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A Guide to Land Use and Public Transportation for Snohomish County, Washington
Click HERE for graphic. A Guide to Land Use and Public Transportation for Snohomish County, Washington Prepared By The Snohomish County Transportation Authority December, 1989 The Snohomish County Transportation Authority Board of Directors Chairman Bill Brubaker, Snohomish County Council Vice Chairman M.J. Hrdlicka, Mayor, City of Lynnwood Brian Corcoran, Snohomish County Councilmember Liz McLaughlin, Snohomish County Councilmember William E. Moore, Mayor, City of Everett Richard H. Toyer, Mayor, City of Lake Stevens The Technical Assistance Team for the Public Transportation Plan Bob Caldwell, Washington State Dept. of Transportation John Conrad, Washington State Dept. of Transportation Dennis Derickson, City of Everett Planning Dept. Carlton Gipson, Everett Transit George Godley, Snohomish County Planning Dept. Aaron Grimes, Snohomish County Planning Dept. Paul Kaftanski, Community Transit. Johannes Kurz, Snohomish County Public Works Dept. Cis Leroy, Everett Transit Terry Morrison, Snohomish County Planning Dept. Mike Partridge, City of Lynnwood Planning Dept. Klaus Schilde, Snohomish County Planning Dept. Mike Smith, Puget Sound Council of Governments The Blue Ribbon Committee King Cushman, Pierce Transit Larry Frank, Transportation Research Center Eileen Kadesh, Metro Scott Rutherford, Transportation Research Center Michael Surface, Seattle Master Builders Association Joe Savage, KJS Associates, Inc. The Snohomish County Transportation Authority Staff Caroline Feiss, Executive Director John Dewhirst, Senior Planner Ardelle Bailey, Administrative Secretary Susan Bergen, Intern SNO-TRAN 5800 - 198th Street S.W. # A-2 Lynnwood, WA 98036 (206) 672-0674 Graphic and Marketing Consultants: Ilium Associates, Inc. This Project was funded in part by grants from the Urban Mass Transportation Administration of the United States Department of Transportation under the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964, as amended. The contents of this plan reflect the views of SNO-TRAN, which is solely responsible for the facts and accuracy of data herein.The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policy of the U.S. Department of Transportation. December 21, 1989 Dear Interested Community Member: Snohomish County Transportation Authority (SNO-TRAN) is pleased to present its new publication entitled "A Guide to Land Use and Public Transportation for Snohomish County." This guide is an introduction to the new topic of public transportation-compatible land uses. It gives insights to exploring new approaches to resolving old transportation problems. "A Guide to Land Use and Public Transportation" is the product of a year-long process undertaken by SNO-TRAN with the assistance of the county's transit operators, plus public and private interests. SNO-TRAN is dedicated to helping Snohomish County communities create an environment that enhances the mobility of its citizens. Making a range of transportation options work has to be a goal for all of us if our communities are to continue to be livable and prosperous. This guide is one of a series of efforts SNO-TRAN is taking to foster transportation alternatives through the creation of a public transportation-compatible environment. If you are interested in participating or have questions, please call SNO-TRAN at 672-0674. Sincerely, Bill Brubaker, Chairman M.J. Hrdlicka, Vice Chairman Snohomish County Councilmember Mayor, City of Lynnwood Brian Corcoran Liz McLaughlin Snohomish County Councilmember Snohomish County Coucilmember William Moore Richard Toyer Mayor, City of Everett Mayor, City or Lake Stevens Table of Contents Introduction to Public Transportation Compatibility Chapter 1 How Public Transportation Works Chapter 2 Public Transportation-Compatible Land Uses Chapter 3 Model Public Transportation-Compatible Land Use Goals and Policies for Community Chapter 4 Plans Public Transportation - Compatible Zoning Chapter 5 Transportation Management: Making Better Use of the Transportation System Chapter 6 Public Transportation-Compatible Subdivision Design Chapter 7 Public Transportation-Compatible Site Design Chapter 8 Public Transportation Compatibility Worksheets Chapter 9 Appendix A: Public Transportation Terms Appendix B: Sources Appendix A Chapter 1: Introduction to Public Transportation Compatibility Introduction This guide offers suggestions that local jurisdictions, developers, community groups, and land owners working with their local transit operators can use to locate and design activities and facilities and change trip-making behaviors so that options to autos can become realistic. People are bewildered by the congestion that is inundating their communities, too many people are using too many automobiles. Air quality and, indeed, our quality of life are being threatened by the endless stream of autos. Creating alternatives to the single- occupant auto means creating an environment that permits people to easily use other types of transportation - buses, rail, ridesharing, ferries, walking, and bicycles. Right now those choices are not available in many areas. One of the results of our use of the automobile has been land use patterns that can only be served by the auto. Low density suburbs and strip commercial developments were not designed to accommodate public transportation services that require large numbers of riders to make them work efficiently. Retrofitting traditional bus services into these areas is difficult, under the best circumstances, and may not be very effective. To compound the problem, such areas usually lack basic facilities such as arterials that buses can use and sidewalks that bring passengers to bus stops. Making alternatives to the single-occupant auto a reality means creating new travel patterns based on land uses, road networks, pedestrian facilities and even employment practices that are public transportation compatible. This guide offers suggestions that local jurisdictions, developers, community groups, and land owners working with their local transit operators can use to locate and design activities and facilities and change trip-making behaviors so that options to autos can become realistic. Click HERE for graphic. The term "public transportation" applies to a wide variety of transportation services available to the public including bus service, rail, express bus, passenger and auto ferries, and rideshare services such as carpools and vanpools. Source: A Director of Urban Public Transportation Service, UMTA (August, 1988) 1-1 Chapter 1. Introduction to Public Transportation Compatibility The Community Can Benefit From Public Transportation The community can derive both direct and indirect benefits from integrating a variety of public transportation services into its structure. Residents can benefit from: - Increased mobility for elderly and disabled people - Improved mobility for many who are auto dependent - Increased economic opportunities - Environmental benefits - Better community image - Reduced congestion - Less land in parking - Better transit service The development and business communities can benefit from: - Reduced employee late arrivals - Reduced employee stress - Alternative commute options for bad weather - Potentially lower traffic mitigation costs - Reduced parking requirements - Improved community image Local government can benefit from: - Reduced requirements for new roads - Relieving congestion faster than building roads Partnerships with public transportation agencies and the private sector to share costs and create visible solutions - Added capacity to respond flexibly to change - Community awareness that action is being taken Publicly provided transportation is a valuable but limited re- source. For a community to benefit fully from this scarce public resource, the location, design and patterns of use of its residen- tial, commercial and industrial areas and particularly its streets and public facilities need to support public transportation. The measures of the success of these land use changes will be greater public transportation ridership and increased numbers of people who know they have real alternatives to the single-occupant auto. Click HERE for graphic. Residents benefit from public transportation. Source: Metro Year 2000 Public Transportation Plan, (May 1989) 1-2 Chapter 1: Introduction to Public Transportation Compatibility Community Needs to Plan for Public Transportation The issue is not to change the land uses that make up a community, but rather influence their mixture and design. We are realizing that we must integrate the planning and our transportation network. Planning for public transportation does not imply a radical departure from current development practices. The issue is not to change the land uses that make up a community, but rather to influence their mixture and design. Locating apartment houses on major streets with bus routes and installing sidewalks to bus stops are examples of planning for public transportation. Public transportation can be integrated into a community in many ways. The coordination between community planning and public transportation needs to start when the community first writes or amends its community plan. That coordination needs to continue as the plan is revised, updated and implemented through project reviews, capital improvement program development, and the creation of new community programs. A community can influence the public transportation compati- bility of a plan by considering public transportation as it ad- dresses each of these development issues: - Pedestrian access - The amount, cost, and location of parking - The location of townhouses and apartments - The location and design of Shopping & employment - The location of transit facilities - The location of community facilities, schools, parks, etc. - The mix of land uses - The design of building complexes and their surroundings - The design of residential developments - The design of streets and intersections These issues are the topics of this guide to land use and public 1-3 Chapter 1. introduction to Public Transportation Compatibility Into Action In order to achieve the integration of public transportation into a community, both the community and transportation agencies need to consider taking the following actions. The Local Jurisdiction Responsibilities 1. Form partnerships with the local transportation agencies to better understand the issues. Community and neighborhood plans, capital facilities program- ming, street and sidewalk design and improvements all need to incorporate public transportation. For example, a consistent network of sidewalks, crosswalks, and bus shelters is crucial for bus rider safety and should be part of all plans in areas to be served by buses. Similar pedestrian facilities will be needed at ferry terminals, transit centers and future rail stations. Click HERE for graphic. Partnership with public transit 2. Include public transportation issues when formulating development regulations. Community plans need to be translated into usable regulations in zoning, subdivision, site design, environmental and parking requirements. For example, placing commercial buildings along streets with bus routes helps promote ridership and can be achieved by requiring the placement of parking at the sides or backs of buildings and by requiring direct pedestrian connections to sidewalks leading to bus stops. Click HERE for graphic. Community participation is necessary. 