transportation plan. The input of this technical advisory committee is offered as a support service; it is up to the individual jurisdictions' discretion as to whether to pursue it. In addition, the evaluation and opinion provided by this committee is for advisory purposes only and is in no way binding on the designated approving body's final determination.

E. The transportation plan shall be referred to the city TCM coordinator for review and evaluation of the proposed mitigation measures and recommendation made to the person or body designated by the city to approve the plan.

F. Approving person is the city planner or in the case of appeals, the planning commission and city council.

G. A decision to approve or disapprove the transportation plan shall be deemed final fourteen (14) calendar days after the date that the applicant receives a notice of the approving person or body's decision unless an appeal has been filed pursuant to Section 10.40.120 of this chapter.

(Amended during 2004 codification; Ord. 417 § 1 (part), 1993; Ord. 407 § 2 (part), 1993: prior code § 6-6.07)

A. The ETC shall complete an annual transportation mode survey and status report. The purpose of this report is to verify the dates and results of the mitigation measures specified in the transportation plan.

B. The survey portion of the report requires the ETC to annually perform a transportation survey of employees on standard form to be provided to determine the changes in the distribution of employees using various transportation modes on in comparison with the baseline information. The transportation survey shall include information such as origin and destination of travel, transportation mode used, work schedule and interest in alternative mode commuting. A survey response rate of seventy-five (75) percent is required to ensure the significance of the results. The surveys distributed by the ETC shall be available for audit by the city following the completion of the annual report.

C. The status report portion shows the mitigation measures included in the transportation plan with the implementation or completion date entered for each measure. If a measure was not implemented within the stated time frame, an explanation why it was not done must be included. If there are certain measures stipulated in the previous transportation plan that are believed to no longer be feasible, an explanation must be included.

D. Contents.

1. Compliance Program. Description and documentation of your compliance with mitigation measures described in the transportation plan, including details of individual programs.

2. Commute Characteristics. Status report on effectiveness of transportation plan as shown by the commute characteristics of employees. Specifically, this includes the average number of tenants and/or employees regularly arriving at and leaving the project site by each of the following modes of transportation:

a. Single-passenger motor vehicles (including mopeds);

b. Carpools, including number of vehicles and number of occupants per vehicle;

c. Van-type vehicles with seven or more commuters including the number of vehicles and number of occupants per vehicle;

d. Mass transit;

e. Bicycles;

f. All others.

3. Totals. The total number of tenants and/or employees by work shift at the project site.

4. Employee Characteristics. The zip code and nearest cross streets of each employee's residence.

5. Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC). The name, address and telephone number of the ETC.

6. Statement of Certification. The employer or project controller must certify that the TCMs agreed to for trip reduction credit have been fully implemented. If the TCMs have not been implemented, an explanation must be included and the annual transportation survey and report shall include actions to be taken to implement the program.

(Ord. 407 § 2 (part), 1993: prior code § 6-6.08)

Employers and common work location with one hundred (100) or more employees must comply with this chapter within six months of adoption of the ordinance codified in this chapter. Employers and employment complexes with less than one hundred (100) employees must comply with this chapter within thirty (30) days of receipt of posting information.

(Ord. 407 § 2 (part), 1993: prior code § 6-6.09)

A. The TCM coordinator shall review the annual transportation mode survey and report of each project and compare performance with the goals established in the approved transportation plan. Inspection of the business location by the TCM coordinator may be conducted as necessary to determine compliance with these provisions or to assist ETCs in preparing surveys or reports. Survey will be forwarded to the Placer County transportation commission (PCTC) for calculation of AVR. Survey results will be tabulated by the PCTC and available to employers for review and reference. A good faith effort to encourage employees to use alternative transportation as provided in the transportation plan is required. However, this chapter does not hold employers liable if the results of their efforts on employee commute habits do not produce the state trip reduction goals.

B. If after review of the annual transportation mode survey and report, the TCM coordinator finds the performance has been unsatisfactory in that progress was not made toward full implementation of TCM programs within the approved plan, the TCM coordinator shall notify the employer or project controller in writing that revisions and/or additions must be made in order to achieve the required implementation of TCMs within one year of submittal. The employer or project controller will then be granted thirty (30) days to submit a revised report.

C. If the revised report is still not satisfactory, the TCM coordinator will prepare a staff report to the approving person/body. The approving person/body may then find that the employer or project controller and/or the ETC is in violation of this chapter and recommend that the matter be forwarded to the city council.

(Ord. 407 § 2 (part), 1993: prior code § 6-6.10)

Failure to comply with the requirements of this chapter or with the terms of a transportation plan required pursuant to this chapter shall be deemed a violation and subject to the following penalties:

A. Misdemeanor or as an infraction in the discretion of the city attorney.

B. Violations of this chapter are punishable separately and independently of any other remedies at law or inequity, including, but not limited to, those remedies provided in any applicable transportation plan.

C. In addition to any other penalty allowed, the city council may impose civil or administrative fines of up to five hundred dollars ($500.00) per day for failure to meet the goals set forth in this chapter.

(Ord. 407 § 2 (part), 1993: prior code § 6-6.11)

Appeal from an action taken by the approving person pursuant to this chapter may be made in writing to the city council within twenty (20) days of the approving person's decision.

(Ord. 407 § 2 (part), 1993: prior code § 6-6.12)