Monterey County Municipal Code Ch. 12.80 Voluntary Automobile Trip Reduction

This Chapter outlines the requirements for the Facilities Trip Reduction Ordinance. It includes definitions and land use considerations which will help achieve the overall goals of 1.6 percent per year trip reduction, 1.35 average vehicle ridership (AVR), or sixty (60) percent drive alone rate (DAR).

The intent of this Chapter is to ensure that new development, redevelopment, and expanse existing development contain the needed infrastructure and programs to, firstly, reduce the need to travel, and, secondly, to encourage alternative modes of travel. "Trip" as used herein refers to all trip purposes and all modes of travel.

(Ord. No. 5301, § 2, 4-3-2018)

For the purposes of this Chapter, the following words and phrases are defined and explained:

A. "Alternative transportation mode" means any mode of travel that serves as an alternative to the single occupant vehicle. This can include all forms of ridesharing such as carpooling or vanpooling, public transit, bicycling, walking, or alternative modes such as telecommuting.

B. "Applicable development" means any new development project that is determined to meet or exceed the fifty-employee threshold or any existing development that applies to increase its floor areas by twenty-five thousand (25,000) gross square feet. Applicable developments include complexes exceeding the fifty-employee threshold. The following are the employee generation factors by type of use:

Note: Locally generated data using summer (May—Sept.) figures may be substituted if known.

C. "Average vehicle ridership (AVR)" means the figure determined by dividing the number of employees (including those telecommuting) at a regulated work site who commute to and from work during the peak period, by the number of vehicles driven by these employees between home and the work site over that five-day period. The methodology for calculating AVR is contained in Appendix 2.

D. "Buspool" means a heavy duty vehicle occupied by at least sixteen (16) passengers, the routing or scheduling for which is arranged between employer(s) and transit operators.

E. "Carpool" means an organization of at least two, but not more than six employees traveling together to work in a light duty motor vehicle.

F. "Commercial developer" means a developer of a commercial project that falls under the definition of applicable development above.

G. "Commercial project" means a development to serve business, professional, or office purposes.

H. "Complex" means any business park, shopping center, or mixed use development in separate or common ownership, which can be identified by two or more of the following characteristics:

1. It is known by a common name given to the project by its developer.

2. It is governed by a common set of covenants, conditions, and restrictions.

3. It was approved, or is to be approved as an entity by the County.

4. It is covered by a single tentative or final subdivision map or has been represented to the County as a single site and development.

5. It is located on a single assessor's parcel.

6. It is part of a master plan community or a specific area plan.

At the discretion of the County, a complex may also include the Central Business district and/or strip commercial areas.

I. "Congestion Management Program (CMP)" means the County-wide program developed in accordance with California Government Code Section 65088 et seq., requiring local jurisdictions and Congestion Management Agencies to adopt and implement a trip reduction and travel demand. The CMP law also requires designation of a CMP principal arterial network, a transit network, a land use impact analysis program, a Deficiency Plan and Level of Service monitoring system, and a seven-year capital improvement program.

J. "County" means an administrative body or person within the organizational structure of the County of Monterey, such as the Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission, or Zoning Administrator, with the power to grant a permit or other entitlement for use which requires an administrative determination as to its environmental impact, including its impact on traffic.

K. "Developer" means the individual or company who is responsible for the planning, design, and/or construction of an applicable development project. The developer is the individual who signs all permit applications on behalf of the property owner.

L. "Drive alone rate" means the percentage of employees driving to and from work without a passenger.

M. "Facility(ies)" means the total of all buildings, structures and grounds that encompass a development site, at either single or multiple locations, that comprise or are associated with an application development project.

N. "Mixed-use development" means any development project that combines residential uses with any one of these land uses: day care, office; commercial, light industrial, retail, and business parks.

O. "Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District (MBUAPCD)" means the regional governmental body responsible for the development and enforcement of regulations for control of air pollution within the Counties of Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito.

P. "Park-and-ride lot" means the parking lot located near residential communities or along highway which is served by a transit route or can be used by commuters as a staging area for carpool formation or for catching a bus. A park-and-ride lot may also be used by visitors as a staging area for tourist shuttle buses. Parking is free for commuters or visitors using a park-and-ride lot.