1-4 Chapter 1: Introduction to Public Transportation Compatibility Into Action, continued There is growing interest in "transportation management" strategies. These include tools that can either increase the people carrying capacity of the existing transportation system, including roads, or reduce the amount of single-occupant auto traffic. For example, ordinances use incentives to encourage rideshare or transit fare subsidy programs and disincentives to discourage huge parking lots or roads that cannot carry buses. 3. Assure compliance of development proposals with public transportation guidelines within environmental (SEPA) and other development regulations. Once the transit-compatible policies and regulations have been adopted, all these regulations must be applied consistently to public and private development projects including road im- provements. The Transportation Agency Responsibilities If a public transportation-compatible community is to be cre- ated, local transit agencies must participate in many aspects of the community where they have traditionally not been involved. The local transit agency must: - Educate the community about the benefits and needs of a public transportation system; - Work with public agencies and private developers to develop compatible design criteria and regulations; - Work with public agencies and developers to help plan and design compatible developments; - Work with other public transportation agencies such as the State Ferries and the State Department of Transportation to assure transit compatibility at ferry terminals and on state highways; - Work with the cities and the County to assure con- struction of transit-compatible roadway improvements such as arterial HOV lanes and bus pullouts; - Supply new markets with new transportation services, only if that service is supported by a public transportation- compatible environment. Click HERE for graphic. 1-5 Chapter 1. Introduction to Public Transportation Compatibility SNO-TRAN'S Guide to Public Transportation and Land Use To be useful, this guide must be viewed as an introduction to land use and public transportation. Most of its suggestions are new, a few may be radical, some are simple, others are complex; but these ideas are offered as starting points for communities to discuss new approaches to resolving their transportation problems. This guide is an introduction to the emerging concept of public transportation-compatible land uses. It is written for the benefit of those designing, planning developing, reviewing or rendering decisions on land uses or development projects. This guide contains the following: - The first two chapters are, an introduction to the concept of public transportation-compatible land uses and the workings of public transportation. - Chapter 3 describes the criteria that make land uses compatible with public transportation. - Policy guidelines are discussed in the form of model community plan goals and policies in Chapter 4. - The next four chapters, 5-8, describe specific ways to achieve compatibility through a zoning ordinance, a transportation management approach, the design of residential subdivisions and the site design for most types of developments. - Chapter 9 contains work sheets to apply all these concepts and details to proposed developments to assist in determining whether or not those developments are compatible with public transportation. - The two appendices include a glossary of public transportation terms (which may be used as models for ordinance definitions) and a list of the references used to write this guide (which may be considered a bibliography of public transportation compatibility). 1-6 Click HERE for graphic. Chapter 2: How Public Transportation Works Introduction While public transportation includes a whole variety of transportation services including ferry and passenger rail, the focus of this chapter will be on the two most common forms of public transportation - buses and ridesharing (typically provided by carpools and vanpools). We take public transportation for granted, but public transpor- tation only works when conditions are right. This chapter is designed to help communities understand why bus services and ridesharing programs work under some conditions and not under others and why transit can't respond to all requests for service. Unless one lives in larger, higher density cities where many people have traditionally relied on public transportation, it may be difficult to use public transportation, especially in suburban areas - even if a person wants to. It is especially difficult in lower density areas where the number of people "heading your way" is probably pretty small. Another name for public transportation is mass transportation, service for masses of people. Public transportation is very effective where it can pick up many passengers at each stop throughout the day. The perception of "empty buses" in suburban areas reflects a number of factors involving development and lifestyle choices that result in too few riders living too far apart. The public transportation services you see on the street are the product of understanding: - How people decide to take trips on transit or the demand for service; - How services can best be tailored to meet that demand; - How the right resources (vehicles, drivers, etc.) can be assigned to fit the service design; and - How those services and resources will really work When they are put out in the community. This chapter is structured like the public transportation planning process that is based on the understandings of demand, service design, resource allocation and running the service on the street. It is hoped that the reader's understanding of this process will help further cooperation between the community and public transportation. 2-1 Chapter 2: How Public Transportation Works An Introduction to Trip Making To understand the demand for public transportation services, we have to understand how trip making works. When a person decides to take a trip, he or she consciously an unconsciously considers practical options and personal preferences. One thinks about the trip's destination and evaluate whether to walk, take the bus, drive a car, use a carpool vanpool, etc. That choice is colored by: - What options are available, (i.e., whether to walk or take one of several vehicle choices); - How long the trip will take, which is based on the routes the vehicle can take and how fast it will go; - Whether the vehicle choice will get him/her to the destination on time; - How much the trip will cost for each of the vehicle choices (cost here includes fuel costs, parking costs and fares, and - How many inconveniences or discomforts will be experienced like waiting in the rain, having to walk in the dark or enduring endless traffic congestion. * While there are other costs of driving a car (insurance, depreciation), few people think of these other costs when they decide to take a trip. Click HERE for graphic. Deciding to take a trip Trip-Making Examples Can the Bus be the Choice? Mike, a Snohomish County resident, considers how he wants to travel to the grocery store: - If he walks, it will take half an hour each way and he'll have to cross that vacant lot since there is no direct sidewalk route to the store. If he walks, the store is likely to be closed by the time he gets there, but even if he can shop, he'll have to carry the bags back. - If he takes the bus, it'll take even longer since the bus goes via the playfield. He may get there after the store closes since the bus won't come for another 20 minutes. Lugging groceries on a bus is not really appealing. 2-2 Chapter 2: How Public Transportation Works An Introduction to Trip Making, continued - So Mike takes the car. He can drive directly to the store, the trip will take ten minutes so he'll have time to shop; and bringing groceries home in the car is easy. What would make it possible for Mike to take the bus to the store? Probably nothing practical, short of there being no parking available or a very high cost to park. But in today's suburban environment, there are too many factors that favor his car. Can the Bus or Ridesharing Be the Choice? Sally has to decide how to get to a new job: - Walking or riding a bike is out - the job is too far away. - There is bus service to her job site, but the bus can't safely stop outside her subdivision because it is a busy state highway and there is no bus pullout: She'd have to walk 200 feet on the highway to the nearest stop and there is no sidewalk. In order to be sure she gets to work on time, Sally would have to leave the house an hour before work starts to catch the bus. - She'd like to carpool or vanpool, but her employer has established variable work schedules and she can't find anyone who lives near her who works the same hours. Click HERE for graphic. Commuting on a bus to work. Source:Metro Year 2000 Public Transportation, (May, 1989) - She takes her car. She can drive easily to her job and the employer has provided acres of free parking. She decides the congestion she encounters is tolerable. What would make it possible for Sally to use public transportation for her work trips? If the developer of her subdivision had put in a sidewalk to the bus stop and if her neighbors joined her in requesting a rescheduling of the bus service, Sally might have been able to take the bus. If her employer encouraged ridesharing by consolidating work schedules or allowing people to set their own schedules (flextime), and providing priority, close-in parking spaces for people who rideshare, Sally might be able to put together a carpool or vanpool. 