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A Multi-modal Approach: Transportation Choices Program |
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by Lisa Quinn
Traffic, congestion, energy consumption, air pollution have escalated, capturing the attention of both the public and elected officials.
Transportation problems consistently rank first among citizen concerns in public opinion polls. The causes of our looming transportation crisis are easy to identify, but difficult to remedy. During the last two decades, San Luis Obispo County has experienced rapid growth in population, employment, single-occupant vehicle use, and truck freight movement. The region’s mobility is further challenged by decentralized development patterns, significant job and house imbalance and relying on a single spine of travel (75% of the trips as a matter of fact) along the 101 corridor. Additionally, funding shortages hamper the region’s ability to improve existing highways and transit service levels, let alone respond to increasing travel demands.
San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) Transportation Plan found growth trends in San Luis Obispo County will continue. Our future, in fact, promises more jobs, more people and more traffic. It is now clear that we will never be able to build our way out of congestion. Instead, we must use a combination of creative ways to address transportation problems.
In San Luis Obispo County, agencies representing the Air Pollution Control District, San Luis Obispo Regional Rideshare and Ride-On Transportation have developed the Transportation Choices Program to provide Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies to businesses in order to keep the county moving. TDM is about reducing vehicle trips and making the systems more efficient. Its strategies are designed to motivate people to change their travel choices – with saving time, cost and stress – rather than always selecting to drive alone. The Transportation Choices Program works with over 40 employers throughout the county providing free consultation including worksite analysis, transportation surveys and transportation plans.
Decision makers in San Luis Obispo County know the importance of managing travel demand. The Regional Transportation Plan relies heavily on TDM as one of the principal strategies for meeting the travel needs of our region’s growing population. Similarly, the 2006 Transportation System Performance Indicators Report clearly shows there is a need for significantly increasing the effectiveness of transportation demand management in our region.
SLOCOG has invested in core TDM techniques by funding the SLO Regional Rideshare program, providing a one-stop shop for transportation information including carpool and vanpool matching (housing over 3,000 names of individuals in the county looking to share the ride with another person), guaranteed ride home and promotions expanding from Bike Month to Rideshare Week. While these are all part of the solution, more needs to be done. There is no silver bullet, only a silver buck shot. This buck shot is most effective when mutually supportive techniques are used in a coordinated approach.
TDM is aimed at motivating and reinforcing changes in travel. The motivator must be something the market values. This can come in the form of saving time, money and relieving stress. The use of incentives and disincentives is a defining feature of TDM. As for incentives, SLO Regional Rideshare provides personalized trip planning assistance and in April will launch the region’s first online commuter database to instantly link others with potential carpool, vanpool or bike buddy matches. The program provides incentive programs, which allow the commuter to earn points for using transportation options besides driving alone to work. The points are then redeemed for gift certificates to various businesses in the area, and other financial incentives are provided in the form of grants to individuals and companies who provide innovative programs. Parking charges and high gas prices present a financial disincentive. These incentives and disincentives can influence individual travel behavior. They can also motivate employers, transit agencies and other service providers to do their part. TDM includes providing choices to driving alone, whether by carpool, vanpool, transit, bicycle, walking, working from home or flexible work schedules.
TDM encourages the development of new products and innovations that will work in changing travel markets. SLO Regional Rideshare broadens its approach by working with the Senior Mobility Project. Additionally, it reaches schools by facilitating a Safe Routes to School program.
Perhaps it is helpful to think about TDM in business terms. TDM is really a package of common business management practices known as “asset management.” Just as businesses try to increase efficiency, respond to their markets and use new technology, so does TDM. Just as businesses try to maximize capital return through adding second employee shifts, TDM tries to maximize the use of the highway through spreading the peak hours of road use and eliminating trips. Businesses may use just-in-time inventory, while TDM uses traffic-signal timing and timed transfers and bike loops. Businesses use express check-out stands and frequent flyer benefits, while TDM offers carpool lanes and discounted transit passes and systems to reward users in the form of incentives. Businesses develop new products or “new and improved” products, while TDM develops new services like vanpooling, additional Park & Rides or new transit services.
In order to fulfill TDM’s potential to address transportation issues facing the San Luis Obispo region, a three-pronged approach is necessary: 1) Implement transportation initiatives and services that address commuter needs. 2) Create and maintain a supportive environment and policies for the work to be achieved. 3) Take a regional approach to multi-modal transportation.
For information about other area-wide transportation issues, visit SLOCOG: www.slocog.org
For personalized trip planning or to learn more about the Transportation Choices Program, contact SLO Regional Rideshare:
www.rideshare.org or call 781-4362.
Lisa Quinn is the Program Coordinator for SLO Regional Rideshare. Lisa has over 10 years of experience in the transportation field. Most of her experience comes from the Pacific Northwest most recently in Vancouver, Canada working for a nonprofit developing sustainable transportation programs throughout the Greater Vancouver Region. Prior to her work in Canada, she was the Urban Mobility Group’s Transportation Manager responsible for managing and expanding FlexPass’ reach among Seattle Downtown employers as well as implementing programs that enhance commuter services. She represented the University of Washington for four years marketing and developing the U-PASS program a deeply discounted bus pass, guaranteed ride home, carpool and vanpool programs for staff, faculty and students. She can be reached at lquinn@rideshare.org.
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