Chapter 11.90 — TRIP REDUCTION ORDINANCE PROGRAM

The purpose of this chapter is to promote the development of trip reduction ordinance programs at employer

work sites with one hundred or more employees during the afternoon peak traTc period, four p.m. to six p.m., in

order to reduce traTc impacts within the city.

The passage of Senate Bill 437 in February 1996, prohibits any public agency from requiring employers to

implement an employee trip reduction program unless required by the federal government. Participation in this

program is voluntary. (Ord. 2015 NCS §1, 1996; Ord. 1886 NCS §1, 1992.)

Government Code Section 65089.3 requires cities and counties to adopt and implement a trip reduction and travel

demand ordinance. (Ord. 1886 NCS §1, 1992.)

For the purpose of this chapter, the following words and phrases are deRned and shall be construed as set forth in

this section.

A. "City" means and refers to the city of Petaluma.

B. "Average vehicle ridership (AVR) calculations" means AVR for the work site(s) shall be calculated by dividing

the number of employee days summed over the survey week by the number of vehicle trips summed over the

survey week.

C. "Employee survey" means a form designed to provide information to calculate AVR for the work site. It will

ascertain how the employee travels to and from work.

The Petaluma Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.

Title 11 Vehicles and TraTc | Petaluma Municipal Code Page 71 of 77

D. "Peak period" means 6:00 a.m. through 10:00 a.m., Monday through Friday, inclusive.

E. "Carpool" means a vehicle occupied by two to six people traveling together between their residence and their

work site or destination for the majority of the total trip distance. Employees who work for diUerent employers, as

well as non-employed people, are included within this deRnition as long as they are in the vehicle for the majority

of the total trip distance.

F. "Vanpool" means a vehicle occupied by seven to Rfteen people traveling together between their residence

and their work site or destination for the majority of the total trip distance. Employees who work for diUerent

employers, as well as nonemployed people, are included within this deRnition as long as they are in the vehicle for

the majority of the total trip distance.

G. "Buspool" means a vehicle occupied by sixteen or more people traveling together between their residence

and their work site or destination for the majority of the total trip distance. Employees who work for diUerent

employers, as well as nonemployed people, are included within this deRnition as long as they are in the vehicle for

the majority of the total trip distance.

H. "Vehicle trip" means a trip based on the means of transportation used for the greatest distance of an

employee’s home-to-work commute trip for employees who start work during the peak period. Each vehicle trip to

the work site shall be calculated as follows:

Single-occupant vehicle = 1

Carpool = 1 divided by number of people in carpool

Vanpool = 1 divided by number of people in vanpool

Motorcycle, moped, motorized scooter, or motor bike = 1

Public transit = 0

Buspool = 0

Bicycle = 0

Walking and other non-motorized transportation modes = 0

Telecommuting = 0 on days employee is telecommuting for the entire day

Compressed Workweek = 0 on employee’s compressed day(s) oU

Zero-emission vehicle = 0

I. "Commute" means the home-to-work or work-to-home trip.

J. "Commute alternatives" mean carpooling, vanpooling, public transit, bicycling or walking, or alternative

routing.

The Petaluma Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.

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K. "Employer" means any person(s), Rrm, business, educational institution, government agency, non-proRt

agency or corporation, or other entity that employs persons. Several subsidiaries or units that occupy the same

work site and report to one common governing board or governing entity or that function as one corporate unit

are considered to be one employer.

L. "Employee" means any person employed by a person(s), Rrm, business, educational institution, nonproRt

agency or corporation, government or other entity, including independent contractors. The term excludes the

following as deRned elsewhere in this rule: seasonal employees; temporary employees; volunteers, Reld

personnel; and Reld construction workers.

M. "Seasonal employee" means a person who is employed for less than a continuous ninety-day period, or an

agricultural employee who is employed for up to a continuous sixteen-week period.

N. "Temporary employee" means any person employed by an employment service that reports to a work site

other than the employment service work site under a contractual arrangement with a temporary employer.

O. "Field personnel" means employees who spend twenty percent or less of their work time at the work site and

who do not report to the work site during the peak period for pick-up and dispatch or an employer-provided

vehicle.

P. "Field construction worker" means an employee who reports directly to work at a construction site.

Q. "Volunteer" means a person who does not receive wages for work activity at the work site.

R. "Independent contractor" means an individual who enters into a direct written contract or agreement with an

employer to perform certain services. The period of the contract or agreement is at least ninety continuous days,

or is open-ended.

S. "Transportation coordinator" means the person designated by the employer who is responsible for daily

administration of employer requirements under this chapter.

T. "Employee transportation coordinator" means an employee, other individual, or entity appointed by an

employer to develop, market, administer, and monitor the employer trip reduction program or employer trip

reduction plan on a full or part-time basis.