2-3 Chapter 2: How Public Transportation Works Public Transportation: Designing Service Public transportation operators are businesses, supplying trans- portation services. They have to design services to assure that their shareholders - the taxpayer and the transit user - see services that are as productive as possible. Productivity means passengers, To provide productive services, public transportation operators have to balance demand for service with available resources - vehicles, drivers, operating funds - designing suitable routes and schedules to fit. - In big cities there are usually large numbers of people (demand) wanting to go to a set of destinations (along the route) when the buses make the trip (the schedule). The cost per passenger is fairly low since it is distributed among many passengers riding the bus. - In suburban areas where riders are fewer and five farther apart, their trip destinations and times they want to travel may be similar (workers going to a major employment center) or very diverse (shoppers going to different malls). The cost of carrying each of these riders will be much higher since each trip will probably be longer and serve fewer passengers. - One exception is express bus service: Large numbers of suburban riders are collected at park-and-ride lots and taken directly to their destinations, quickly and cheaply. These trips do not have to wander through low density areas collecting one passenger here and another there and so are very cost-effective. - Another exception is ridesharing which effectively tailors "mass" transportation to serve a smaller group to fill the vehicle. Carpools and vanpools can be set up by employers, the transit operator or by individuals where small clusters of travelers have similar origins and destinations for regularly scheduled trips. While a carpool or vanpool doesn't appear to make a big dent in congestion, in the aggregate, ridesharing can be a major tool in reducing peak period traffic. Ridesharing, like other forms of public transportation needs a compatible environment if it is to be truly effective.* Click HERE for graphic. TSM in Washington State Source: WSDOT Transportation System Management (TSM) in Washington State * A compatible environment requires roadways, parking and information programs that make it possible for rideshare vehicles to compete with the private auto. Chapters 3,6,7,8, and 9 have information on this. 2-4 Chapter 2: How Public Transportation Works Public Transportation Resources: Best Use Public transportation planners have to consider how best to use their resources to fit the services they design. The number of buses a transit operator has is pretty much fixed from year to year. Ordering new coaches can take one to two years from the time specifications are developed to when the buses are delivered. In most cases, buses are specially built for each order - you can't just go pick them "off the shelf." If buses are to be used on a new route or added to an existing route, those buses are probably going to be taken off an established route, reducing the frequency of service on that route. How will the users of that route react? The number of rideshare vans available through a transit operator's rideshare program depends on how much money is available for purchasing vans and on the demand in the community for vanpools. The operator has to balance community interest in ridesharing with demands for fixed-route bus services and services for elderly, disabled and other people who require specialized services. One advantage of vanpools is that the operating costs of the vans are usually shared by the van users who pay a monthly fare that covers most, if not all, those costs. The number of drivers available depends on the overall number of drivers employed, the number available on any given day (not on vacation or sick leave), the number of shifts, and the number of trips within each shift. One reason that transit agencies are turning to 60-foot articulated (bending) buses is that they can carry many more people with one driver than can be carried on a conventional 40-foot bus. Trains can carry even more people with one driver (and some trains operate without drivers!). The size of the operating budget depends on the amount of funds available from taxes, fares, advertising, and government grants. A typical transit agency operating budget looks like this: Click HERE for graphic. Even if transit agencies want to provide more services and facilities (like transit centers and park-and-ride lots), they face many barriers: - Buying land and constructing new facilities means meeting a great number of state, local and federal rules and regulations including environmental regulations, planning requirements, and building codes, man of which take several ears to meet. 2-5 Chapter 2: How Public Transportation Works Public Transportation Resources: Best Use, continued Buying new vehicles can also be complicated by federal purchasing rules, new "alternative fuel" regulations, and lengthy purchasing processes. Some examples: - There are many buses available for delivery from European manufacturers but they are off limits because of the "Buy America" rules. Because of backlogged orders, American manufactured buses may take three years to arrive. - Buying rideshare vans on the State contract saves a great deal of money, but the State only buys vehicles twice a year, meaning long delays in getting needed vans. 2-6 Chapter 2: How Public Transportation Works Transit's Favorite Stories: What Works and What Doesn't There are many stories that public transportation agencies can tell about what works and what doesn't work when services are evaluated in their operating environment (the community). The following examples are all drawn from Snohomish County. 1. Why Transit Can't Meet the Ferry In one of the towns served by the ferry system, the buses need to make a left turn, across the lane of ferry traffic being loaded or unloaded, throwing bus schedules way off. Click HERE for graphic. It's hard to keep on schedule - The Public Transportation Solution What was needed was a left-turn traffic signal activated by the bus driver so buses could make the turn and continue on schedule. 2. A Trip In the County In an effort to reduce traffic, several cities have decided not to build arterials through their cities. Transit buses, unable to take the logical, straight route have to wander through neighbor- hoods and out into farmlands, resulting in long, unproductive routes. Click HERE for graphic. Buses need riders > The Public Transportation Solution As cities lay out their street plans or make plans to annex new areas, they should work together with local developers, community groups and the transit operator to consider the transit service implications of the road design and weigh the benefits to the community of having efficient bus operations. 3. Can't Get Back From There A major employer wants buses to serve its very large facility to help reduce traffic congestion. Unfortunately, the road into the site was not designed for large vehicles and there is no place for buses to turn around. (For safety reasons, buses don't back up.) 2-7 Chapter 2: How Public Transportation Works Transit's Favorite Stories: What Works and What Doesn't continued Click HERE for graphic. Big buses and small roads create problems! The Public Transportation Solution Developers should work with transit planners early in the site planning process to assure that roads are wide enough, turning space is provided and that pavements are designed to carry buses so that when bus service is needed, the transit system can respond. 4. Foiling Ridesharing Another major employer would be a perfect site for a major ridesharing program since many of its employees could efficiently use carpools and vanpools. The problem is that the employer offers hundreds of "free" parking places (though they cost $1,000- $3,000/space to develop), making it easy for people to drive alone. Congestion and a lot of space wasted on parking are the results. Click HERE for graphic. Free Parking Foils Ridesharing > The Public Transportation Solution The employer has a number of options available. Single - occupant vehicles (SOVS) could be required to park in lots farthest from the buildings and preferential parking could be reserved for rideshare vehicles. SOVs could be charged for parking; carpools and vanpools could park free. The employer, working with transit, could develop incentive programs to encourage employee ridesharing. A number of company cars could be made available to ridesharing employees who need to make business-related trips during the day. 5. Multi-Purpose Trips Need Autos At a number of residential and employment sites in the county, residents and workers are forced to use their cars for a whole range of trips people have to take during the day because no services are available on site or within a safe and easy walking distance. Because they need their cars for these kinds of trips,* these people are not candidates for public transportation. * Recent statistics show that short trips to stores, daycare, banks, recreation areas, etc., account for a large portion of all vehicular trip making. Single use land uses are one major reason that so many people have to use their autos for these trips. 