March 4, 2024
Palo Alto City Councilmembers
Subject: PATMA’s 20024 Annual Report, Three-Year Strategic Plan, and 2024 Commute Survey
Dear Councilmembers,
The non-profit Palo Alto Transportation Management Association (PATMA) is pleased to present three reports for your consideration. Written in an easy to skim style, you will see attached PATMA’s 2024 Annual Report, Three-Year Strategic Plan (FY 2026 – FY 2028), and 2024 Commute Survey.
In FY 2025, PATMA’s budget was restored to $400,000/year, closer to pre-pandemic levels. With the same budget level in FY 2026, we will be able to grow our impact by further reducing traffic, demand for parking, and greenhouse gas emissions while supporting local businesses. We also understand the City’s budget situation and offer three budget scenarios.
Three budget scenarios for FY 2026
Expenses Expenses
$400,000
budget
Expenses
$350,000
budget
Expenses
$300,000
budget
ALTRANS management $105,000 $95,000 $85,000
Business (office supplies, insurance, software) $8,000 $8,000 $8,000 Lyft $3,000 $3,000 $0
ALTRANS operations & admin $105,000 $84,000 $75,000
Transit passes - Clipper card expenses $115,000 $100,000 $100,000 Commute survey $28,000 $28,000 $28,000
E-bike e-scooter pilot $4,000 $0 $0
Refurbished bikes $4,000 $4,000 $4,000
Bike Love $28,000 $28,000 $0
Total $400,000 $350,000 $300,000
The $400,000 scenario represents a continuation of the restored budget PATMA realized in FY 2025, which would allow PATMA to grow the program’s impact to 500 parking spaces freed up. The $350,000 budget (cutting staff hours and transit pass expenditures) would allow us to grow the program to 400 parking spaces freed up. A smaller $300,000 budget (cutting staff hours further, cutting the Lyft afterhours program and cutting the BikeLove $5/day rewards program) would maintain our impact at 312 parking spaces freed up.
PATMA is pleased to support the City Council’s goals on climate change, community wellness, and economic development. Let me know if you have any questions.
Kind regards,
Justine Burt
Executive Director, Palo Alto Transportation Management Association
2024 Annual Report
January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024
Submitted to the Palo Alto City Council
Prepared by:
Palo Alto Transportation Management Association
855 El Camino Real #13A-200, Palo Alto, CA 94301
www.paloaltotma.org
March 2025
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 1 Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 2 About PATMA ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 2 PATMA’s Top Five Accomplishments in 2024 ................................ ................................ .............. 3 PATMA Programs ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 5 Benefits of PATMA Programs ................................ ................................ ................................ ....10 Program Results ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 11 Testimonials ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 14 Budget ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......15 Conclusion ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 18
Palo Alto Transportation Management Association
2024 Annual Report
Executive Summary
With leadership and financial support from the City of Palo Alto, as well as collaborative partnerships with regional transit agencies, local community-based organizations, and grantmaking organizations, in 2024, the Palo Alto Transportation Management Association (PATMA) delivered mode shift results efficiently and cost-effectively.
PATMA’s sustainable transportation programs for workers – free train and bus passes, $5/day Bike Love bicycle commute incentive rewards, free refurbished bicycles, after-hour Lyft rides, and a new e-bike e-scooter pilot – in 2024, resulted in a reduction in demand for 312 parking spaces around town, 1,542,441 fewer vehicle miles traveled, and 603 fewer tons of greenhouse gas emissions. With these accomplishments, PATMA supported three of the 2024 Palo Alto City Council’s four priorities: economic development, climate change, and community health.
Highlights of PATMA’s work in 2024 included:
• Increased funding
o Stability - City of Palo Alto restored PATMA’s budget which allowed expansion beyond University Ave Downtown and California Ave
o Grant awards – PATMA won funding from VTA’s Transit Oriented Communities program, City of Palo Alto Utilities, Palo Alto Community Foundation, and the Starbucks Neighborhood Grant program
o Fair market value of transit passes – Securing free Caltrain GoPasses (worth $4,200/year each) and reduced cost $169/year VTA passes (worth $1,080/year each) allowed PATMA to help more workers at a lower cost/user • Expanded geographic reach
o Performed outreach at the Stanford Mall, along El Camino Real, at Midtown, and in South Palo Alto
o In these areas, PATMA offered sustainable transportation programs, conducted the annual commute survey, and presented an e-bike and e-scooter pilot program
• Small business support
o Ahead of Caltrans’ El Camino Real repaving project where bike lanes will be replacing 220 on-street parking spaces, PATMA offered train and bus passes and refurbished bikes to workers who park on El Camino
• Leveraged partnerships
• A dramatic reduction in cost/user/month from $77 in Dec 2023 to $51 in Dec 2024 These developments lay a strong foundation for PATMA’s future mode shift work.
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Introduction
The Palo Alto TMA is a non-profit working to reduce single-occupancy vehicle (SOV) trips, traffic congestion, demand for parking and greenhouse gas emissions by delivering targeted transportation solutions that serve Palo Alto’s diverse range of employers, employees, visitors, and residents. Financial support for this work comes primarily from the City of Palo Alto’s University Avenue and California Avenue parking fund, and, starting in 2024, from the City’s General Fund. This funding allows PATMA to provide free transit passes, $5/day Bike Love rewards, refurbished bicycles, and late-night Lyft rides chiefly to low wage service sector workers in the commercial districts of Palo Alto.
About PATMA
Staff
PATMA is a non-profit, staffed by ALTRANS TMA Inc., a firm specializing in transportation demand management (TDM). Staff providing on-going support for PATMA include:
● Justine Burt, Executive Director
● Sana Ahmed, Program Coordinator
● Stephen Blaylock, President, ALTRANS TMA Inc.
● Andrew Ridley, Chief Operating Officer, ALTRANS TMA Inc.
Board of Directors
In 2024, two long-serving board members (Philip Kamhi, the City’s Chief Transportation Official, and Brad Ehikian) stepped down and one new member (Steven Lee) joined. The City’s seat on the board will be filled by Interim Chief Transportation Official Lily Lim-Tsao until a permanent replacement is identified. A representative from the tech sector helped diversify our board whose members at the end of the year included:
● Cedric de la Beaujardiere, resident (Board Chair)
● Rob George, Philz Coffee (Treasurer and a founding board member) ● Shannon Rose McEntee, resident (Secretary)
● Lily Lim-Tsao, City of Palo Alto
● Sebastian Mafla, Sheraton
● Nathaniel Duncan, Patagonia
● Alejandra Mier, Coupa Café
● Steven Lee, Meta
The PATMA board meets monthly on the third Thursday at 9:00am and efficiently works through one hour of agenda items. Nearly all board members regularly attend. The public is encouraged to join these virtual meetings. Meeting details and zoom links can be found on our Meetings page at https://www.paloaltotma.org/meetings-reports.
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New Mission and Core Values
In 2024, PATMA staff and Board members updated PATMA’s mission and core values to be more aspirational and memorable. The new mission statement reads “Better commutes for everyone.” PATMA’s core values describe how our non-profit improves life for the workers and residents of Palo Alto:
• Traffic and parking – reduce traffic congestion and demand for parking • Climate change – transition to a zero-emission transportation system • Equity – fair outcomes, treatment and opportunities for all • Local businesses – help local businesses attract and retain employees • Health – encourage community health
Incorporating City of Palo Alto Priorities
While the original motivation for the Palo Alto City Council to create PATMA was to alleviate traffic congestion and reduce demand for parking downtown, each year, PATMA overlays the City Council’s stated priorities to guide its work. In January 2024, the City Council announced its priorities for the year:
1. Climate Change & Natural Environment - Protection & Adaptation
2. Community Health, Safety, Wellness & Belonging
3. Economic Development & Transition
4. Housing for Social & Economic Balance
PATMA’s work supports three of these priorities: climate change, community health, and economic development. Regarding City Council’s priority of addressing climate change, PATMA helps reduce greenhouse gases from on-road transportation sources which are 51.7% of Palo Alto’s emissions, according to the City’s 2022 Greenhouse Gas Emissions inventory.
Supporting City of Palo Alto’s Sustainability/Climate Action Plan (S/CAP) The City of Palo Alto set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2030 and to become carbon neutral by 2030. One S/CAP mobility goal relevant to PATMA regarding reducing greenhouse gas emissions is “increasing the mode share for active transportation (walking, biking) and transit from 19% to 40% of local work trips by 2030.” The S/CAP focuses on launching effective programs for emissions reductions with the highest impact and lowest cost. PATMA’s programs help accomplish this goal as noted in the following section.
