Public Works Department
DATE: January 30, 2024
TO: Council Transportation Committee
FROM: Ben Pacho, Transportation Planner
Ria Hutabarat Lo, Transportation Manager
Diana Pancholi, Principal Planner
VIA: Dawn S. Cameron, Public Works Director
SUBJECT: Citywide Transportation Demand Management Ordinance Update
RECOMMENDATION
Review and recommend the draft vision statement and project goals for the Citywide Transportation Demand Management Ordinance to the City Council.
BACKGROUND
Transportation Demand Management (TDM) is the use of targeted strategies and incentives to reduce drive-alone trips and facilitate a mode shift to healthy, sustainable transportation options.
Common TDM measures for new development include transit passes or subsidies, membership in a Transportation Management Association (TMA), parking cash -out or commuter financial incentives, hybrid work schedules, priority vanpool/carpool parking, and end-of-trip facilities for bicyclists (showers, changing rooms, and lockers, etc.). Successful TDM programs reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, advance equit y and affordable mobility options , improve community health and livability, bolster economic vitality, and improve access.
On July 10, 2012
, the City Council adopted the 2030 General Plan identifying key mobility goals to reduce travel demand through TDM strategies for existing and new development. Such strategies were deemed necessary to advance the City’s goals of sustainability by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and managing roadway demand.
On July 10, 2012, the City Council also approved a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program (GGRP)
to implement the General Plan’s M obility Element and comply with Statewide climate change legislation (SB 375 and AB 32). The GGRP established Transportation as one of five areas for GHG reduction in the City, with TDM (Measure T -1.1) serving as the key element in this area. Under this Measure, GGRP called for adoption of a Citywide TDM Ordinance by 2014, whereby all new nonresidential development would be required to reduce drive -alone trips and adhere to Citywide Transportation Demand Management Ordinance Update January 30, 2024
mandatory trip reductions. Trip targets were fo rmulated to address transportation -related emissions that account for nearly 60% of GHG emissions Citywide. Additionally, the ordinance was expected to establish TDM performance reporting requirements, procedures, and funding mechanisms.
On June 22, 2021
, the City Council adopted seven Strategic Priorities , including Mobility and Connectivity, a goal that encompasse s promoting transit and safe active transportation options that reduce single -occupancy vehicle trips and traffic and increase walking and biking. One specific action under this priority is to develop a Citywide TDM Ordinance. In June 2023, the City Council recommitted to the development of a Citywide TDM Ordinance as part of their Fiscal Years 2023-24 and 2024-25 Strategic Priorities work plan.
In addition to the General Plan, GGRP and Strategic Priorities, the City Council has approved four Precise Plans with TDM requirements, including the North Bayshore Precise Plan (2014, amended in 2017), El Camino Real Precise Plan (2014), San Antonio Precise Plan (2014), and East Whisman Precise Plan (2019). New development projects in these P recise Plan areas are subject to TDM requirements as a condition of approval through the City’s entitlement process. The applicability of TDM requirements is based on the proposed project location, size, land use type, and adjacent roadway capacities. As indicated in the Existing Conditions memo (Attachment 1), these criteria are reflected in customiz ed TDM measures and performance standards within the four Precise Plan areas.
On October 22, 2019
, the City Council adopted Sustainability Action Plan 4 (SAP-4), which created a three -year fund for sustainability projects and prioritized specific actions by GHG emissions reduction per funds spent. TDM (Task T6) is one of nine transportation-related actions. This task involves “[expanding] TDM to new areas of the City and [developing] new programs in support of existing businesses and residents to help reduce single -occupancy vehicle trips Citywide.” With the funding made available through SAP -4, the Public Works Department hired a TDM Analyst in January 2022, allowing work to begin on TDM monitoring and a Citywide TDM Ordinance.
On February 20, 2023, the City executed a contract with Steer Davies & Gleave , Inc. (Steer), to provide professional services to support development of a Citywide TDM Ordinance. The intent of the TDM Ordinance is to build on the demonstrated effectiveness of TDM policies in recent Precise Plans and apply its practice Citywide. This allows for a more consistent, standardized approach that will be more effective in achieving City sustainability and transportation goals.