2-8 Chapter 2: How Public Transportation Works Transit's Favorite Stories: What Works and What Doesn't, continued Click HERE for graphic. Mixed-Use Development Source: Burnaby Metrotown, Burnaby Planning Department, (June, 1977) The Public Transportation Solution As new developments are planned, mixed-use developments should be given greater emphasis. Banks, dry cleaners, restaurants, daycare, fitness centers and the like can enhance a development by reducing the need for people to take their cars to run errands during the day or after work. 6. Give Transit a Break People like the privacy and comfort of their private cars and getting them to use ridesharing and buses is very difficult unless those modes have a "leg up" on cars. Time savings and "leaving the driving to us" can be transit's advantage over private auto use. The Public Transportation Solution The advantage express buses have can be created elsewhere if local communities and developers, working with the transit operator, consider building high occupancy vehicle (HOV) facilities (park-and-ride lots, bus turning lanes, HOV lanes) into the arterial network. A good example is Community Transit's express bus operations into Seattle which use the HOV lanes (also called diamond lanes) down I-5. Those lanes, reserved for buses and rideshare vehicles, can save minutes on a rush hour trip making those express buses very popular. Click HERE for graphic. High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes give transit an advantage. Source: Preliminary a Report on High Occupancy Vehicle (HOC) Facilities and Activities, WSDOT, (January, 1989) 2-9 Chapter 2: How Public Transportation Works Service Planning Guidelines The section that follows contains more detail on public transportation service planning. If the reader is interested in additional information on any of the points raised in this chapter, he or she is encouraged to contact the local transit operator. What do public transportation planners consider as they plan service? One thing they look at is potential routes. The following are from Community Transit's 'Guideline for Route Analysis." Route Planning Guidelines Goal: Provide safe, efficient, effective transportation service for the residents of a community. Factors: - Accessibility to route by residents Consider: - % of population within walking distance of a bus stop - Diversity of destinations served Consider: - Number of activity centers connected - Transfer opportunities provided - Efficiency of routing/directness Consider: - Bus travel time vs. auto travel time - Minimize loops - Safety of route Consider: - Street width/pavement conditions - Road conditions in adverse weather - Safety of travel lane stops - Pullout and shelter facilities (poten- tial) - Manageability of turns - Responsiveness to the public Consider: - Public input in the forms of service requests, survey responses, etc. - Political pressures & political feasibility Tasks: 1. Identify multi-family and high density single family locations. 2. Locate activity centers (employment, retail, etc.) 3. Gather data on ridership trends and current route ridership. 4. Incorporate public input and solicit comments. 5. Identify the locations of other bus routes or modes of Public transportation in the area to consider transfer connections where applicable. 6. Check on any road improvement projects planned for the area. 7. Drive through the area to do preliminary time checks and initial inspection of road conditions and route characteristics. * Loops are circular routes that can take people way out of their way and are very inefficient. Direct routing is much preferred. 2-10 Chapter 2: How Public Transportation Works Service Planning Guidelines, continued Bus Stops: How They are Designed and Sited A bus stop is basically a bus zone plus the bus stop itself. The bus zone is usually 80 to 160 feet long - the space for the bus to pull in and out to serve the bus stop. The bus stop is the passenger loading "platform" and is generally marked by a bus stop sign and may have a shelter and other facilities such as phone booths, lighting and transit service information signs. Ideally, bus stops are paved areas, accessible from two sides by paved sidewalks with wheelchair ramps at intersections. The bus stop area needs to be large enough to accommodate the anticipated number of passengers that will board and alight there and large enough for a wheelchair to maneuver on and off the lift on the side of the bus. (See Chapter 8 for more information on bus stop design.) Click HERE for graphic. Bus stop design and location are important. Source: Accommodating the Pedestrian, Richard Untermann (New York, 1984) The location of bus stops is decided by the following factors: - Safety considerations for pedestrians and vehicles - Passenger demand-how many people will use the stop - Local regulations - the location of bus zones and stops has to be approved by the local jurisdiction - Impacts on private property - Efficiency of operations - what will this stop mean to overall operating speeds and timed transfers - Sight distances must be such that drivers and passengers have clear views on either side of the stop (generally not less than 300 feet). Bus stops can be located immediately before or immediately after an intersection or they can be located midblock. Each has its advantages and disadvantages and each has its own bus zone dimension requirements. The local transit operator can help evaluate potential bus stop locations and provide designers with their adopted standards. Bus stop signs are provided by the transit operator and must be located and mounted to meet the operator's and the local jurisdiction's standards. Bus stop shelters may be provided by the operator, if passenger volumes and other considerations permit. If a non-operator provided shelter is desired for a location, its design and siting must be approved by the transit operator. The reasons for this approval requirement include safety, barrier-free design and long-term maintenance concerns. Click HERE for graphic. Bus stops must be convenient. 2-11 Click HERE for graphic. Chapter 3: Public Transportation - Compatible Land Uses Land Use is Important to Public Transportation Developers and business people can derive substantial benefits by integrating public transportation into their development projects and businesses. Public transportation works most effectively where you find high activity levels, Unlimited parking and quality pedestrian and transit access. Such activities or land uses can be considered "public transportation compatible." The benefits to the community of creating public transportation - compatible environments were reviewed in the introduction (Chapter 1). Key among the benefits is increased mobility for the many types of trips community members may wish to take for shopping, jobs, school, and recreation. Effective public transportation system operations depend in large part on how the community is designed and particularly how its land uses relate to its road network. Definitions Developers and business people can also derive substantial benefits by integrating public transportation into their development projects and businesses. Well designed transit facilities integrated into developments can: - Reduce parking needs and costs; - Lower front-end construction costs; - Mitigate traffic impacts; - Mitigate SEPA requirements; - Attract customer attention; - Improve employee morale; - Increase employee retention; - Increase employee productivity; and - Create a better community image. Definitions "Public transportation" applies to a wide variety of transportation services available to the public. To understand how land uses can support these services, we can divide the services into the following categories: Local Transit High Capacity Ridesharing Services Transit Services Services - Local buses - Express buses - Carpools - Special services - Rail transit - Vanpools (for elderly & - Passenger & - Buspools disabled & other auto ferries (Subscription special groups) bus) 3-1 Chapter 3: Public Transportation - Compatible Land Uses What Makes Land Use Compatible With Public Transportation Public transportation-compatible land uses have to be defined using a variety of criteria. Public transportation-compatible land uses have to be defined using a variety of criteria. Few of these criteria are cast in concrete because there always will be variations caused by local conditions or the type of public transportation service available. The compatibility criteria for the location and types of land uses may differ for local bus service, express bus service and rail service. "Compatible" land uses generally meet most of the following eight criteria: 1. Land uses are located within existing urban or suburban activity centers 2. Land uses are located within mixed-use areas 3. Land uses are located near transit service 4. Land uses have an orientation towards transit services 5. Walking distances are pedestrian scale 6. Design encourages riders 7. Land uses encourage riders 8. Land uses have minimal parking 1. Land Uses Are Located Within Existing Urban or Suburban Activity Centers Public transportation works best when land uses are located within an existing urban area or a suburban activity center. Generally, the closer a land use is to the middle of an activity center the better. Generally, the greatest number of transit riders can be found in the middle of activity centers where land uses are concentrated and parking is expensive and scarce. Historically, the proximity of activities to a downtown has been important. In the future, this factor may not be as important since so many activities are locating in suburban areas. What is more important is the concentration of activities within activity centers in suburban areas. 2. Land Uses Are Located Within Mixed-Use Areas Bus and rail services and ridesharing work better where activities are mixed together and people can walk between activities. Example: Offices mixed with restaurants and retail stores or small shops located within residential areas. People can take care of several activities without making multiple auto trips. 3-2 Chapter 3: Public Transportation - Compatible Land Use Compatibility Criteria, continued Click HERE for graphic. Locate in mixed use areas Source: Accommodate The Pedestrian, Richard Untermann, (New York, 1984) 3. Land loss Are Located Near Public Transportation Service Land uses must be located near a bus stop or other public transportation facility or a planned route. A site is not public transportation-compatible if service is not currently provided at, or planned for, that location, even if somebody thinks public transportation "could work there." 