PATMA’s Top Five Accomplishments
The following were highlights of PATMA’s work in 2024.
1. Rebuilt the transit pass program from a Covid-induced low of 28 people served in May 2020 to a high of 300 in December 2024, exceeding pre-pandemic numbers. Figure 1 shows the number of PATMA-granted transit passes in circulation among Palo Alto workers over the past six years.
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Figure 1: Transit passes activated 2019 – 20241
2. Activated and distributed 197 Caltrain GoPasses from the Caltrain GoPass Donation Program. Likewise, 67 VTA Smartpasses were distributed to low wage service sector workers in 2024.
3. Received approval from transit agencies to continue distributing Caltrain GoPasses and VTA Smartpasses in 2025 to low wage service sector workers to help grow transit ridership.
4. Reduced 605 tons of greenhouse gas emissions
5. Started an e-bike and e-scooter pilot program with City of Palo Alto Utilities funding to develop case studies that will inspire other low wage service sector workers to consider active commutes.
These activities demonstrate the power of partnerships with local and regional organizations as well as the trust PATMA has established with local business managers.
1 Note the drop of transit passes between Dec 2023 and Jan 2024. This is due to the fact that in 2023, PATMA started distribuing free annual Caltrain GoPasses instead of renewing and paying for Caltrain passes each month. In December 2023, about 100 workers had moved to different jobs outside of Palo Alto and did not renew their GoPasses for January 2024. 0 50
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Programs
With funding from the City’s University Avenue Parking Fund, California Avenue Parking Fund, and General Fund, PATMA provides free Clipper Cards loaded with monthly or annual passes for Caltrain, VTA buses, SamTrans buses, and Dumbarton Transbay buses. PATMA also offers $10 credits for after-hours Lyft rides of less than five miles, refurbished bicycles at no cost to the recipient, and $5/day Bike Love rewards. During 2024, PATMA expanded outreach efforts to the Stanford Mall, throughout the length of El Camino Real, at Midtown, and in South Palo Alto.
Service sector workers who receive transit passes work primarily in food service establishments, retail, and accommodation. Light office workers who receive transit passes or accrue Bike Love rewards include staff at Palo Alto’s banks, dental and medical offices, and professional firms such as accounting and law offices.
Programs with income thresholds
Train and bus passes
Transit pass benefits are provided to employees earning less than $70,000 per year who work in the commercial areas of Palo Alto and who do not already receive employer-supported TDM benefits. Workers at the Stanford Research Park and Stanford University are ineligible for PATMA’s programs as these organizations have their own TDM programs.
Pilot: E-bicycles and e-scooters
With funding from the City of Palo Alto Utilities Department, in 2024 PATMA ran a pilot program to study e-bikes and e-scooters for active mobility commutes. Four pilot participants making less than $70,000/year received either an e-bike and safety equipment, or a 12-month e-scooter lease. The intent was to study how many times a week they used the e-bike or e- scooter, how many device miles they traveled, and understand supports and barriers to device use. The four participants in the 12-month pilot have realized the following benefits.
Figure 2: E-scooter and e-bike pilot case studies
Katrina uses an Unagi e-scooter to travel the
first mile to the Santa Clara Caltrain station,
folds it up and brings it onboard, then rides
the last mile to work. During the week she
often scooters to restaurants Downtown to
grab lunch. But the big time savings comes
when she leaves work. The e-scooter allows
her to catch the train and get home in time
to pick up her kids from school.
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Rickaya’s kids have scooters. Now that she
also has an e-scooter she can keep up with
them. After dropping them off at school, she
rides off to meet either the Caltrain or a VTA
bus. She folds up the Unagi e-scooter and
brings it on, then scooters the last half-mile to
work. Rickaya finds this a faster way to
commute from Santa Clara given rush hour
traffic or accidents on Highway 101 or 280.
Antonio works at Patagonia and lives in
Mountain View. Each morning, once he’s
ready to leave for work, he looks at the time
of the next Caltrain and the weather to
figure out if he wants to bike to Caltrain or
bike five miles to work. One handy feature
of his Lectric folding e-bike is that it does
not take up much space when folded, which
makes it easier to store safely inside at
home and at work. The benefits of the e-
bike to Antonio are getting exercise and
fresh air, relaxing on Caltrain, saving money
on gas, and helping the environment.
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Dorothee teaches cooking classes at Taste
Buds Kitchen in Midtown. She loves
commuting to work from Menlo Park on her
Lectric e-bike among the beautiful, tree-lined
streets of Palo Alto. The fresh air and exercise
energize her on the way to work.
Refurbished bicycles
In 2024, PATMA continued working with local non-profit Bike Exchange for a pilot program to provide seven refurbished bicycles and safety gear to essential workers. This pilot is open to workers making less than $70,000/year. Figure 3 shows several Palo Alto-based essential workers receiving their refurbished bicycles.
Figure 3: Essential workers taking delivery of their “new” refurbished bikes
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Lyft after-hours rides
The Lyft after-hours program provides rides home to workers commuting less than five miles after transit stops running.
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PATMA programs without an income threshold
Bike Love rewards
The Bike Love smartphone app provides daily incentives for active mode first-mile commute trips to transit and active mode commutes between home and work, of $5/day up to $599 per year per commuter. Automated travel mode detection identifies eligible bike, e-bike, e-scooter, and e-skateboard trips. Eligibility is determined by trips that stop or start within geofences around 30 Caltrain stations and five commercial areas (Downtown, California Ave., Stanford Mall, El Camino Real, and Midtown). Incentive dollars are instantly redeemable at local merchants via reloadable Apple/Google Wallet Virtual Visa cards.
Figure 4 shows the current geofences that mark commute destinations that earn workers rewards. This map includes all Caltrain stations, for workers who use a bike or e-scooter for first/last mile, as well as expanded commercial areas.
Figure 4: Bike Love Geofence Boundaries
In 2024, 35% of the transaction values of redeemed rewards happened in Palo Alto, in support of the City Council’s 2024 priority for economic development. The ability of Bike Love users to
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redeem incentives at Palo Alto businesses helps keep dollars in the local economy. Figure 5 provides detail about where Bike Love users spend their reward funds.
Figure 5: Where Bike Love Rewards Were Spent in 2024
All
Palo
Alto
Mountain
View
Redwood
City
San
Francisco
San
Carlos
Sunny-
vale
Menlo
Park
Amazon
or online
Other
cities
Transactions
value ($) 17,503 4,944 596 195 1344 110 231 2,570 3,586 3,927 Number of
transactions 877 308 20 12 55 22 8 114 172 166
Source: Motion
This information is gathered from merchant identification numbers where rewards are redeemed.
For a quick overview video explaining the app, please visit Bike Love in 80 seconds (video).
Benefits of PATMA Programs
While PATMA programs save service workers money on their commutes, many other benefits of these programs accrue to local businesses, workers, City government, and Palo Alto residents.
Businesses
For business owners and managers, PATMA participation gives them a competitive advantage over similar businesses in nearby cities. Being able to provide transit passes to their employees helps shops, restaurants, and hotels attract and retain workers in competitive industries with high rates of staff turnover.
Workers
Workers who stop driving not only save money on variable vehicle costs such as gasoline, maintenance, and repairs, they also escape the stress of having to drive in traffic congestion.
The workers who commute by active modes enjoy the benefits of exercise that allow them to arrive at work energized and refreshed.
City of Palo Alto
Municipal governments impact the wellbeing of residents and workers within the city’s boundaries, and PATMA’s programs on the City’s behalf reduce traffic congestion, free up parking spaces in commercial areas, and enhance the quality of life for residents by reducing the number of cars parked in neighborhoods.
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Program Results
Results of the TMA’s program management, outreach, and program operation labor in Figures 6 – 12 depict the number of transit passes distributed, the cost per freed up parking space (cost/user), vehicle miles traveled avoided, and greenhouse gases reduced.
Among all businesses served, Figure 6 gives a breakdown by business with the number of their employees in descending order who had an active train or bus pass from PATMA in December 2024.