ANALYSIS
To develop a framework for a Citywide TDM Ordinance, the project team has been synthesizing information on the state of current TDM requirements, conducting community and stakeholder Citywide Transportation Demand Management Ordinance Update January 30, 2024
outreach, and formulating draft Vision Statement and Project Goals to guide development of the ordinance.
Existing Conditions Analysis
Key findings from the Existing Conditions Report (Attachment 1) and stakeholder input are summarized in the following sections. A summary of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges (SWOC) analysis of the City’s current TDM requirements and processes is also displayed in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Challenges with Current TDM Arrangements
Strengths
•Broad enabling policies
•Cutting edge policies
•Robust data collection
•Perceived value of TDM
•Justification for corporate
investment
Weaknesses
•Lack of standardization
•Lack of detailed guidance
•Inflexibility of plans
•Implementation difficulties
•Limited compliance
tracking
•Limited tracking tools
Opportunities
•Integration with online
permitting and entitlement
•Support for
standardization
•Interest in pooling
resources
•MTMA open to expanded
services
Challenges
•Lack of small business
capacity
•Uncertainty surrounding
hybrid work
•Low reporting compliance
•Lack of continuity across
real property changes
•Lagging data for standards
Citywide Transportation Demand Management Ordinance Update January 30, 2024
Strengths
Strengths in relation to current TDM requirements and offerings include the following:
• Broad Enabling Policies: Various enabling policies support the City’s efforts, including the City’s General Plan, GGRP, and SAP-4 as well as various State laws and regulations.
• Cutting-Edge Policies: Mountain View’s TDM policies such as the North Bayshore trip cap and mode-split goals are broadly seen as cutting edge in this field.
• Robust Data Collection: The City has strong data collection requirements such as gateway and project-specific vehicle and person-trip counts, trip generation, and commute surveys.
• Perceived Value of TDM : Stakeholders, including employers, small businesses , and property managers, indicated that they understand the value of TDM measures in providing benefits to employees or residents in terms of safe, sustainable, and equitable mobility options.
• Justification for Corporate Investment : Some employers indicated that the City’s TDM requirements help justify investment in their commuter programs.
Weaknesses
Weaknesses associated with current TDM requirements include the following:
• Lack of Standardization: Employers and developers noted that the current process for imposing TDM conditions of approval could benefit from increased standardization of requirements to increase predictability during the entitlement process.
• Lack of Detailed Guidance: Developers and employers requested guidance and resources to help them successfully comply with TDM requirements. For example, some employers and property managers requested clarification on methodologies for data collection and analysis associated with annual TD M monitoring; while small business or propert y managers indicated a need for general information on TDM appropriate to their operations.
• Inflexibility of Plans: Several stakeholders requested greater flexibility to update or adjust their TDM Plan (developed during entitlement), particularly if sites encounter challenges in implementing measures or if measures become unavailable or less than effective.
• Implementation Difficulties: Some TDM strategies require buy-in and commitment from a third-party provider, such as transit agencies offering transit pass programs or car-share or bike-share providers, who select locations based on their own commercial considerations.
Citywide Transportation Demand Management Ordinance Update January 30, 2024
• Limited Compliance Tracking: Until recently, the City did not have staff resources for TDM policy development, implementation, or monitoring.
• Limited Tracking Tools : The City currently lacks integrated tools to effectively track compliance with TDM requirements at scale. This concern will become more complex as more developments are entitled with TDM Conditions of Approval.
Opportunities
Opportunities associated with existing TDM requirements include the following:
• Integration with Online Permitting and Entitlement: The City is transitioning to a new online permitting process, which might allow TDM integration with the plan check and interdepartmental project review process.
• Support for Standardization: Stakeho lders expressed eagerness for greater standardization of TDM requirements, including a TDM menu of options from which they can select to shape their TDM Plans and meet their transportation goals.
• Pooling of Resources : To avoid duplicative TDM services , there is significant interest in pooling resources amongst smaller employers, developers, and property managers and forging partnerships to scale common solutions between the City and the Mountain View Transportation Management Association (MTMA).