4. Land Uses Have An Orientation Towards Public Transportation Service Land uses need to be oriented to public transportation facilities. People are not motivated to use public transportation services if buildings do not provide convenient, quality access - even if buildings are located close to a bus route or rail line. Building entrances and paved walkways need to lead directly to a bus stop, a park-and-ride lot, or a station. Click HERE for graphic. Orient land uses to public transportation facilities. Source: Design Guidelines for Bus and Light Rail Facilities, Rail Transit, (Sacramento, CA) Shopping centers, for example, very seldom provide any attractive way for pedestrians to reach the building entrance from a bus stop without a lengthy walk through a parking lot or across landscaping. Bus operators are hesitant to enter these parking lots where buses can be tied up in traffic. 3-3 Chapter 3: Public Transportation - Compatible Land Uses Compatibility Criteria, continued People can be expected to walk no more than 1,000 feet to a bus stop or a park-and-ride parking space. 5. Walking distances are pedestrian-Scale The closer both the beginning and end of a trip are to a bus stop, the greater the likelihood of people using public transportation. For example, isolated activities, even high-density activities, do not generate riders if public transportation is difficult to reach. People can be expected to walk no more than 1,000 feet to a bus stop or a park-and-ride parking space. The walking distance increases slightly, to 1,320-1,758 feet (1/4 to 1/3 of a mile), for rail station access. Click HERE for graphic. Pedestrian walking distances The quality of the walk is as important as actual distance. The distances people will walk are reduced dramatically by steep grades, a lack of weather protection, and a lack of paved, hazard- free surfaces. These factors become crucial for people with disabling conditions that affect mobility. On the other hand, walking increases as the environment improves. Distances are not measured in a straight line, but by the actual walking distance, given circuitous roadways, missing sidewalks, and other obstacles. Click HERE for graphic. Measure actual walking distances. 6. Design Encourages Bus Bus service can work most effectively where bus facili- ties,such as bus stops or transfer centers, are designed into buildings, residential developments, roads, and building entrances. Click HERE for graphic. Source: Design Guidelines for Bus and Light Rail Facilities Regional Transit, (Sacramento, CA) 3-4 Chapter 3: Public Transportation: Compatible Land Uses Compatibility Criteria, continued 7. Land Uses Encourage Riders Three types of land uses - residential, non-residential, and employment - will be discussed for their ability to generate transit riders. Residential Ridership on public transportation increases as residential density increases. Under good conditions, at 15 dwelling units per net acre (du/ac), there can be a 100% increase in bus usage over that of 5 du/ac; at 30 du/ac, bus usage can triple; at 50 du/ac there can be more bus trips than auto trips. Low density residential areas cannot sustain traditional bus services. However, these areas may be served by other types of public transportation such as dial-a-bus, park-and-ride facilities, van/carpools and similar new public transportation services. Click HERE for graphic. Low density single-family housing of under four dwelling units per acre - a residential density too low generally support any transit except park-and-ride express buses to very large downtowns The threshold for local bus service to residential areas is approximately four to seven dwelling units per acre. In certain suburban locations, at or above 8 du/ac, bus service may be improved to one-half hour from one-hour headways if conditions permit. Click HERE for graphic. Small-lot single family housing of seven dwelling units per acre can generally support local bus service. Click HERE for graphic. Medium density residential between seven to fifteen dwelling units per acre can generally support local bus service. If these densities are maintained over a large enough area, with good access, rail transit may be supported. 3-5 Chapter 3: Public Transportation - Compatible Land Uses Compatibility Criteria, continued The threshold for high capacity transit such as express bus and rail services is approximately 24 dwelling units per acre under certain conditions such as size of the downtown and the distance to that downtown. Click HERE for graphic. Multifamily residential of twenty to twenty-five dwelling units per acre is the threshold to support high capacity transit if location and access are good. Click HERE for graphic. High-density residential can support all types of public transportation service. Non-Residential Land uses should have the potential to generate ridership through- out the day and, ideally, during the off-peak periods - midday, evening hours, and weekends. High levels of off-peak ridership can greatly improve public transportation efficiency. As an example, a mixed-use area containing restaurants, a museum, a theater and retail stores has greater potential to generate bus and rail riders than an area with only retail stores. Adding housing to the mix can improve the situation substantially. Redevelopment of old buildings and dilapidated city areas offers a second opportunity to create land uses compatible with public transportation. Employment Even more than residential densities, public transportation rid- ership increases as employment density rises. Concentrated employment areas offer the greatest opportunity to generate ridership on public transportation. In most areas, the local bus service threshold for business is approximately, 50 to 60 employees per acre. Low density employment areas, with a range of .5 to 2.0 floor area ratio (FAR - a ratio comparing the amount of total floor space to the total land area), such as the areas around Paine Field and along State Route 527, generate enough traffic to clog the roads but insufficient riders to sustain bus service. However, businesses falling into " category may be served by other types of services such as subscription bus and car/vanpools. 3-6 Chapter 3 : Public Transportation - Compatible Land Uses Compatibility Criteria, continued 8. Land Uses Have Minimal Parking Ridership for all types of public transportation increases as the price of parking increases or as the availability of parking decreases. Zoning ordinances can limit the amount and location of parking. For example, regulations can require that parking lots be located at the sides or rear of a building, leaving "front door" access for bus users and pedestrians. Single-occupant vehicle parking can be made expensive or parking can be reserved for rideshare vehicles. Restricting parking requires that adequate alternatives are in place. Before communities or developers consider dramatic changes in parking policy, they must work with transit operators to assure that quality public transportation service is available. Click HERE for graphic. Locate new centers on the street with parking in the rear Source: Accommodating the Pedestrian. Richard Untermann (New York, 1984) Click HERE for graphic. Minimize space for parking while emphasizing the connection to transit. Source: Market Based Transit Facility Design, H Z. Rabinowitz, et al., (February, 1989) 3-7 Chapter 3: Public Transportation - Compatible Land Uses Transportation Compatibility Chart The following table charts the compatibility between community activities and various modes of transportation. Click HERE for graphic. * Single, multifamily, and congregate residential uses # Under 1,000 square feet + Over 5,000 square feet 3-8 Chapter 3: Public Transportation - Compatible Land Uses Click HERE for graphic. 3-9 Click HERE for graphic. Chapter 4: Model Public Transportation Supportive Goals and Policies for Community Plans Community Plan for Public Transportation These model goals and policies are intended to be examples for communities to start community discussions about transportation and land use issues. These model goals and policies must be tailored to meet each community's own situation. Ideally, similar goals and policies - along with design standards developed to implement them - will be consistent throughout Snohomish County and, ultimately, the region since effective transportation systems do not stop at political boundaries. Public transportation can be a tool for improving quality of life within our communities, but only if it is included in the plans and policies that shape development within the community. Each community needs to consider how it can best incorporate techniques for developing land uses and road networks support public transportation and, conversely, making public transportation support larger community goals. Public transportation as a part of land use and transportation system development is gaining In importance in the State of Washington. For example, under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), environmental impact mitigation requirements for development proposals - or project denials - must be tied to a community's goals and policies. Public transportation should be included among those goals and policies. The Local Transportation Act (the LTA), approved by the Legislature in 1988, is designed to assist local and regional jurisdictions develop programs to jointly fund transportation improvements required because of growth and economic development in their areas. The Act requires that the programs "indicate how public transportation and ride-sharing improvements and services will be used to reduce off-site transportation impacts from development" (39.92.030 R.C.W.). The Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) which funds local road improvements gives priority to "multi-modal solutions for projects including transit, high occupancy vehicle lanes or rail" (WAC 479- 113-011). Such multi-modal solutions need to be supported by local planning. Transportation Benefit Districts (TBDS) were authorized by the 1987 Legislature. TBDs can be created to finance road improvements through funding mechanisms such as bonds, benefit assessments and impact mitigation fees. Inclusion of high occupancy vehicle facilities in a TBD program would support the TBD legislative purpose. Preamble: It is in the interest of this community to integrate public transportation into the community to enhance mobility and the quality of life for our citizens. In order to solve the problem of increasing traffic congestion, air pollution and the loss of land to parking and roads, we must develop goals, policies, and strategies to better integrate public transportation into our transportation and land use planning programs. 