Figure 6: Number of Transit Passes Distributed by Employer in December 2024 Employer
Transit
Pass
Count
Sheraton/Westin 33
Nobu Hotel 16
Ettan 12
Whole Foods 10
Patagonia 9
Neiman Marcus 8
Walgreens 7
Coupa Cafe 7
Apple 7
Watercourse Way 6
Rangoon Ruby 6
Philz Coffee 6
Macy's 6
Crepevine 6
West Elm 5
The Palo Alto Inn 5
SkinSpirit 5
The Melt 4
Sephora 4
Peloton 4
Lytton Gardens
(Front Porch) 4
Christine Hansen
DDS 4
VIP Vein Treatment
Clinic 3
True Foods Kitchen 3
Employer
Transit
Pass
Count
San Agus 3
Oren's Hummus 3
Lima Ruby Peruvian
Restaurant 3
Hobee's 3
Glass Slipper Inn 3
Buca di Beppo 3
Avenidas 3
Yayoi 2
Wells Fargo 2
Webster House 2
Vizavoo Salon 2
Starbucks 2
Spring Spa 2
School of Rock 2
Restoration
Hardware (RH) 2
Palo Alto
Orthodontics 2
Palo Alto Oral and
Maxillofacial surgery 2
Palo Alto Bicycles 2
Mollie Stone’s
Market 2
McDonald’s 2
L&P Aesthetics 2
Kowa Ramen 2
Kindercare Day Care
Center 2
Equinox 2
Curry Up Now 2
Employer
Transit
Pass
Count
Creamery 2
Coach 2
City of Palo Alto
(interns) 2
Cardinal Hotel 2
Bright Horizons 2
Blue Bottle 2
Bloomingdales 2
Arya Steakhouse 2
Zola + Zola Bar 1
Zareen's 1
Xfinity 1
Wu Orthodontics 1
Williams Sonoma 1
Wetzel Pretzel 1
Victra 1
Trader Joes 1
The Real Real 1
TAVERNA 1
Tamarine 1
Tacolicious 1
Summit Bicycles 1
Sprinkles 1
Somi Somi 1
Smiles By Pai 1
Security Industry
Specialists 1
Rooh 1
PIP Printing 1
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Employer
Transit
Pass
Count
Palo Alto Bilingual
Montessori
Academy 1
Pacific catch 1
Nola Restaurant &
Bar 1
Matroid 1
Lush Cosmetics 1
La Bodeguita del
Medio 1
Kris Hamamoto
DDS, Inc. 1
Khazana Palo Alto 1
Keen Garage 1
K. Minamoto 1
Employer
Transit
Pass
Count
Immersion Spa 1
Imaginemos
Oruguitas 1
Guckenheimer: Palo
Alto Club 1
Gott's Roadside 1
Gong Cha 1
Gardening 1
Fast Repair 1
Everything but
Water 1
Everlane 1
Embarcadero Media
Foundation 1
Dr. William Tseng 1
Employer
Transit
Pass
Count
Downtown Streets
Team 1
Da Sichuan 1
Comfort Inn 1
Clement Hotel 1
City National Bank 1
Channing House 1
Caretaker (home in
Palo Alto) 1
Cafe 220 1
Block Advisors 1
Bike Connection 1
Beyond Explorations 1
Grand Total 304
Figure 7 provides the number of transit passes PATMA distributed to businesses along El Camino Real (between Park Blvd and San Antonio Rd) by month. PATMA’s proactive transit pass outreach efforts were conducted along with Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition volunteers to help reduce demand for parking ahead of the Caltrans repaving and bike lane project in fall 2024.
Figure 7: Transit Passes Distributed Along El Camino Real by Month in 2024 Month Caltrain VTA SamTrans Dumbarton Express
Jan
Feb
Mar 12
Apr 1 1
May 1
Jun
Jul
Aug 2
Sep 3 1 1 1
Oct 3 10 1
Nov 6 2 1
Dec
Total 14 26 4 2
PATMA’s marketing and outreach efforts throughout Palo Alto in 2024 resulted in the following impacts.
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Figure 8: Number of Commuters Diverted from Single-Occupancy Vehicles (average of three months) Program Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 2024
Transit passes 153 182 216.67 286.67
Bike Love (>12
rides/month)
13.33 15.33 14.67 10
Lyft 3.33 2.67 3.33 4
Total 169.67 200.0 234.67 300.67
Figures 9 and 10 show the average cost per month that PATMA paid to mode shift workers out of single-occupancy vehicles and into a sustainable transportation commute. The drop in monthly cost between December 2023 and December 2024 is partially attributable to the increased number of GoPasses Caltrain donated to PATMA and the highly discounted Smartpasses VTA sold to PATMA.
Figure 9: Cost per User in 2023
Cost per
user
Jan
'23
Feb
'23
Mar
'23
Q1
'23
Apr
'23 May '23 Jun '23 Q2 '23 Jul '23
Aug
'23
Sep
'23
Q3
'23
Oct
'23
Nov
'23 Dec '23
Q4
'23
ANNUAL
TOTALS
Transit
Pass
Program $39.45 $50.29 $44.49 $44.74 $45.98 $39.87 $38.30 $41.38 $36.29 $39.10 $36.97 $37.45 $45.54 $49.40 $31.92 $42.29 $493.97 Bike
Love $54.93 $69.97 $46.02 $56.98 $49.15 $53.16 $61.95 $54.75 $49.78 $72.12 $62.43 $61.44 $65.90 $74.84 $85.02 $75.25 $741.64 Lyft
Program $106.99 $63.31 $86.42 $85.57 $86.89 $100.09 $116.25 $101.08 $107.95 $93.98 $79.12 $93.68 $63.62 $78.78 $112.74 $85.05 $1,099.67 Average
cost/user $67.12 $61.19 $58.98 $62.43 $60.67 $64.37 $72.17 $65.74 $64.67 $68.40 $59.51 $64.19 $58.35 $67.67 $76.56 $67.53 $778.43
Figure 10: Cost per User in 2024
Cost per
user
Jan
'24
Feb
'24
Mar
'24
Q1
'24
Apr
'24 May '24 June
'24 Q2 '24 July '24 Aug
'24
Sept
'24
Q3
'24
Oct
'24
Nov
'24 Dec '24 Q4
'24
ANNUAL
TOTALS
Transit
pass
subsidy
$58.63 $56.07 $56.76 $57.15 $46.33 $50.77 $46.79 $47.97 $40.75 $38.86 $40.27 $39.96 $49.54 $19.69 $15.47 $28.23 $486.55 Bike
Love $52.47 $0.00 $99.46 $50.64 $47.49 $0.00 $69.60 $39.03 $80.36 $65.73 $54.30 $66.80 $54.20 $67.84 $83.84 $68.63 $659.46 Lyft
Program $86.54 $86.65 $69.47 $80.89 $85.35 $124.37 $78.04 $95.92 $94.98 $70.91 $70.00 $78.63 $42.17 $49.94 $54.67 $48.93 $870.62 Average
cost/user
$65.88 $47.57 $75.23 $62.89 $59.72 $58.38 $64.81 $60.97 $72.03 $58.50 $54.86 $61.80 $48.63 $45.82 $51.33 $48.60 $672.21 Figure 11 shows the number of avoided vehicle miles traveled as a result of PATMA’s programs.
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Figure 11: Avoided Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)
Program Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 2024
Transit pass subsidy 247,473.7 320,103.0 403,728.4 561,593.4 Lyft 250.4 211.9 239.1 195.8
Bike Love 2,179.4 2,408.2 2,205.9 1,852.1
Total 249,903.5 322,723.1 406,173.4 563,641.3
Adding up the four quarters, PATMA programs reduced vehicle miles traveled by 1,542,441.
And finally, Figure 12 shows greenhouse gas emissions reduced as a result of programs.
Figure 12: Greenhouse Gases Reduced (tons)
Program Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 2024
Transit passes, Lyft and Bike Love 98.5 126.0 158.7 220.2
In 2024, PATMA’s work resulted in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of 603.4 tons.
Testimonials
Beyond the quantitative effect, PATMA also has a qualitative impact on workers in Palo Alto.
The following feedback from employees of local businesses shows how much PATMA’s programs mean to the community. Here are some testimonials we received from retail, accommodations, and personal services establishments.
• “I was able to ride the bus to work this morning and it was a lot of fun! Very efficient and saving me lots of gas money! I appreciate your efforts and this awesome program!” - DéBorah S.
• “I love the ability to combine bicycling and Caltrain and not rely at all on an automobile.
And I am impressed by how the City of Palo Alto encourages and supports that.” - Dennis W.
• “Estoy muy contenta con el servicio de PATMA. Gracias .” (I am very happy with PATMA’s service.) - Yuliana A.