Q. "Parking cash out program" means an employer funded, tax-deductible program where employees provide a cash allowance to an employee that is equivalent to the parking subsidy the employer would otherwise provide. State law requires the County to grant appropriate parking requirement reductions for developments that implement parking cash out programs.

R. "Parking management" means comprehensive management of the location, cost and availability of parking to effect changes in travel behavior, trips generated, and mode used. Parking management involve charging for employee parking, providing an employee transportation monetary allowance for use in paying for a bus pass or other alternative commute mode or charging for a parking space. Parking management can also mean offering preferential, priority or reserved free parking for those employees who use alternative modes. Parking management can also involve changing time limits for parking lot or street parking to reduce employee parkers.

S. "Permit" means a discretionary permit for use requiring an administrative determination as to its environmental impact, including its impact on traffic.

T. "Residential developer" means an individual, group or designee responsible for the development of single family or multiple family housing units in which twenty-five (25) or more housing units will be constructed as a part of a single application.

U. "Site development plan" means a precise plan of development that may be subject to public hearing before the Planning Commission, or that may or may not be subject to a discretionary permit.

V. "Special event" means a seasonal, recurring activity or a singular event which attracts both residents and non-residents to a facility for recreational or other activities.

W. "Special event promoter" means the applicant who applies to stage, present, or advertise a special event.

X. "Telecommuting" means a method of conducting work without leaving one's residence and thereby eliminating the commute round trip.

Y. "Tourist-oriented development" means a development whose purpose is to accommodate, or to sell to, the traveling public, or to promote tourism.

Z. "Transportation Demand Management (TDM)" means the implementation of programs, pricing, or policies designed to encourage changes in individual travel behavior. TDM can include pricing to affect travel mode change; an emphasis on alternative travel modes to the single occupant vehicle (SOV) such as carpools, vanpools and transit; reduction or elimination of vehicle trips, or shifts in the time of vehicle commutes to other than the peak period. A listing of TDM techniques is included as Appendix 1.

AA. "Transportation Management Association (TMA)" means a group of employers or others joining together in a formal association with the intent to reduce trips.

BB. "Trip." See vehicle trip.

CC. "Trip reduction" means reducing the number of trips made in single occupant vehicles.

DD. "Trip Reduction Checklist" means the method to be used by developers to outline TDM measures they will implement to reduce trips.

EE. "Vanpool" means the organization of seven or more persons traveling to and from work in one vehicle.

FF. "Vehicle trip" means a point to point journey or trip in one direction utilizing a vehicle. For example, an employed mother driving a car and dropping off two children at two day care facilities and then going to an instant cash facility on the way to her job, makes a total of four vehicle trips.

(Ord. 3687, 1993).

(Ord. No. 5301, § 2, 4-3-2018)

This Chapter shall apply to all residential developers, commercial developers, or tourist-oriented facility developers, and to all applicable developments.

(Ord. 3687, 1993).

(Ord. No. 5301, § 2, 4-3-2018)

A. Monterey County shall ascertain compliance, review residential development proposals, apply the Chapter and ensure and enforce its implementation. The County shall seek transit operator input into this process.

B. The County shall also ensure compliance with this Chapter in the review and approval of new, development and special events.

(Ord. 3687, 1993).

(Ord. No. 5301, § 2, 4-3-2018)

A. Developers of all residential developments with twenty-five (25) or more units must submit a Trip Reduction Checklist as part of the discretionary permit review process. The Checklist and site development shall identify proposed design elements and facilities that encourage alternative transportation use for residents of the development.

B. The County shall take into consideration the nature and size of the project when reviewing the Trip Reduction Checklist. The County will determine the necessary programs as part of the permit approval process. After review of the Trip Reduction Checklist prepared by the developer, the County may require, but not be limited to, one or all of the following programs from the developer:

1. Provide ridesharing, public transportation, and nearby licensed child care facility information to tenants/buyers as part of move-in materials.

2. Print transit scheduling information on all promotional materials.

3. Install bicycle amenities, such as bicycle racks and bicycle lanes (where appropriate), paths and routes, and at intermodal connection points.