4-1 Chapter 4: Model Public Transportation Supportive Goals and Policies For Community Plans Goal I: Public Transportation Systems Goal Goal I: Assure the provision of local and regional public transportation systems which contribute to the relief of traffic congestion, promote energy conservation, and enhance mobility for the community. Objectives 1. Plan, develop, and maintain an integrated transportation system that moves people efficiently and safely in the community as well as in the region. 2. Develop community circulation systems which conserve land, financial, and energy resources, facilitate public transportation services, and provide safe and efficient mobility, Policies 1. Improve the present transportation system by working cooperatively with other local jurisdictions, the Puget Sound Council of Governments (PSCOG), the State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the transit agencies. 2. Improve the usability of public transportation, particu- larly for those people who habitually - travel by auto to school, work, and other activities. 3. Encourage private participation in the supply of public transportation and paratransit services. 4. Encourage energy conservation by making public trans- portation services a priority in the community. 5. Work with the region's planners to plan for regional high capacity transit CHCT) facilities to serve the community (if applicable). 6. Coordinate the location of bus facilities with existing or new ferry terminals (if applicable). Implementation strategy 1. Work with the local transit agencies to plan and develop the appropriate public! transportation services to meet the needs of the people in the community. 2. Work with the regional transportation agencies and adjacent jurisdictions to determine how this community can best be served by the regional transportation system. 3. Charge a broad-based community committee to work with the planning commission as it develops a transportation plan that includes a strong public transportation element and implementation program. 4. Commit financial resources for transportation planning and implementation programs. 5. Support funding to enhance public transportation services to the community. 6. Work with the transit systems and the WSDOT to develop a system of secure, Conveniently located park-and-ride lots to encourage use of bus and rideshare services. 4-2 Chapter 4: Model Public Transportation Supportive Goals and Policies for Community Plans Goal II: Public Transportation-Compatible Land Use Goal Goal II: Establish land uses and urban patterns that support public transportation and promote ridership. Objectives 1. Coordinate land use decisions with existing and planned public transportation services. 2. Include a strong public transportation element in future community and transportation plans and capital improvement programs. 3. Employ site planning and design criteria to make public and private development supportive of public transportation. 4. Develop a mixed-use land development ordinance which permits the mixing of land uses to reduce trip-taking and support public transportation. Policies 1. Develop land use patterns that facilitate multi-purpose trips and minimize the number and length of vehicle trips. 2. Utilize major transportation routes as a tool to help influence development patterns. 3. Plan for higher density land uses along public transportation corridors. 4. Plan activity centers' with a mixture of employment, mid- to high-density housing, shopping, entertainment, government, cultural, recreational and educational fa- cilities. 5. Connect adjacent residential areas with other land uses by removing barriers that restrict bus, pedestrian, and bicycle circulation. 6. Require developers through the established permit process, to include public transportation compatible designs in their projects. 7. Promote residential developments at densities and in areas which can be served by public transportation. 8. Require employment centers to be developed at densities and in areas which can be served by public transpor- tation. 9. Require activity centers to be developed at densities and at locations which can support public transportation 10. Promote a mixture of land uses at public transportation facilities" and private employment centers to encourage use of bus and ridesharing services. * "Activity center" is defined as any major attraction that brings together 100 or more people at any given time. Examples are shopping centers, community colleges and recreational facilities. "Employment centers" rare places it 100 or more jobs at a single site or at adjacent sites. ** "Public Transportation facilities" are bus stops, transit centers, park-and-ride lots, high occupancy vehicle(HOV) lanes and pullouts, ferry terminals, rail stations, etc. 4-3 Chapter 4: Model Public Transportation Supportive Goals and Policies for Community Plans Goal II: Public Transportation-Compatible Land Use Goal, continued Implementation Strategy 1. Educate the community to the opportunities for public transportation serving various types of land uses. 2. Amend existing community plans and programs to support public transportation services. 3. Amend land regulation ordinances, such as zoning and subdivision, plus administrative procedures to integrate public transportation services facilities. 4. Work with local transit agencies to review development applications early in the review process. Require developers to coordinate with the local transit agency in the early stages of a development project. 5. Work to establish mixed-use activities such as shopping and other services at park-and-ride lots, where appropriate. 6. Work to establish daycare facilities at park-and-ride lots and at public and private employment centers served by public transportation, where appropriate. Click HERE for graphic. Educate the community to the opportunities for public transportation serving various types of land uses. 4-4 Chapter 4: Model Public Transportation Supportive Goals and Policies for Community Plans Goal III: Special Population Goal Goal III: Improve public transportation service accessibility for elderly, disabled, low and moderate income, youth, and other mobility- disadvantaged people. Objectives 1. Recognize in community planning the special transportation needs of the elderly, young, disabled and low income persons who may not be adequately served by the existing transportation system. 2. Assure the use of barrier-free access criteria for public and private facilities. Policies 1. Create safe, barrier-free access to public transportation and pedestrian facilities. 2. Assure that all State and local barrier-free codes are used in all development and redevelopment projects. 3. Identify how community projects can support transit and make services more usable and desirable to special populations. Implementation Strategy 1. Establish, or encourage the local transit operator to establish, a citizens' advisory committee to recommend programs and actions to the community's decision makers on special transportation issues. 2. Support funding programs to enhance transportation service between homes and medical and social services, recreational and employment opportunities. 3. Enforce the Washington State Regulations for Barrier Free Facilities on all public and private development projects (WAC 51.10). Click HERE for graphic. Barrier-free transit access Source: Elderly and Handicapped Transportation Study, Community Transit, (January, 1981) 4-5 Chapter 4: Model Public Transportation Supportive Goals and Policies for Community Plans Goal IV: Public Transportation Facilities Goal Goal IV:- In areas served by public transportation., incorporate and give priority to public transportation in the design of all major public and private projects. Objectives 1. Use generally accepted transit-compatible design standards to make public and private projects accessible by public transportation. 2. Use generally accepted pedestrian access and barrier free design standards for-all public and private projects. Policies 1. As a condition of development approval in areas served by public transportation, require the provision of public transportation facilities in, -or adjacent to, public and private developments. 2. Provide safe and convenient pedestrian access between developments and public transportation facilities. 3. Ensure that arterial streets are designed for high occupancy modes of transportation: a. Provide for high occupancy vehicle (HOV) priority at major intersections and along major corridors; b. Provide facilities for buses such as shelters and turnout lanes; c. Provide bicycle and pedestrian facilities - such as pathways and marked crosswalks - when planning and constructing street improvements; and d. Assure that major intersections and arterials are designed for heavyweight vehicle movements. Implementation Strategy 1. Adopt and integrate the following types of design standards into the community's development standards: a. Public transportation access b. Pedestrian/bicycle access c. HOV facilities on streets d. Heavyweight vehicles on streets 2. Educate the community to the benefits of using these new standards. Click HERE for graphic. Integrate transit and development. Source: Transformation of Transportation. Office of Appropriate Technology, (Sacramento, CA) 4-6 Chapter 4: Model Public Transportation Supportive Goals and Policies for Community Plans Goal V: Transportation System Management Goals Goal V: Improve circulation in and around the community by the management of existing transportation facilities and by promoting alternatives to single occupant auto use.* Objectives 1. Emphasize non-structural solutions to circulation system deficiencies in the community. 2. Adopt and enforce a Transportation System Management Ordinance for the community. 3. Minimize the amount of auto parking in public and private developments. Policies 1. Encourage commuters to use car/vanpool programs and pub c transit as alternatives to the single;occupant automobile. 2. Develop management plans that cover parking, congestion, and access to encourage use of 'high occupancy vehicles and make public transit operate more efficiently'. * Transportation management includes both techniques to increase the efficiency of the existing transportation system and techniques to encourage use of alternatives to the single occupant auto. See Chapter 6. 