• “Being a part of the program really reduces my stress of commuting to work. I don’t drive because it will cost me too much money to drive back and forth versus taking the train. It really saves me stress and money.” – Ernestine T.
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• “Me gusta viajar en el Caltrain porque es comodo, llego a tiempo a mi trabajo, etc.” (I like to travel on Caltrain because it’s comfortable, I arrive to work on time, etc.) – Juana A.
• “Es seguro y siempre llego temprano a mi trabajo.” (It’s safe and I always arrive on time for work.) - Nancy R.
• “No issues! Happy with Caltrain.” – Spencer S.
Budget
The non-profit demonstrated program results which helped to grow its City funding allocation until 2020 when the pandemic altered commuting habits and parking fund revenues fell dramatically. Figure 13 shows the history of PATMA’s funding allotments since FY 2016.
Figure 13: PATMA Funding Since Inception
Since 2020, PATMA has worked hard to do more with less and build back the number of workers it supports with mode shift.
Grant funding
In 2024, PATMA applied for and received grants from four organizations to use for various purposes.
• VTA Transit Oriented Communities - $24,550 for outreach and marketing along El Camino Real to encourage mode shift to VTA buses
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• City of Palo Alto Utilities - $10,000 grant for e-bike and e-scooter pilot • Palo Alto Community Foundation - $5,000 unrestricted grant • Starbucks Neighborhood Grant - $1,000 used to purchase Starbucks gift cards to incentivize filling out PATMA’s commute survey
These grants complemented City of Palo Alto funding.
Figure 14 provides specific information about income sources and expenses by month.
Figure 14: PATMA Income and Expenses in 2024
In Figure 14, the Executive Director’s tasks include program oversight, communications with stakeholders, finance and accounting activities, managing board meetings, maintaining 501c3 non-profit status, tax filing, and pursuing grant opportunities to diversify funding sources.
The Program Coordinator’s labor involves updating the website, processing new transit pass requests, communicating about pass renewals, purchasing new passes, replacing lost passes, troubleshooting, and monitoring accounts.
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Figures 15 and 16 show relative income sources and expenditures. Note that the fair market value of Caltrain GoPasses ($827,400) and VTA Smartpasses ($50,105) in 2024 that PATMA received for free or at a fully discounted price respectively are not included in the income chart.
Figure 15: Overview of 2024 Income
Figure 16: Overview of 2024 Expenses
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Conclusion
In 2024, PATMA made great strides in mode shift and program cost effectiveness by working in close collaboration with a number of partners. Thanks to our colleagues at Caltrain and VTA, additional free Caltrain GoPasses and highly discounted VTA Smartpasses helped bring down PATMA’s cost/user. Grant providers supported PATMA with specific aspects of our mode shift work along El Camino Real and during the annual commute survey.
Local and regional non-profits such as Bike Exchange, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, Seamless Bay Area, and Palo Alto Forward either provided services, volunteers, or introduced PATMA to potential funders to grow our work. In addition, PATMA’s Board members provided valuable advice and conducted advocacy on PATMA’s behalf.
All together, these collaborations have helped position PATMA to have an even larger impact reducing traffic, demand for parking, and greenhouse gas emissions in 2025.
Three-Year Strategic Plan
July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2028
Submitted to the Palo Alto City Council
Prepared by:
Palo Alto Transportation Management Association
855 El Camino Real #13A-200, Palo Alto, CA 94301
www.paloaltotma.org
March 2025
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 1 Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 1 Context ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 2 PATMA Programs ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 5 Accomplishments ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 6 Three-Year Strategic Planning ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 7 Workplan ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 10 Budget ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 10 Conclusion ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 12
1 PATMA’s Three Year Strategic Plan
July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2028
Executive Summary
Each year, the Palo Alto Transportation Management Association (PATMA) conducts a Three-Year Strategic Plan with input from its Board of Directors. This plan provides a roadmap of goals, strategies, tactics, and objectives that ensure the non-profit will be able to help an increasing number of workers shift from driving single-occupancy vehicles to sustainable transportation modes.
PATMA’s work supports local businesses with transportation demand management programs that help companies attract and retain workers: free transit passes, refurbished bicycles, rewards for active mobility commutes, and after-hours Lyft rides less than five miles. For the past five years, PATMA has been rebuilding from a pandemic-induced 90% drop in transit pass requests in early 2020 and in 2024 exceeded pre-pandemic numbers.
In December 2024, PATMA’s programs resulted in a reduction of demand for 312 parking spaces which yields benefits every day, all year. Building on this success, this Strategic Plan details the following goals for the next three years.
• Year 1: Scale up the number of transit passes; scale up the number of active mobility commuters traveling <3 miles
• Year 2: Make it easier for commuters to access multiple sustainable commute modes; support active commutes <5 miles
• Year 3: Leverage new technologies and programs to enable workers to commute without a personal vehicle
In the next year, PATMA expects dramatic growth in the number of workers served by our mode shift work for several reasons. Contractually, PATMA is now able to offer programs beyond just Downtown and California Ave to most businesses throughout the commercial areas of Palo Alto.
New findings from the 2024 Commute Survey provide insights about which sectors offer mode shift opportunities. PATMA has the ability to provide programs to workers at a higher income threshold.
Caltrain and VTA have made a large number of free or highly discounted transit passes available.
Starting in FY2025, the City restored PATMA’s baseline $400,000 budget which provided more resources to accomplish mode shift.
These conditions enable growth in the number of workers served in the next year.
Introduction
The Palo Alto Transportation Management Association (PATMA) is a non-profit leading efforts to reshape commute behaviors around town. Abundant mass transit, active mobility (bicycle, electric scooter, walking), on-demand ride hailing options, as well as trip planning and real time arrival apps are available to enable workers who live and work near major transit pipelines (Caltrain, VTA 22/522, SamTrans ECR, and the Dumbarton Express) to commute quickly and efficiently without
2 needing to own a personal vehicle. In this spirit, PATMA provides information and incentives that encourage workers to shift out of their single-occupancy vehicles (SOVs) and into low-carbon transportation options.
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2024, PATMA programs resulted in a reduction in demand for 312 parking spaces around town, 1,542,441 fewer vehicle miles traveled, and 603 fewer tons of greenhouse gas emissions by providing free transit passes, $5/day Bike Love rewards, refurbished bicycles, and after-hour Lyft rides.
There is potential for PATMA to free up more parking spaces and reduce more greenhouse gas emissions. The following Three-Year Strategic Plan, which is compiled each year for the next three years, lays out goals, strategies, tactics, and objectives for PATMA’s work supporting Palo Alto businesses and workers over the next three years.
Context
Several contextual elements inform this strategic plan, including the City of Palo Alto’s ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, the fact that on-road transportation contributes more than half of Palo Alto’s greenhouse gases emissions, the priorities the Palo Alto City Council sets each January, PATMA’s contract with the City of Palo Alto, and PATMA’s bylaws, among other considerations.
Sustainability Climate Action Plan (S/CAP)
The City of Palo Alto set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2030 and to become carbon neutral by 2030. One S/CAP mobility goal relevant to PATMA regarding reducing greenhouse gas emissions is “increasing the mode share for active transportation (walking, biking) and transit from 19% to 40% of local work trips by 2030.” Two sectors in Palo Alto already exceed the 40% metric.
Data from PATMA’s 2024 commute survey found the following percentages of workers in four different work sectors in Palo Alto who were commuting by a mode other than driving a single- occupancy vehicle:
• Service – 45%
• Light office – 23%
• Tech – 45%
• Government – 28%
To help realize the City’s S/CAP goal that 40% of work trips by 2030 be by transit or active mobility, PATMA plans to support each sector in different ways. The service sector - in retail, food service, and accommodation - has a high sustainable commute rate already but also high turnover. This is a sector whose employees served as frontline workers during the pandemic, that are price sensitive and have elastic demand for driving to work, and as a result is most open to PATMA’s sustainable commute mode shift programs. PATMA will continue offering programs to new service sector employees.
3 With PATMA’s new higher income threshold, PATMA will be able to serve more members of front office staff in the light office sector who have been just above PATMA’s old income threshold of $70,000/year. Finally, PATMA will support mode shift efforts at large tech companies and the City of Palo Alto by sharing annual commute survey findings, and in the case of tech companies, table at commuter fairs when requested. All of these efforts will help realize the City’s S/CAP goals.