• MTMA Open to Expanded Services : MTMA staff is considering expanding services to include TDM delivery for residential members as well as data collection and other support to meet TDM monitoring and reporting requirements. An increased role of the MTMA would require Board approval.
Challenges
Finally, challenges associated with current TDM requirements include the following:
• Lack of Small Business Capacity: Small businesses noted that it is challenging to administer TDM programs and indicated that they would benefit from guidance , information-sharing, and pooling of talent. Small property managers indicated that they could not afford to hire a dedicated TDM coordinator and TDM tasks get rolled into administrative staff duties.
Overall, the potential costs associated with TDM requirements can be burdensome for smaller businesses and affordable housing developers, even when discounts are offered.
• Uncertainty Surrounding Hybrid Work : Post-COVID hybrid work arrangements bring uncertainty and complexity in terms of travel and parking demand as TDM services like Citywide Transportation Demand Management Ordinance Update January 30, 2024
carpool matching and shuttles see varying rates of utilization. Additionally, staff commute preferences are more varied, and TDM ma nagers do not yet have a new normal baseline for planning purposes.
• Low Reporting Compliance: City staff continues to observe low rates of compliance with annual TDM reporting requirements. This may be due to a prior lack of City staff capacity and effective mechanisms to monitor and enforce TDM requirements . Moreover, difficulties with maintaining on- site contact information as properties change hands from developers to corporations and/or tenants after entitlement further poses an issue.
• Lack of Continuity Across Real Property Changes: Residential developers indicated that TDM requirements are very difficult to achieve with for-sale properties compared to rental properties. Additionally, many existing TDM agreements do not address how requirements transfer after a change of property ownership or tenure.
• Lagging Data for Standards: Trip caps used in TDM performance standards were based on established manuals such as the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip and Parking Generation Handbooks that were compiled using data that would be considered out of date.
Community and Stakeholder Engagement
The project team has conducted several outreach and engagement activities in conjunction with the existing conditions analysis and visioning process. These engagement activities are listed below:
• In early 2023, the project team provided introductory presentations on the TDM Ordinance effort to stakeholders from the business community, including the Downtown Business Association (DBA) on June 13, 2023; Chamber of Commerce Businesses and Public Policy (BIPP) Committee on June 14, 2023; and the MTMA Board on May 25, 2023.
• In June and July 2023, the project team conducted 14 one -on-one interviews with employers, local developers, property managers, small business managers, and City staff to understand their experiences with the City’s current TDM requirements and obtain inpu t on goals and priorities for the forthcoming ordinance.
• On September 11, 2023, City staff and key stakeholders participated in a Vision and Goal - Setting Workshop. At this event, the project team presented findings from the review of existing conditio ns and facilitated vision and goal- setting exercises with the group.
Stakeholders provided key insights from their experience with current TDM requirements and input on values and concerns that should guide the TDM Ordinance process.
Citywide Transportation Demand Management Ordinance Update January 30, 2024
• On September 14, 2023, City staff presented the results of the Vision and Goal -Setting Workshop to the Mountain View Coalition for Sustainable Planning (MVCSP). The meeting was attended by over 15 members of the public who voiced support for the project and further engagement opportunities to provide input.
In addition to these community and stakeholder engagement opportunities, City staff also presented information on existing conditions, vision, and goals to the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) and the Environmental Planning Commission (EPC) on O ctober 25, 2023 and
November 1, 2023, respectively.
Feedback from the BPAC is summarized below:
• G enerally supportive of the draft vision and goals;
• Focusing on reduction of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is a suitable goal for the TDM Ordinance;
• Measurable goals and robust enforcement mechanisms are needed to enhance effectiveness;
• E ffective TDM measures that are supported by data, recognized as best practice, do not require ongoing enforcement (e.g., reduced parking provision), and pool ed resources to provide benefits beyond the immediate site are needed;
• R equested clarification on transfer of TDM conditions upon sale of a property; and
• R equested that staff consider how to integrate existing projects (not just new development) into the ordinance or broader TDM program framework to share the burden of responsibility and provide benefits, which may include equity-pr iority households or workers.