4. Provide bus pull-outs, pedestrian access, transit stops, shelters and amenities as part of the site plan, as described in the MST Development Review Guidebook or subsequent publications.

5. Provide locked and secure transportation information centers or kiosks with bus route and schedule information, as part of common areas.

6. Provide pedestrian facilities linking transit stops and common areas.

7. Provide financial resources for site amenities that reduce vehicle trips.

8. Provide park-and-ride facilities.

9. Provide on-site child care facilities.

10. Provide local TDM improvements defined as shuttle bus services or bus pools or improved transit service as part of the development.

11. Provide facilities such as computers and modems to encourage telecommuting.

12. Provide trip generation fees with proceeds to go toward provision of transit service, Transportation Management Associations, ridesharing services and other alternative transport services.

13. Provide mixed land uses designed to reduce the length and number of vehicle trips where permitted by the zoning ordinance.

14. Provide pedestrian and bicycle system improvements.

15. Provide transit oriented design or pedestrian oriented design, or both.

The County may require other measures to be added to or substituted for any or all of the above. Additional techniques for reducing trips are acceptable.

(Ord. 3687, 1993).

(Ord. No. 5301, § 2, 4-3-2018)

A. Developers of all tourist-oriented developments must submit a Trip Reduction Checklist as part of the permit review process. The Checklist shall identify proposed design elements and facilities that encourage alternative transportation usage by visitors to the development.

B. The County shall take into consideration the nature and size of the project when reviewing the Trip Reduction Checklist. The County will determine the necessary programs as part of the permit approval process and in consultation with the transit operator. After review of the Trip Reduction Checklist prepared by the tourist-oriented developer or special event promoter, the County may require, but not be limited to, one or all of the following programs:

1. Provide park-and-ride, public transportation shuttles, and associated marketing to special event ticket purchasers as part of the special event promotion or site or business promotion.

2. Print transit scheduling information on all promotional materials.

3. Install bicycle amenities, such as bicycle racks and bicycle lanes (where appropriate), paths or routes, and at intermodal connection points.

4. Provide bus pull-outs, pedestrian access, transit stops, shelters and amenities as part of the site plan, as described in the MST Development Review Guidebook or subsequent documents.

5. Provide locked and secure transportation information centers or kiosks with bus route/schedule information, as part of common areas and at intermodal connection points.

6. Provide pedestrian facilities linking transit stops and common areas and at intermodal connection points.

7. Provide financial resources for site amenities that reduce vehicle trips.

8. Provide park-and-ride facilities.

9. Provide local TDM improvements defined as shuttle bus services or bus pools or improved transit service as part of the development.

10. Pay trip generation fees with proceeds to go toward provision of transit service, Transportation Management Associations, ridesharing services, and other alternative transport services.

11. Provide mixed land uses designed to reduce the length and number of vehicle trips where permitted by the zoning ordinance.

12. Provide pedestrian and bicycle system improvements.

13. Provide alternative transportation from the airport, provide airport information displays, contribute to the marketing or fare promotions of transit service and transit passes, provide concierges as sources of tourist transit promotion, rent bicycles to visitors, provide contributions of funds for implementing rail service to the area, provide transit information displays.

14. Provide educational and marketing strategies designed to induce tourists to reduce their vehicle trips.

15. Prepare programs and projects to provide alternatives to automobile transportation into Monterey County.

The County may require other measures to be added to or substituted for any or all of the above. Additional measures which reduce vehicle trips are acceptable.

(Ord. 3687, 1993).

(Ord. No. 5301, § 2, 4-3-2018)

A. Developers of all commercial developments must submit a Trip Reduction Checklist as part of the permit review process. The Checklist shall identify proposed design elements and facilities that encourage alternative transportation usage by the customers and employees of the development.

B. The County shall take into consideration the nature and size of the project when reviewing the Trip Reduction Checklist. The County will determine the necessary programs as part of the permit approval process. After review of the Trip Reduction Checklist prepared by the developer, the County may require, but not be limited to, one or all of the following programs:

1. Provide ridesharing, public transportation and nearby child care facility information to employees as part of orientation materials.