City Council Priorities
Each year, the Palo Alto City Council sets their strategic priorities for the year. In January 2025, the new set of goals included:
1. Climate Change & Natural Environment – Protection & Adaptation
2. Community Health, Safety, Wellness & Belonging
3. Economic Development & Transition
4. Housing for Social & Economic Balance
PATMA’s programs help address three of these four priorities: economic recovery, climate change, and community health by providing low wage workers with commute counseling, access to free transit passes, rewards for bicycling to work, and late night ride hailing services.
PATMA’s Contract with the City of Palo Alto
The contract between the City of Palo Alto and PATMA provides guidance about how public funds should be used to ensure the public good as well as planning, reporting, and surveying requirements.
• Use of City funds – “PATMA shall use the City Funds for “pilot projects” intended to reduce single occupancy vehicle trips by Downtown and California Avenue Business District workers, as mutually agreed upon by the City Manager and PATMA. For FY24 and FY25, $200,000 of City Funds may be used to reduce single occupancy vehicle trips anywhere in Palo Alto. Pilot projects may include purchase and distribution of transit passes, active commute rewards, support for carpooling, and other measures to address first mile and last mile connections. If PATMA uses City Funds to purchase transit passes to give away free-of-charge, the free transit passes shall be provided solely to low income workers.” • Planning – “PATMA shall: (a) conduct an annual strategic planning session producing 3-year goals and objectives and funding requirements, and prepare an annual budget with projected metrics (cost per mode shift, ROI, etc.), and (b) annually provide to the City a detailed, updated strategic plan and budget. The strategic plan may utilize scenarios to illustrate the return on investment associated with different funding levels. The strategic plan shall identify the projects proposed to be funded with the City Funds for the City Manager’s review and approval.”
• Reporting – “PATMA shall provide the City with quarterly written reports on the implementation and effectiveness of pilot programs funded by the City, including quantitative measures of SOV trip reduction and mode shift achieved, metrics used, cost
4 per employee mode shift, and how the City Funds were expended. PATMA shall submit the reports at the same time that PATMA submits the quarterly invoice to the City.” • Surveying – “PATMA shall conduct a robust survey of Downtown and California Avenue Business District employee commute patterns on an annual basis. Additional areas of Palo Alto where the TMA has been active may be included in the survey.” PATMA’s Bylaws
PATMA’s bylaws provide operating instructions for the non-profit. One way it does this is by ensuring PATMA’s board members represent a range of interests among the Palo Alto community as well as the number of board members PATMA should have. • Qualifications of Directors. “The Board shall in good faith strive to include as Directors, representatives from major stakeholder groups serving PATMA’s current or planned/proposed service areas, including representatives of the following industries:
technology, real estate development, retail and/or hospitality, philanthropy, and traditional office (e.g., finance, accounting, legal) and including representatives representing residential interests.”
• Number of Directors. “The authorized number of Directors shall consist of at least five but no more than thirteen Directors.”
New Mission and Core Values
In 2024, PATMA staff and their board rewrote PATMA’s mission statement to make it more memorable and rewrote its core values to provide clarity on what the non-profit seeks to accomplish.
Mission
Better commutes for everyone
Core values
• Traffic – lighten traffic congestion
• Parking – reduce demand for parking in commercial areas • Climate change – transition to a zero-emission transportation system • Equity – fair outcomes, treatment and opportunities for all • Local businesses – help local businesses attract and retain employees • Health – encourage community health
Higher Income Threshold
In 2018, PATMA raised its income threshold for program participation from $50,000 to $70,000/year. Since then, the cost of living in the Bay Area has increased substantially. In January 2025, PATMA’s board decided to raise the threshold to 80% of Area Median Income in Santa Clara County which in 2024 was $103,200/year for a household of one.
All together, this context provides guidance to PATMA about how to structure our programs to best serve the public’s interest.
5 PATMA Programs
Programs with a $100,000/year income threshold
Transit Passes
Currently, PATMA focuses on supporting essential workers in the commercial districts of Downtown and California Ave, at the Stanford Mall, along El Camino Real, at Midtown, and along San Antonio Rd. If these workers are driving to work and make less than $100,000/year1, they can receive free Caltrain, SamTrans, or Dumbarton Transbay bus passes.2 Refurbished Bicycles
In 2022, PATMA piloted a refurbished bicycle program with the local non-profit Bike Exchange. This refurbished bicycle program is for essential workers in Palo Alto making less than PATMA’s income threshold who would like to bike to work but do not own a bicycle. If they also need any safety equipment – helmet, lock, lights – Bike Exchange provides these to each essential worker receiving a refurbished bike.
E-bike e-scooter pilot
This pilot studied two mode shift scenarios: active commutes via e-bike and first/last mile solutions via e-scooter. Four pilot participants making less than $70,000/year received either an e- bike and safety equipment, or a 12-month e-scooter lease. The intent was to study how many times a week they used the e-bike or e-scooter, how many device miles they traveled, and understand supports and barriers to device use. In addition, based on what is learned in the pilot, PATMA will create case studies with photos to inspire other workers in similar situations who drive alone to work.
After hours Lyft rides
Workers who live less than five miles from work and who need to travel home from work late at night when mass transit is not running can receive a $10 Lyft credit per ride.
Program without an income threshold
Bike Love
PATMA’s Bike Love app provides $5/day up to $599/year to workers in Palo Alto’s commercial districts to encourage commuters to leave their cars at home and bike or e-scooter to work. Unlike the transit pass program, there are no income restrictions for the Bike Love program. The app was designed to provide attractive financial rewards to build active mobility habits. See Figure 1 for a map of Bike Love program boundaries within which workers earn rewards. The Bike Love app also
1 PATMA’s new income threshold is currently 80% of Santa Clara County’s Area Median Income, which in 2024 was $103,200 for a household of one person. For the sake of memorability to PATMA’s target audience, marketing materials will say $100,000/year.
2 VTA is currently working on a contract amendment to allow PATMA to raise the income limit for access to Smartpasses to workers making less than 80% of Area Median Income.
6 rewards travel to all 30 Caltrain
stations for commuters who would
be incentivized to bike or scooter to
Caltrain and take the train to work.
In 2024, 35% of Bike Love reward
transactions were redeemed at
Palo Alto-based businesses which
is another way that PATMA
supports local businesses and
multiplies program impact to
benefit the local economy.
Accomplishments
PATMA’s sustainable
transportation programs in 2024,
resulted in a reduction in demand
for 312 parking spaces around town, 1,542,441 fewer vehicle miles traveled, and 603 fewer tons of greenhouse gas emissions. The majority of these results were due to the transit pass program.
See Figure 2 for the number of transit passes activated over the past five years.
Figure 2: Transit passes activated 2019-20243
3 Note the drop in the number of transit passes activated in January 2024. This was due to a switch from monthly pass purchases to annual free passes. High turnover in the service sector means about 100 workers no longer needed transit passes for 2025 which PATMA found out about after asking if they wanted to re-register in December 2024 for 2025.
0 50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Figure 1: Geofenced areas for Bike Love rewards
7 Three-Year Strategic Planning
With this context in mind, PATMA staff and board members met in person in December 2024 to discuss strategic planning for the next three years. Input gathered informs PATMA’s path forward with goals (targets to achieve), strategies (plan of action), tactics (specific actions), and objectives (measurable outcomes) for FY2026-FY2028.