Feedback from EPC is summarized below:
• A majority of EPC members were supportive of the draft vision and goals;
• R equested quantifiable metrics that support project goals, as well as City targets around GHG emissions and decarbonization;
• G iven shifting commute preferences, trip count volumes for development should be evaluated based on daily trips or peak weekday trips, rather than workweek averages;
Citywide Transportation Demand Management Ordinance Update January 30, 2024
• E ncouraged flexibility when devising performance metrics to ensure that they can be periodically modified, if needed, as a result of changing travel patterns and economic conditions;
• A s part of developing the TDM framework, obstacles should be identified along with steps to mitigate and overcome barriers to implementation of the TDM Ordinance; and
• E ase of compliance and staff capacity to implement and monitor o rdinance provisions should be key points of consideration.
DISCUSSION
Staff is seeking feedback on the draft Vision Statement and Project Goals proposed for guiding development of the Citywide TDM Ordinance.
Draft Vision Statement
The following draft Vision Statement for the TDM Ordinance was developed based on the existing conditions review, staff and stakeholder input, and the review of key policy documents:
The Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Ordinance seeks to reduce single - occupancy vehicle trips for new development and increase use of multi- modal transportation alternatives that are sustainable, equitable, effective, and respond to changing demands.
Question No. 1: Does the Committee recommend the draft Visio n Statement or have feedback for modifying the Vision Statement?
Draft Project Goals
The draft goals displayed in Figure 2 are intended to guide development of the TDM Ordinance framework and ensure it reflects the views and contributions of key stakeholders and the community. The first two goals —Predictability and Effectiveness —reflect operational considerations such as the predictability, clarity, and consistency of the TDM requirements; and the palatability, scalability, and effectiveness of transportation benefits. The second two goals— Sustainable Mobility and Equity—address Citywide benefits of the TDM requirements, including emissions reduction, mode choice, and affordable access for low-income residents and workers.
Citywide Transportation Demand Management Ordinance Update January 30, 2024
Figure 2: Draft Project Goals to Guide Development of the TDM Ordinance Framework
Question No. 2: Does the Committee recommend the draft Project Goals or have feedback for modifying the goals?
Question No. 3: Does the Committee have any other feedback about developing a Citywide TDM Ordinance?
NEXT STEPS
Staff will finalize the Vision Statement and Project Goals for the TDM Ordinance following the January 30 Council Transportation Committee meeting. S ubsequent phases of the project will include development of key performance indicators and metrics, a TDM toolkit, and draft standards which will shape the TDM Ordinance. The draft TDM Ordinance is scheduled for review in spring or summer 2024. As part of the draft framework, the project team will also develop tools and strategies for ongoing monitoring and enforcement of TDM programs. Figure 3 summarizes the key tasks and anticipated timeline for the project. This framework will incorporate a review of TDM policies in other jurisdictions to provide benchmark comparison of successful TDM policy examples.
Citywide Transportation Demand Management Ordinance Update January 30, 2024
Figure 3: TDM Ordinance Project Work Plan
After developing the draft framework, the project team will conduct a second round of engagement in spring or summer 2024. This engagement will involve community members, advocacy groups, non-English-speaking stakeholders, business stakeholders, BPAC, EPC, and City Council to refine the TDM Ordinance framework prior to drafting ordinance language.
Final tasks include preparing ordinance language and presentation to the City Counc il in late 2024.
QUESTIONS FOR THE COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
Staff requests Committee feedback on the following questions:
Question No. 1: Does the Committee recommend the draft Vision Statement or have feedback for modifying the Vision Statement?
Question No. 2: Does the Committee recommend the draft Project Goals or have feedback for modifying the goals?
Question No. 3: Does the Committee have any other feedback about developing a Citywide TDM Ordinance?
BP-RHL-DP/LL/4/PWK/979-01-30-24M
Attachments: 1. Existing Conditions Report
2. BPAC Report, October 25, 2023
3. EPC Report, November 1, 2023