2. Provide on-site day care for customers and employees.

3. Provide on-site banking automatic teller machines (ATMs), restaurants, dry cleaners, grocery, and other typically needed services to reduce the need for vehicle trips. Link these uses with convenient and pedestrian oriented paths. Provide transit access that allows bus passengers convenient access to uses with a minimum of walking distance.

4. Locate building entrances close to bus stops with access uninterrupted by parking lots, parking aisles, and interior roadways. Place parking at the rear of the development and the transit stop at the front of the development near the main entrance.

5. Print transit information in employee paychecks occasionally. Provide on-site trip information displays.

6. Install bicycle amenities such as bicycle racks and bicycle lanes (where appropriate), paths or routes, and at intermodal connection points.

7. Provide bus pull-outs, pedestrian access, transit stops, shelters and amenities as part of the development as described in the MST Development Review Guidebook or subsequent documents.

8. Provide locked and secure alternative mode information kiosks.

9. Offer parking cash out program for employees.

10. Provide park-and-ride facilities within the development which are not limited to on-site customers or employees.

11. Provide preferential parking for employees who rideshare.

12. Provide local TDM improvements defined as shuttle bus services/bus pools or improved transit service as part of the development.

13. Provide facilities and policies to encourage telecommuting.

14. Provide pedestrian, bicycle, and transit system improvements.

The County may require other measures to be added to or substituted for any or all of the above. Additional measures which reduce vehicle trips are acceptable.

(Ord. 3687, 1993).

(Ord. No. 5301, § 2, 4-3-2018)

As part of the annual conformance process of the Congestion Management Program, the County shall provide the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) with materials and documentation as needed. The County shall ascertain compliance by reviewing tourist shuttle implementation, special event transportation shuttles and parking programs, park-and-ride lot development, provisions for bicyclists and pedestrians, and other parking, pricing, marketing efforts, and educational strategies to induce reduced trips.

(Ord. 3687, 1993).

(Ord. No. 5301, § 2, 4-3-2018)

Enforcement will occur via the implementation of the County's zoning ordinances, subdivision ordinances, development standards and permit conditions. Upon project completion and final inspection, the department issuing the permit shall enforce the conditions.

(Ord. 3687, 1993).

(Ord. No. 5301, § 2, 4-3-2018)

A. A violation of any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be an infraction.

B. Failure to incorporate trip reduction techniques as mandated by this ordinance into new or expanded development is a violation of this ordinance.

C. Failure to submit the Trip Reduction Checklist is a violation of this ordinance.

D. Each day that a provision of this ordinance, or the terms and conditions of any approved Trip Reduction Checklist are violated shall constitute a separate violation.

E. Falsifying information is a violation of this ordinance.

F. Failure to ensure that required amenities are available for alternative modes for the life of the development or until the development permit conditions are otherwise amended is a violation of this ordinance.

(Ord. 3687, 1993).

(Ord. No. 5301, § 2, 4-3-2018)

For purposes of ensuring that the provisions of this Chapter are fully adhered to, the County may, following written notice, initiate enforcement actions against property owners, developers or designees which may include, but not be limited to, the following:

A. Withhold approval of development permits.

B. Issue stop work order.

C. Initiate proceedings to revoke the site development permit or other discretionary action.

D. Withhold issuance of a certificate of occupancy.

E. Withhold final building permit sign-off.

F. Withhold consideration of other applications pending from the same developer.

(Ord. 3687, 1993).

(Ord. No. 5301, § 2, 4-3-2018)

Revenues received from fines levied to ensure compliance with this ordinance shall be used to support alternative transportation.

(Ord. 3687, 1993).

(Ord. No. 5301, § 2, 4-3-2018)

APPENDIX 1. TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT (TDM) TECHNIQUES

TDM techniques may include the following:

1. Ridesharing:

a. Carpool/vanpool matching.

b. Preferential parking for carpools and vanpools.

c. Carpool/vanpool financial subsides or rewards.

d. Employer-provided vehicles for carpools/vanpools.

e. Employer-sponsored vanpools.

f. Ridesharing marketing campaigns.

g. Financial subsidy of vanpool liability insurance.