Year 1 (Jul 2025-Jun 2026)
Assumptions: Free Caltrain GoPasses and highly discounted VTA Smartpasses will continue to be available for PATMA to distribute to low wage workers
Goals
• Scale up number of transit passes activated
• Scale up number of workers commuting <3 miles by active mobility • Support S/CAP goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions • Support local businesses to attract and retain workers Strategies
• Develop or deepen relationships with managers at light office and service sector businesses
• Develop or deepen relationships with community-based organizations that work on transportation, housing and/or climate issues
• Raise awareness about PATMA’s programs
• Develop new pilot programs
Tactics
• Update and expand marketing collateral for transit passes and active mobility o Update one page flyer with $100,000 income threshold for English, Spanish, and Mandarin. Translate into Vietnamese.
o Develop window clings (non-adhesive decal) for windows of businesses that receive PATMA incentives
• Deploy 8 minute 1:1 manager training on mode shift programs and tools beneficial to workers (transit passes, refurbished bikes, $5/day Bike Love, after-hours Lyft, Transit app) o 40% transit or active mobility commutes by 2030 S/CAP goal o One page flyer
o Real time arrival information: Transit app and Caltrain live system map o Window clings – membership and ask them to post
• Refer a co-worker outreach wherein workers receive a free coffeehouse gift card if the coworker they refer receives a transit pass
• Refine application process for refurbished bicycle program (apply, download Bike Love app, and pass bike safety quiz) before workers can receive a refurbished bicycle • Conduct annual commute survey
8 • Develop pilot programs that encourage active mobility – e-bike financing, bike safety quiz and classes
• Hold a promotional event around active mobility
• Organize interactive information sharing event with other Bay Area TMA and TDM professionals
• Deepen relationships with non-profit organizations that have similar missions and goals (Friends of Caltrain, Seamless Bay Area, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, Bike Exchange, Alta Housing)
• Develop and share short, relevant content regularly with local CBOs and the Chamber of Commerce to distribute to their membership
• Develop and offer short content regularly to local online news outlets Objectives
• # freed up parking spaces
• # workers using transit passes
• # workers commuting by active mobility
• # vehicle miles traveled reduced
• # tons greenhouse gas emissions reduced
• # survey respondents
Year 2 (Jul 2026-Jun 2027)
Assumptions: Availability of Tap to Pay, expanded Bay Pass program, and/or Mobility Wallet pilot Goals
• Scale up number of transit passes
• Enable workers who live outside Santa Clara County to access multiple sustainable commute modes and make transit connections seamlessly
• Scale up number of active mobility commutes <5 miles
• Find creative solutions to challenges of workers interested in active mobility commutes <5 miles
Strategies
• Raise awareness about PATMA’s programs by strengthening relationships with local business managers and community-based organizations
• Update printed and digital promotional materials
• Leverage new technologies for trip planning and payment • Develop new pilot programs
Tactics
• Develop e-bike financing pilot program
9 • Update printed and digital materials to address gaps in knowledge and mode shift friction points
• Train managers on new apps that help workers plan and pay for sustainable commute modes
• Update branding materials – PATMA as a fun, trusted, and valued brand • Further streamline application process
• Conduct commute survey
• Hold a promotional event
• Develop and share content with inspiring new case studies about local workers commuting by transit or active mobility
Objectives
• # freed up parking spaces
• # workers using transit passes
• # workers commuting by active mobility
• # vehicle miles traveled reduced
• # tons greenhouse gas emissions reduced
• # survey respondents
Year 3 (Jul 2027-Jun 2028)
Assumptions: 2026 Bay Area ballot initiative passed providing more funding for transit agencies which allows them to increase service frequency, Mobility Hubs are available around town Goals
• Workers can easily commute without a personal vehicle • Study and leverage new technologies (ex., Mobility as a Service to plan and pay for commute trips, commute management platform)
• Support the evolution of our region’s commuting systems • Determine what is missing to help workers get where they need to go without owning a personal vehicle
Strategies
• Expand PATMA’s toolkit of information and incentives to encourage mode shift • Help expand clean transportation options available to workers in Palo Alto Tactics
• Develop new case studies of workers who commute by transit or active mobility • Test new technology Mobility-as-a-Service planning and payment options as they become available
• Promote Mobility Hubs that are available
10 Objectives
• # parking spaces freed up
• # vehicle miles traveled reduced
• # tons greenhouse gas emissions reduced
• # survey respondents
Workplan
Year 1
The flow of work over the course of FY2026 is shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3: Year 1 workplan
Jul
‘25
Aug
‘25
Sep
‘25
Oct
‘25
Nov
‘25
Dec
‘25
Jan
‘26
Feb
‘26
Mar
‘26
Apr
‘26
May
‘26
Jun
‘26
Events X X X
Market transit passes X X X X
Develop pilot X X
Translate materials into
additional language
X
Commute survey X X X
Apply for grant funding X X
Deliver Commute
Survey, Annual Report,
and Strategic Plan
reports
X
Market active mobility X X X
Budget
Looking back at funding levels since PATMA’s inception in 2016, PATMA grew over several years and demonstrated cost-effective successes freeing up parking spaces, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing vehicle miles traveled until the pandemic. Figure 4 shows historic budget trends.
11 Figure 4: PATMA funding since inception
The PATMA baseline budget is $400,000. This level allows PATMA to continue with 2 part-time staff and pull in additional contractors on an ad hoc basis to support seasonal activities such as active mobility marketing in the spring and Commute Survey distribution in the fall. A status quo budget for FY2026 will allow PATMA to:
• Perform marketing and outreach to target sectors
• Develop or deepen relationships with business managers who are the gatekeepers to workers who could use PATMA’s programs and services
• Conduct the annual commute survey
• Free up additional parking spaces, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and ease traffic congestion
In 2024, the cost/user/year or cost to free up a parking space was $672 while in 2023 the cost/user/year was $780. This includes the cost to purchase transit passes, Lyft rides, refurbished bicycles, and $5/day Bike Love rewards. Figure 5 provides three budget scenarios for PATMA’s projected expenses in FY2026. The $400,000 scenario represents a continuation of the restored budget PATMA realized in FY2025, closer to a pre-pandemic level which would allow PATMA to grow the program’s impact to 500 parking spaces freed up. The $350,000 budget would allow us to grow the program to 400 parking spaces freed up. A smaller $300,000 budget would maintain our impact at 312 parking spaces freed up.
12 Figure 5: Three budget scenarios for FY2026
Expenses Expenses
$400,000
budget
Expenses
$350,000
budget
Expenses
$300,000
budget
ALTRANS management $105,000 $95,000 $85,000
Business (office supplies, insurance, software) $8,000 $8,000 $8,000 Lyft $3,000 $3,000 $0
ALTRANS operations & admin $105,000 $84,000 $75,000
Transit passes - Clipper card expenses $115,000 $100,000 $100,000 Commute survey $28,000 $28,000 $28,000
E-bike e-scooter pilot $4,000 $0 $0
Refurbished bikes $4,000 $4,000 $4,000
Bike Love $28,000 $28,000 $0
Total $400,000 $350,000 $300,000
In the $350,000 budget scenario, PATMA would cut staff hours and expenditures on transit passes.
In the $300,000 budget scenario, PATMA would cut back further on staff hours, cut the Lyft afterhours program, and cut the BikeLove $5/day rewards program.
As circumstances change, PATMA has the ability to adjust income and expenses through various financial levers.
• Reducing labor costs
• Reducing program expenses
• Requesting additional GoPasses from Caltrain and large employers in the area • Increasing grant writing and philanthropic fundraising PATMA will continue to operate leanly and use our budget effectively to maximize impact.
Conclusion
Many public and private organizations in the Bay Area are working hard to facilitate a future seamless, integrated low-carbon transportation system that will lower personal transportation costs and reduce GHG emissions. PATMA will continue to monitor developments in these areas and adjust our programs accordingly to best serve Palo Alto businesses.
In support of the local economy, over the next three years PATMA will look for opportunities to help more workers shift to a sustainable commute as we raise awareness about the benefits of transit and active mobility commutes, offer information about sustainable transportation options, and provide programs and incentives for mode shift.
2024 COMMUTE SURVEY REPORT
for
and
PATMA Board Members
Cedric de la Beaujardiere, resident (Chair)
Rob George, Philz Coffee (Treasurer)
Shannon McEntee, resident (Secretary)
Philip Kamhi, City of Palo Alto
Sebastian Mafla, Sheraton
Alejandra Mier, Coupa Cafe
Nathan Duncan, Patagonia
Steven Lee, Meta
December 2024
Prepared by:
Justine Burt
Sana Ahmed
ALTRANS TMA Inc
302 Toyon Ave, F, 410
San Jose, CA 95127
www.altrans.net
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 1 Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 3 Survey Population ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 3 Survey Methodology ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 6 Results ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 6 Key Insights ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 17 Conclusions ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 18
1 Executive Summary
In August and September 2024, the Palo Alto Transportation Management Association (PATMA) team surveyed workers in commercial areas of Palo Alto to learn about their commute habits and preferences. The team conducted online and in-person surveys in English, Spanish, and Mandarin beginning with emailing and texting then following up with door-to-door canvassing. This document provides highlights from the survey findings.
The two main objectives of the commute survey were to 1) determine which workers were open to shifting their commute from single-occupancy vehicles to mass transit or active mobility options and 2) raise awareness of PATMA’s programs.
Based on the 885 completed surveys, Figure 1 shows the percentage of respondents from the four main sectors into which PATMA classifies workers: service, government, technology, and light office.