U. "Work site" means a structure, building, portion of a building, or grouping of buildings that are in actual

physical contact or are separated solely by a private or public roadway or other private or public right-of-way, and

that are occupied by the same employer.

V. "Work site employee threshold" means one hundred employees at a single work site, on an average daily

basis, for a ninety-day period provided at least Rfty employees are normally scheduled to report to the work site

on a daily basis during the peak commute period.

W. "Employee day" means each day of the survey week that an employee starts work during the peak period.

Notes: Employees telecommuting or who are oU due to a compressed work week schedule are counted toward

the total employee days. The following employees are not counted toward the total employee days:

The Petaluma Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.

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-- Employees on vacation, sick leave, jury duty, or other time oU;

-- Employees reporting to a diUerent work site or an oU-site work-related activity.

X. "Compressed workweek" means a regular full-time work schedule that eliminates at least one round-trip

commute trip (both home-to-work and work-to-home) at least once every two weeks. Examples include, but are

not limited to, working three twelve-hour days or four ten-hour days within a one-week period; or eight nine-hour

days and one eight-hour day within a two-week period.

Y. "Telecommuting" means a system of working at home, oU site, or at a telecommuting center, for a full

workday, that eliminates the trip to work or reduces travel distance by Rfty percent or more.

(Ord. 1969 NCS § 2, 1994; Ord. 1886 NCS § I, 1992.)

Average vehicle ridership is established to measure progress toward achieving an increase in the use of commute

alternatives and reducing peak hour vehicle trips. The following are AVR goals:

A. By July l, 1993, the AVR should be 1.20.

B. By July l, 1995, the AVR should be l.25.

C. By July l, 1997, the AVR should be l.30.

D. By July 1, 1999, the AVR should be 1.35.

Example calculation:

100 employees - 83 vehicles = AVR of 1.2

100 employees - 100 vehicles = AVR of 1 17 employees utilizing commute alternatives

(Ord. 1886 NCS §1, 1992.)

A. Employers with One Hundred or More Employees. Every existing or future employer with one hundred

employees or more at the work site within the time period for notiRcation speciRed herein shall do the following:

1. Information program. Each year, post and distribute marketing and informational materials regarding

commute alternatives and their impact on congestion and air pollution. Informational materials shall be

distributed to new employees upon hire.

The Petaluma Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.

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2. Transportation coordinator. Within thirty days following notice from the city, designate a transportation

coordinator for each work site. Within sixty days following appointment, the coordinator shall complete a

coordinator training course approved by the city, unless the coordinator has had one year of experience as a

transportation coordinator. A single coordinator may serve multiple employers.

3. Noti&cation. Within thirty days of designating a transportation coordinator, notify the city transportation

administrator in writing of the name of said designee. NotiRcation shall include the following additional

information:

a. Name/name of business;

b. Number of employees;

c. Business hours;

d. Business telephone number;

e. Business mailing address.

4. Annual employee survey. Each year, during the month of May, conduct an employee transportation survey

at the work site. The survey form shall be provided by the city. The survey will be conducted during a Rve day

period set by the city. The Rrst survey will be conducted in May 1993. A ninety percent return on employee

surveys from each business is desired.

5. Annual report. Submit to the city transportation administrator the surveys conducted during the

reporting period. The annual report shall be submitted by August 1 of the reporting year. The annual report

consists of the employees’ completed surveys.

6. Certi&cation of compliance. If the Bay Area Air Quality Management District adopts a trip reduction rule,

employers subject to this chapter and the Bay Area Quality Management District Trip Reduction Rule, may Rle

a certiRcation of compliance from the Bay Area Quality Management District with the city in lieu of complying

with this chapter.

(Ord. 2015 NCS §2, 1996; Ord. 1886 NCS §1, 1992.)

A. Transportation Administrator. City shall designate a transportation administrator.

B. Technical Guidance and Support. The transportation administrator will provide guidance and support to

employers in complying with the provisions of this chapter.

1. The city shall provide employers with required commute alternatives information.

2. The city shall provide employers employee commute survey form.

   The Petaluma Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.

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3. The city shall survey data processing.

4. The city shall distribute survey results to employers.

5. The city shall coordinate local training for employers’ transportation coordinators.

C. City Evaluation.

1. Annual evaluation. The city transportation administrator will review employer compliance with the

requirements of this chapter. The evaluation will include a review of annual reports (employer surveys).

2. Report to city council. The city transportation administrator will submit an annual report to the city council

describing the results of the surveys and the achievement of the goals of this chapter.

D. Citywide Dissemination of Information.

1. The city transportation administrator will make available to all interested parties, within the city of

Petaluma, commute alternative information.

(Ord. 1886 NCS §1, 1992.)