2. Transit:

a. Work site transit ticket sales.

b. Transit ticket financial subsidies.

c. Transit route maps and schedules distributed and displayed on-site at the workplace.

d. Shuttle to transit lines.

3. Trip Elimination:

a. Compressed work weeks.

b. Work-at-home programs.

c. Telecommuting.

4. Parking Pricing:

a. Establishing fees for employee parking that cost as much as a monthly bus pass.

b. Elimination of any employer parking financial subsidy.

c. Transition from employer parking financial subsidy to general transportation monetary allowance for all employees.

d. Reduced parking rates for carpools and vanpools.

5. Bicycle and Pedestrian:

a. Bicycling financial subsidies or rewards.

b. Financial subsidy to employees for the purpose of bicycles for commute trip use.

c. Bicycle lockers or other secure, weather-protected bicycle parking facilities.

d. Bicycle access to building interior.

e. Bicycle and/or walking route information.

f. On-site bicycle registration.

6. On-Site Facilities/Services:

a. Employee shower facilities and clothes lockers.

b. Site modifications that would encourage walking, transit, carpool, vanpool and bicycle use.

c. On-site services to reduce mid-lay vehicle trips, e.g., direct deposit of payroll, cafeteria, automatic teller machines, apparel cleaning, etc.

d. On-site transportation fair to promote commute alternatives.

7. Other:

a. Membership in a Transportation Management Association that provides services and incentives.

b. Establishment of employee committee to help design, develop, and monitor the trip reduction program.

c. Guaranteed ride home program.

d. Financial subsidies or rewards for using walking and other non-motorized transportation modes, transit, or carpools.

e. Shuttles between multiple work sites.

f. Providing child day care at/near work site.

g. Enhance trip reduction efforts.

8. Any additional techniques not listed here which bring about the desired reduction in vehicle trips.

(Ord. 3687, 1993).

(Ord. No. 5301, § 2, 4-3-2018)

APPENDIX 2. AVERAGE VEHICLE RIDERSHIP (AVR) METHODOLOGY

The average period cannot contain a holiday and shall be for a normal, representative week. The AVR for the work site is calculated by dividing the total "employee days" by the total "vehicle trip days" for the survey week. The survey will be done at least annually for the same sample week.

Employee-days are the total number of employees reporting or assigned to a work site during the peak period each work day of the survey week. The following procedures are used in totaling employee-days:

1. Employees who telecommute or are off due to a compressed work week schedule are counted as reporting to the work site in calculating the total employee-days.

2. The following employees are included in the employee-days total:

a. Employees not working because of vacation, sickness, or other time off.

b. Employees who report to a different work site of an off-site work-relative activity.

c. Disabled employees.

Vehicle Trip-Days. The total number of vehicles used by employees in reporting to the work site each work day of the survey week. A vehicle trip-day is based on the means of transportation used for the greatest distance of an employee's home-to-work commute trip. The following numerical values are used in calculating vehicle trip-days:

1. Single occupant vehicle (drive alone) = 1.

2. Employee dropped-off vehicle by another person = 1.

3. Carpool = 1 divided by the number of employees on the carpool, regardless of whether the other employees in the carpool work for the employer or at the work site.

4. Vanpool = 1 divided by the number of employees in the vanpool, regardless of whether the other employees in the vanpool work for the employer or at the work site.

5. Motorcycle, moped, scooter, or motor bike = 1.

6. The following = 0 vehicle trip-days:

a. Public transit.

b. Private buspool.

c. Bicycle.

d. Walking and other non-motorized transportation modes.

e. Employees who telecommute (only on the days those employees work at home for the entire day).

f. Employees who work a compressed work week schedule (only on their compressed day(s) off).

g. Disabled employee vehicle at all times.

Example of AVR calculation:

100 employees all commuting to and from work

Employees reporting to work:

Number of vehicles driven to work site by these employees:

The AVR is calculated by dividing the number of employees reporting to work during the week by the number of vehicles driven to work:

Average Vehicle Ridership = (500 employees/370 vehicles) = 1.35

(Ord. 3687, 1993).

(Ord. No. 5301, § 2, 4-3-2018)