Figure 1: Survey Respondents by Sector
Figure 2 below provides the primary mode workers use to commute each week . The survey found that overall 62% of w orkers surveyed use d a single -occupancy vehicle (SOV) as their primary commute mode in 2024.
2 Figure 2: Primary Commute Mode of Survey Respondents
By separating out commute mode by work sector, Figure 3 illustrates the sectors with the highest drive alone rates: light office and government.
Figure 3: Commute Mode by Work Sector
With respect to PATMA’s mission, data collected in the 2024 commute survey provides opportunities to reach more workers and expand PATMA’s program offerings that will help realize PATMA’s goals to reduce traffic congestion, reduce demand for parking, support small businesses, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and address social equity issues.
3 Introduction
In 2024, the Palo Alto Transportation Management Association (PATMA) conducted its ninth annual employee commute survey as required by the funding agreement between PATMA and the City of Palo Alto (COPA). PATMA contracted with ALTRANS TMA Inc. to conduct the survey and performed outreach in August and September 2024.
The survey was designed to identify how Palo Alto employees working in the commercial areas of Palo Alto - University Avenue (Downtown), California Avenue (Cal Ave), El Camino Real, the Stanford Mall, the Charleston Middlefield shopping center, and along San Antonio Rd - commute to work, identify individuals currently driving alone who are open to shifting to a sustainable commute mode, and raise awareness of PATMA’s program offerings.
Survey Population
According to U.S. Census data, the total worker population in Palo Alto was 109,011 in 2022.
The darker shaded areas of Figure 4 show where work centers are clustered Downtown, along El Camino Real, and along San Antonio close to Highway 101.
Figure 4: Density of Workers in Palo Alto
Source: U.S. Census OnTheMap, 2022
4 The U.S. Census organizes sectors using the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) categories. Figure 5 shows the number of workers by NAICS codes.
Figure 5: Palo Alto Workers by Sector
NAICS Sector Number of
Employees
Percentage
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting 5 0.0%
Mining, Quarrying, Oil and Gas Extraction 1 0.0%
Utilities 282 0.3%
Construction 881 0.8%
Manufacturing 5,152 4.7%
Wholesale Trade 971 0.9%
Retail Trade 3,991 3.7%
Transportation and Warehousing 2,217 2.0%
Information 18,860 17.3%
Finance and Insurance 4,283 3.9%
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 1,389 1.3%
Professional, Scientific, and Information 23,575 21.6%
Management of Companies and Enterprises 3,049 2.8%
Administration & Support, Waste Management and Remediation 1,915 1.8% Educational Services 3,420 3.1%
Healthcare and Social Assistance 30,187 27.7%
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 831 0.8%
Accommodation and Food Services 4,931 4.5%
Other Services (excluding Public Administration) 2,315 2.1% Public Administration 756 0.7%
PATMA organizes NAICS sectors into four employer categories – service, light office, technology, and government – and offers programs to workers in the first two categories.
Figure 6 shows which NAICS code sectors PATMA includes in service, light office, technology, and government categories.
Figure 6: NAICS Codes and PATMA Classification
NAICS Code NAICS Sector Name PATMA
Classification
11 21
22 23
31-33
42 44-45
48-49
51 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
Utilities
Construction
Manufacturing
Wholesale Trade
Retail Trade
Transportation and Warehousing
Information
Service
Service
Government
Service
Service
Service
Service
Service
Technology
5 NAICS Code NAICS Sector Name PATMA
Classification
52 53
54 55
56 61
62 71
72 81
92 Finance and Insurance
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Management of Companies and Enterprises
Administrative and Support and Waste Management
and Remediation Services
Educational Services
Health Care and Social Assistance
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
Accommodation and Food Services
Other Services (except Public Administration)
Public Administration
Light Office
Light Office
Technology
Light Office
Light Office
Light Office
Service
Light Office
Service
Service
Government
Source: NAICS Association
After sorting Census data for the number of workers in the four categories for statistical purposes, Figure 7 shows the number of workers in each category and the total worker population in Palo Alto.
Figure 7: Number of Workers in Four Sectors
PATMA Organization Category Number of Employees % Share Service 50,651 46%
Light Office 14,887 14%
Technology 42,435 39%
Government 1,038 1%
Total 109,011
Subtracting the 29,000 worker population at the Stanford Research Park, which has its own Transportation Management Association, leaves us with a worker population of 80,011.
After cleaning the survey data of duplicate responses and incomplete surveys, there were a total of 885 complete surveys of which:
• 399 respondents were service sector workers
• 280 were government staff
• 47 were light office workers
• 142 were tech workers
• 17 chose not to share their employer’s name
This year’s response rate was higher than the t hree previous years the survey was conducted.
The response rate for each of the nine survey years is shown in Figure 8.
6 Figure 8: Number of PATMA Commute Survey Responses by Year Year Number of Respondents
2024 885
2023 738
2022 511
2021 551
2019 1,471
2018 496
2017 892
2016 829
2015 1,173
Compared to 2023, stronger working relationships with managers in the technology and government sectors in 2024 helped boost response numbers.
Survey Methodology
In August and September 2024, the PATMA team reached out to businesses and organizations to administer the survey. The survey asked questions about the primary travel mode workers used to commute, their home city, employer, income level, and openness to sustainable commute options.
The survey was administered through the SurveyMonkey platform which respondents accessed via personal smartphones through a QR code or PATMA’s electronic tablets. The electronic survey tool offers skip logic and survey branching to optimize question relevance to different respondents. Paper copies of the surveys in English and Spanish were distributed to managers at downtown hotels who collected responses from their staff. Electronic surveys in Mandarin were administered at restaurants and spas. Block-by-block, door-to-door canvassing resulted in a dataset representing businesses and organizations in commercial areas. Door-to-door outreach was bolstered by mass texting and email follow-up to business contacts.
As noted above, the PATMA team secured 885 responses from a citywide worker population of 80,011. With a 95% confidence level and a sample size representing 1.1% of the population, the margin of error for this data is ±3%.
Results
Data collected in this survey shed light on several topics:
• how people commute to work
• where they are coming from
• which workers could commute using one main transit or active mobility option
7 • which workers are open to a different commute mode, and • what information, equipment, or incentives could encourage them to make the shift from driving alone.
The following figures show results for each question.
Q1. In which city and zip code do you live?
Among survey respondents this year, the top 10 home cities are shown in Figure 9.
Figure 9: Top 10 Cities of Survey Respondents
Home City Number Survey Respondents
1 San Jose 152
2 Redwood City 83
3 Palo Alto 80
4 Mountain View 74
5 Sunnyvale 57
6 East Palo Alto 56
7 Santa Clara 36
8 Fremont 33
9 San Francisco 32
10 San Mateo 23
Note that 70% of respondents live in cities served by a train or bus that runs to Palo Alto.
Figure 10 maps the home zip codes of survey respondents in San Francisco Bay Area1 counties.
1 The Bay Area refers to the nine counties that touch the San Francisco Bay plus Santa Cruz County.
8 Figure 10: Number of Respondents by Zip Code
Some survey respondents live beyond the nine county Bay Area near Sacramento, in the Central Valley, and even one in Southern California.
Q2. What is the name of your employer? (This information will help us analyze commuting patterns for the four main types of employers [service, technology, light office, and government] in Palo Alto.)
Employer names were organized into four main sectors of employers in Palo Alto , as seen in Figure 11.
9 Figure 11: Survey Respondents by Sector
Note that t he number of survey respondents from technology companies located in Downtown, Amazon and Salesforce, is higher this year than last . With Return to Office encouragement from management and corporate concern about greenhouse gas emission reductions, employees at both companies were encouraged to fill out PATMA’s commute survey.
Q3. How do you usually travel to work? If you use more than one type of transportation, choose the one used for the longest distance of your trip.
Many commuters use more than one type of transportation for commuting. To be able to compare this year’s data with previous years’, we asked people about the main commute mode they use d for the longest segment of their trip. Figure 1 2 provides information about the primary commute mode.
10 Figure 12: Primary Commute Mode
Figure 13 divides this data by sector for 2024 to allow comparisons between government, light office, service, and tech sectors.
Figure 13: Commute Mode by Sector, 2024
A comparison of commute modes over the past several years is shown in Figure 14.
11 Figure 14: Changes in Commute Mode, 2015-2024
Q4 If you drive alone to work, which of the following sustainable commute modes are you open to taking?
Note that respondents could choose more than one option, and only respondents who said their main commute mode was by single-occupancy vehicle were given this question.
Figure 15: Sustainable Commute Options Drivers Considering
12 Many respondents were open to transit (46%), carpooling (22%), bicycling (17%), vanpooling (9%), and walking (4%).
Q5. If you drive alone to work, is your home located less than one mile from a Caltrain station, VTA 22/522 bus stop, SamTrans ECR bus stop, or Dumbarton Express bus stop? Figure 16: Live <1 Mile from Sustainable Transit Option
This question was included to determine the proximity of a transit option that runs directly to Palo Alto.
Q6. If you live less than 5 miles from work, are you open to switching to an active mobility mode (bicycle, electric bicycle, scooter, electric scooter, or other personal mobility device) for commuting?
Figure 17: Live <5 Miles from Work and Open to Active Commute
13 Thirty percent of respondents are open to an active commute.
Q7. What is most important to you when choosing how to commute to work? (select up to 3) Figure 18: Most Important Considerations When Choosing How to Commute
Travel time and schedule predominates the list of factors workers consider when deciding how to commute.
Q8. Does your workplace need additional bike racks outside? Figure 19: Need Additional Bike Racks
14 This information provides an opportunity for follow-up with organizations surveyed.
Q9. What is your annual salary?
Figure 20: Is Your Annual Salary Less Than $70,000 or More?
Figure 20 shows the percentage of respondents making less than $70,000/year who are eligible for PATMA’s free transit passes, refurbished bicycles, and after hour Lyft credits.
Q10. Are there any issues or concerns you would like to share about your commute? The answers to this open-ended question provide PATMA with insights to improve our programs, accomplish more mode shift, or share questions and concerns with our contacts at tech companies and City government.
Compliments and positive statements included:
• I am excited about new Caltrain trains.
• Very hard to get my bike on old trains. Like the new schedule too!! • I love the ability to combine bicycling and Caltrain and not rely at all on an automobile.
And I am impressed by how the City of Palo Alto encourages and supports that. • Being a part of the program really reduces my stress of commuting to work. I don’t drive because it will cost me too much money to drive back and forth versus taking the train. • This has saved me money and time in traffic.
• It has saved my job and life. I’m so thankful for this service. I would love more stops at my Caltrain station.
15 • No issues! Happy with Caltrain.
• Estoy muy contenta con el servicio de PATMA. Gracias. (I’m very happy with PATMA’s service. Thank you.)
• Es seguro y siempre llego temprano a mi trabajo. (It’s safe and I always arrive early to work.)
• Me gusta viajar en el Caltrain porque es comodo, llego a tiempo a mi trabajo, etc. (I like to travel on Caltrain because it’s comfortable, I arrive on time to work, etc.) • I like the VTA and Caltrain options.
• Bike lanes have improved throughout the Peninsula. Thank you!!! • Biking to Downtown is the best!
• I love the train and really appreciate the Caltrain GoPass.
Concerns raised multiple times by respondents were grouped by topic in Figure 21.
Figure 21: Respondent Concerns About Their Commute
Topic # of Workers
Mentioning
Topic
Example Comment
Difficulties while driving:
traffic, parking, cost of gas
and tolls, road surface
quality
73 “The afternoon commute has doubled in time
in the last 1-2 years from 1 hour 10 min to 2
hours 15-20 mins.”
Timeliness of trains and
buses: late, infrequent
service, not reliable
31 “Just buses being on time, especially in the
morning hours.”
Limited or no transit
options near home (East
Bay, Tri-Valley, Los Gatos,
Gilroy) or work
20 “I wish there were a reliable, quick public
transit option from the East Bay” and “Caltrain
stops infrequently in South Counties.”
Caltrain passes for City
workers who don’t work
Downtown
12 “I would take the train if it was offered since I
can bike easily to and from the train.”
Connectivity too difficult:
to and from transit, making
connections between
transit options
11 “The first 5 miles and the last 5 miles are the
biggest barrier for public transportation.”
Safety and cleanliness of
transit and stations
9 “The station needs to be only for people that
use it to commute to take the bus or train.”
Want more transit service:
earlier, later, weekends
8 “Wish Caltrain stopped at the Blossom Hill
station in San Jose more frequently in general,
but on weekends specifically.”
16 Topic # of Workers
Mentioning
Topic
Example Comment
Feel can do their job from
home most of the time
7 “I can do my job well from home and would
use the extra 2 hours a day to do more work if
could work from home every day.”
Would like electric vehicle
charging for City workers -
MSC and Elwell
6 “There are no charging stations at our yard
(MSC) and I believe I have the only all electric
vanpool running for the City.”
Wish could afford a home
closer to work
4 “My commute is very long but my husband is
a disabled veteran. The city we live in is the
only place we can live for accessibility reasons
and afford.”
Would like showers to
wash up after biking
3 “There are no showers for staff at my
workplace so biking isn't an option.”
Other concerns mentioned:
• I can’t be late for work: “I work as a dental hygienist and have patients” or “my manager expects a timely arrival for my shift.”
• Public transit is difficult to navigate, so I drive. Nobody is at the train stations to help when you are new to it. I worry about problems at the last minute. Like funds not applied to Clipper card etc.
• Clipper cards should cover Caltrain and buses in case one is running late I can take the other.
• As a single parent working an hour away from home, I have to be able to get to my kiddo fast in case of an emergency.
• Better lights for nighttime commuters.
• Neighborhoods should be zoned for multi-use so there would be less sprawl and more housing.
Comments about bicycling:
• Would like more visible and separated bike lanes. (3) • Unsafe drivers
o Palo Alto really needs to ban Right Turn on Red in Downtown Palo Alto. Drivers accelerate to red lights - it's terrible for pedestrians. At least do this for a 2 block radius around the Caltrain Station.
o Cars that run the red lights at the intersection of Lytton and High Street in Palo Alto in particular but all along University and Lytton is an issue. o Cars run red lights which is dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians. o I almost get right hooked every day I ride my bike in to work. It’s terrifying sometimes.
17 • The nearest train station is very far away and there is no secondary transit to close the gap. No buses, no bike or scooter rental etc. (Midtown) • There is one bike rack, but it is blocking a convenient access point for handicapped people getting out of their cars.
• Bike theft (4)
o There are people who will steal bikes in downtown Palo Alto. o Lots of bike theft in Palo Alto, so outdoor bike rack not optimal. (Downtown) o Need bike boxes. We have racks but I won't use. Had locked bike stolen from racks. I bring my bike inside. (retail on University Ave) o Bikes are still getting stolen and I would like greater protection for bike racks.
Key Insights
The following insights gleaned from data and comments lead PATMA to believe that additional mode shift opportunities exist among workers in Palo Alto.
• PATMA conducted the 2024 commute survey in an expanded geographic area this year with a larger worker population compared to previous years.
• The survey had more participation from workers in the government and technology sectors this year than last.
• This year, the average drive alone commute rate is higher (62%) than last year (56%). • Light office (77%) and government sector (72%) sectors have higher drive alone rates than service (55%) and tech (55%) sectors.
• Gathering responses from service sector workers in restaurants, retail and accommodations was more time-consuming than government and tech sectors where managers took a more active role encouraging staff to participate. Service sector businesses required multiple visits to realize results.
• Seventy percent (70%) of survey respondents live in a city served by Caltrain or a bus that runs directly to Palo Alto.
• Two percent (2%) of respondents are super commuters coming from outside of the Bay Area (17 out of 885 responses).
• Among people who drive alone to work:
o 46% are open to taking transit
o 22% are open to carpool
o 17% are open to active mobility (bicycle or e-scooter) o 9% are open to vanpool
o 4% are open to walking
• Sixteen percent (16%) live less than 5 miles from work and are open to an active commute (bike or e-scooter).
• When deciding how to travel to work, 72% of respondents cite travel time or schedule as the most important consideration.
These insights point to potential for workers to switch from driving alone to transit, carpooling, active mobility, vanpool, or walking, particularly among light office and government workers.
18 Conclusions
Given the openness of respondents to sustainable commute modes and the proximity of their home or workplace to transit options, survey results point to opportunities to mode shift more workers who commute to Palo Alto by providing information, equipment, and rewards.
Some people would benefit from more availability of refurbished bikes, electric bikes, and electric scooters to connect to transit or for commutes of less than five miles. Others just need information about real time train and bus arrivals, Guaranteed Ride Home availability, rapid bus schedules and routes, and safer bicycle routes between home and work. And finally, any incentives, such as Bike Love rewards, would provide an additional nudge toward a more sustainable commute.