3. As a condition of development approval in areas served by bus, require activity centers and employment centers to promote and maintain ridesharing, bus use and incentive programs. 4. Consider incentives for those developers who actively promote and encourage ridesharing and public transit programs. 5. Encourage the formation of transportation management associations (TMAS) in major retail, office, and industrial centers to assist in achieving public transportation use. Implementation Strategy 1. Establish a special community committee to educate the community and develop a TSM ordinance with financial and other incentives. New parking regulations would be a part of this effort. (A model TSM ordinance to use as a starting point is included in Chapter 6.) 2. Adopt a transportation management ordinance for the community and amend the zoning ordinance with the new parking regulations. 3. Provide the resources to enforce the transportation management ordinance in the community. 4. Develop community transportation management demonstration projects for municipal facilities and employees. 4-7 Chapter 5: Public Transportation - Compatible Zoning Click HERE for graphic. Chapter 5: Public Transportation - Compatible Zoning Introduction If a community's plan contains public transportation- friendly goals and policies, then the zoning provisions can put those goals and policies into action. Zoning provisions are the most commonly used techniques to carry out a community's priorities. Zoning provisions are not intended to set policy, but implement policy. If a community's plan contains public transportation-friendly goals and policies, then the zoning provisions can put those goals and policies into action. (Refer to Chapter 4, "Model Public Transportation - Compatible Goals and Policies"). Public transportation-compatible zoning provisions can be added to existing zoning ordinances to become the regulatory basis for new development and redevelopment. Eventually, public trans- portation-compatible development will be found in all areas in a community. This chapter will outline issues for zoning provisions that can be used to enhance bus ridership - the most frequently used mode of public transportation; then zoning issues for high capacity transit (HCT) will be explored; and lastly specialized zoning techniques for encouraging transit ridership will be briefly dis- cussed. Click HERE for graphic. Compatible land uses requires compatible zoning provisions. source: Market Based Transit Facility Design, Harvey Z. Rabinowitz, et at., (February, 1989) 5-1 Chapter 5: Public Transportation - Compatible Zoning Zoning Provisions for Conventional Transit This section discusses guidelines for zoning provisions targeting conventional public transportation. General Provisions These provisions apply to all zoning districts. - Include definitions of public transportation modes and facilities in the definition section of the zoning ordinance. (Refer to the appendix of this guide for "Public Transportation Terms" for model definitions.) - Establish a low percentage (of whatever measure the zoning ordinance uses) as the threshold requirement for the application of transit-compatible standards to redevelopment, major additions and changes to existing land uses and buildings. - Include a provision to establish a basis for measuring the distance of pedestrian trips, such as the following example: "Measure pedestrian trips by the actual walking distance, not by the straight line between the origin and destination." - Permit compatible home occupations in all residential zoning districts. Compatible home occupations need to be defined by the zoning ordinance. - Determine with the local transit operator a procedure to include the transit operator in the review of commercial, residential (including residential subdivisions), industrial, and office applications. Land Use Guidelines The main goal of these guidelines is to encourage the appropriate locations of those land uses which generate public transportation ridership. Include the following guidelines to help make zoning districts compatible with public transportation service: - Incorporate mixed, compatible land uses into all zoning districts - permit the combining of complementary office, service, residential and retail uses. Rationale Mixed land uses can reduce the need for and the number of auto trips, encourage walking between land uses, and encourage public transportation usage. Click HERE for graphic. Source: Market Based Transit Facility Design. Harvey Z. Rabinowitz, et al., (February, 1989) 5-2 Chapter 5: Public Transportation - Compatible Zoning Zoning Provisions for Conventional Transit, continued - Create a neighborhood commercial district or allow compatible convenience retail uses within residential areas. > Rationale Neighborhood commercial areas can reduce both the number and length of auto trips and walking may become possible. People may travel to the workplace on transit knowing that convenience shopping is located close to the beginning or end of a transit trip. It is not necessary to drive a car to work if shopping can be done during a commute. - Permit on-site services such as daycare pharmacy and convenience stores in residential developments and at park-and-ride lots, and allow compatible uses such as restaurants, banks, service, daycare, convenience stores in employment centers. Rationale Mixing land uses is also necessary within buildings and individual developments to encourage public transportation use and walking between buses, and reduce the need for a car for errands during the workday. The location of daycare is an important consideration for many parents deciding whether they drive or ride public transportation to work. - Encourage public transportation-compatible in-fill development on bypassed vacant parcels in developed areas adjacent to bus routes and stops. Rationale Public transportation works best in developed urban envi- ronments. Vacant parcels of land within 750 feet of bus stops or other transit facilities do not allow public transportation to operate efficiently. Using zoning incentives, such as those mentioned in the last section of this chapter, in these areas can encourage public transportation-compatible development. Refer to Chapter 3, "Public Transportation-Compatible Land Uses." Click HERE for graphic. Zoning regulations can create pedestrian oriented design Source: Accommodating the Pedestrian. Richard Untermann, (New York, 1984) - Work with the local transit operators to retain existing bus facilities when vacant parcels are developed. 5-3 Chapter 5: Public Transportation - Compatible Zoning Zoning Provisions for Conventional Transit, continued Rationale Often bus facilities, such as stops, located adjacent to vacant parcels are lost when parcels are developed. While development of vacant parcels may provide additional riders, the development may require the relocation of existing bus facilities. Care must be taken that facilities are provided to serve the new development. - Discourage auto-oriented uses in areas adjacent to bus stops and other transit facilities. Rationale Auto-oriented uses are generally low-density land uses such as car sales lots, drive-through retail, or gas stations which are opposite to the higher-density land uses that usually generate riders for public transportation. In addition, auto-oriented uses can generate traffic that can negatively impact transit operations. - On streets in commercial, office, or mixed use areas with bus routes and nearby bus facilities, require pedestrian uses at the street level of buildings to stimulate activity and interest Rationale Public transportation operates best in areas with high levels of pedestrian activity. The design of buildings can contribute to this activity with entrances, windows, and display areas. - Increase residential densities along bus routes and at bus stops. Set minimum densities as well as the maximum density. Rationale Public transportation works best in high density areas. Refer to Chapter 3, "Public Transportation-Compatible Land Uses" for further detail. - Increase employment densities in activity centers. Rationale Density of the work place is one of the more important factors determining whether people will commute on the bus. Bus service works best in areas with employment densities over 60 employees per acre. Click HERE for graphic. 5-4 Chapter 5: Public Transportation - Compatible Zoning Zoning Provisions for Conventional Transit, continued Pedestrian Access Guidelines Public transportation vehicles provide only part of the total trip Getting to and from the bus is an equally important part of a trip and is frequently ignored. The main goal of the pedestrian access guidelines is to assure pedestrian access between bus stops an the origins and destinations of riders. Include the following guidelines in the zoning district or site-planning criteria section of zoning provisions: - Stimulate pedestrian access by providing landscaped walkways and arcades between: - Major buildings within a development - Adjacent developments or buildings - Major buildings and streets with public transpor- tation facilities Rationale People will use public transportation if they can walk to and from the bus stop in safe and protected environment. - Provide sidewalks along streets with bus stops and streets leading to bus stops along with safe crosswalks at or near bus stops. Rationale Bus riders must have a safe place to walk and wait. Approximately 50% of all bus riders will cross a street getting to or from a bus. - Provide sidewalks, walkways and passenger areas at bus stops that are paved with all-weather material. Gravel, grass and similar materials are not considered an appropriate paving material. > Rationale Pedestrian and wheelchairs must have safe all-weather surfaces to use. People cannot be encouraged to take a bus if they have to traverse through mud, gravel, or dirt to reach a bus stop at either end of a transit trip. - Include provisions for weather protection for the pedestrian. Rationale Walking to and waiting at a bus stop in the rain and cold does not encourage riders for public transportation. - Eliminate barriers that discourage pedestrian access such as: - Walls and beams - Large landscaped areas or parking lots between major building entrances and bus stops - Walking distances 750-1000 feet - Unsafe conditions 5-5 Chapter 5: Public Transportation - Compatible Zoning Zoning Provisions for Conventional Transit, continued Rationale Public transportation only works well when riders can safely and easily access the system - Provide wheelchair ramps and other facilities conforming to the State's barrier-free design standards (WAC 51.10). Rationale Accessibility for the disabled is not only required, but is a good practice. Accessibility for the disabled provides good access for all people. Click HERE for graphic. One design for barrier-free sidewalks Source: Accommodating the Pedestrian. Richard Untermann, (New York, 1984) - Provide lighting to improve pedestrian safety and security. Rationale Good lighting can help make pedestrian areas safe. Design Guidelines The main goal of these design guidelines is to foster designs that encourage pedestrian activity. A pedestrian-friendly, human scaled environment benefits everyone, especially public transportation riders. These design guidelines need to be consider in the design or site-plan criteria in zoning provisions: - Cluster major buildings in commercial and residential developments, and at employment centers. >- Rationale Clustering of land uses provides the best opportunities to encourage pedestrian activities to a development while shortening walking distances. - Orient buildings and main entrances to streets with bus facilities. Rationale Buildings and main entrances oriented to public transportation facilities can encourage pedestrian access to a site and reduce the walking distance. Refer to Chapter 8, "Public Transportation-Compatible Site Design." - Reduce large setbacks for retail, employment, and multifamily land uses on streets with bus f acuities. >- Rationale Large setbacks discourage pedestrian access to public transportation. 5-6 Chapter 5: Public Transportation - Compatible Zoning Zoning Provisions for Conventional Transit, continued Parking Guidelines The handling of parking issues is crucial to creating public transportation-compatible zoning provisions. The main goal the parking guidelines is to give equal consideration to public transportation as is given to parking for the single-occupant automobile. It is important to work with the local transit operator before attempting to change parking requirements to assure adequate public transportation service to the affected area is in place. The following parking guidelines must be considered in zoning provisions: - Create minimum and maximum parking requirements for certain land uses such as offices, employment and industrial centers. Rationale Unlimited parking encourages the single-occupant commute. - Require transportation system management techniques to provide alternatives to the auto and reduce the parking requirements. Assign enforcement duties to a specific section or persons. Rationale When alternatives to the single occupant car are feasible and readily accessible, the parking requirement needs to be reduced. This becomes a double incentive:first, cost can be shifted from providing parking to providing alternatives; and second, tight parking situations can reinforce the use of alternative modes. Refer to Chapter 6, "Transportation Management: Making Better Use of the Transportation System." - Require preferential parking for carpools and vanpools adjacent to major entrances of buildings. >- Rationale Click HERE for graphic. Preferential parking is a quick and easy incentive to those using ridesharing vehicles. 5-7 Chapter 5: Public Transportation - Compatible Zoning Zoning Provisions for Conventional Transit, continued - Encourage the shifting of the location of parking to the rear and sides of buildings from the front of buildings when adjacent to bus facilities. Rationale Large parking lots between a building entrance and a bus stop discourage pedestrian access. - Reduce parking requirements for uses near public transportation facilities. Rationale When an area is adequately served by public transporta- tion, the amount of parking can be reduced. This can become an incentive to developers to locate near public transportation facilities. Click HERE for graphic. Parking is located to the rear Source: Market Based Transit Facility Design, Harvey Z. Rabinowitz, et al., (February, 1989) 5-8 Chapter 5: Public Transportation - Compatible Zoning Zoning Provisions for High Capacity Transit Click HERE for graphic. A high capacity transit (rail or express bus) system is being designed for the Central Puget Sound Area. The zoning guidelines that follow have been drawn from a variety of sources and may prove useful to communities which may have high capacity transit (HCT) station areas in the future. Consider these guidelines for zoning provisions for HCT station areas: - Meet the goals and policies of a community's plan. The community plan is the primary vehicle by which residents and land owners "let the world know" what they want to see happen in their community. The community plan alerts everyone, including investors, to the community's priorities. The zoning provisions for HCT station areas must reflect those community policies. Stations must be designed to serve the community. Thus, some station areas may be highly developed - to meet the community development goals - while others may have no development at all. - Include land uses that have a potential for increasing ridership. Certain retail and educational uses create the highest ridershipper square foot of any use. Hotels, low-density, single- family residences, and light industry create the least ridership per square foot. In areas where such development is appropriate, retail establishments and high-density residential uses are desirable near stations. Major department stores with shopper goods generate more HCT riders than convenience stores. Retail uses create more off- peak trips than most other uses,and thus help spread system use throughout the day. Office uses have a mixed record. At central city stations, they can be quite supportive of the HCT system. At some suburban station locations, large scale office developments have proved to be counterproductive. The reason is that suburban office work trips can be very dispersed, often coming from areas not served by public transportation. Government offices and others (e.g. medical) which attract regular clients and visitors can generate somewhat more favorable public transportation ridership than offices that do not serve the public. Refer to Chapter 3, "Public Transportation-Compatible Land Uses," for additional information on the types of uses that may work best for station areas. 5-9 Chapter 5: Public Transportation - Compatible Zoning Zoning Provisions for High Capacity Transit, continued Click HERE for graphic. Transfer centers need to be located in high density areas. Source: Metro Transportation Facility Design Guidelines, Metro, (April, 1985) - Encourage pedestrian use in the immediate station vicinity, and create direct pedestrian access within the 114-mile radius between an HCT station and neighboring development. In order for development to be supportive of HCT, there must be easy pedestrian access to an HCT station. The most successful developments are those which jointly share entrances and facilities with an HCT station. For example, the Gresham, Oregon Transit Development Zoning District states: Development shall promote convenient, direct, and barrier-free pedestrian circulation between buildings and adjacent light tail stations, park and ride facilities,public sidewalks and pedestrian routes. All buildings and sites shall orient their interior and on-site circulation to the closest adjacent rail station.... Enhanced pedestrian spaces and amenities accessible to the public are encouraged, such as plazas, arcades, galleries, courtyards, outdoor cafes, widened public sidewalks (more than six feet wide out-side of the public right of way), benches, shelters, street furniture, public art, kiosks, and street vending. Arcades (covered walks) are encouraged between primary building entries and adjacent public sidewalks and on other on-site walkways.... When an area equivalent to 10% of the structure's floor area is devoted to a plaza, galleria or arcade the maximum allowable density may be increased to 2.5 square feet gross floor area/1 square foot of site. (Section 2.0430) Click HERE for graphic. Zone activity centers in station areas. Source: Transformation of Transportation, Office of Appropriate Technology, (Sacramento, CA) 5-10 Chapter 5: Public Transportation - Compatible Zoning Zoning Provisions for High Capacity Transit, continued - Promote building orientation that aids pedestrian access. Buildings need to be oriented towards HCT stations. Major entrances, arcades, outdoor areas, or canopies need to be designed to promote access between buildings and the HCT station. Gresham's Transit Development District ordinance states, "...All buildings and primary building entries shall be located to minimize walking distance from a development to the closest adjacent transit station or street containing a transitway." (Section 3,1140) - Reduce or eliminate the amount of required parking Parking does not contribute to the creation of a pedestrian- oriented station area. Parking consumes large amounts of land without contributing activities that generate HCT ridership. If parking lots are necessary, they need to be situated at the sides or rear of the buildings and not hinder the pedestrian access. The exceptions to this guideline are the park and ride lots at suburban HCT stations. - Include design guidelines for HCT station areas. Station areas need to be treated with special design techniques which are usually different from the jurisdiction's standard zoning criteria. Streetscapes, landscaping, access and setbacks require different approaches that necessitate the establishment of design guidelines to create effective station areas. Gresham's Transit District provisions state: Buildings should maintain continuity of design elements such as windows, entries, store fronts, roof lines, materials, pedestrian spaces and amenities, and landscaping.... Buildings should avoid blank walls and provide a series of openings (windows, entries, display areas) on facades which are at street level and/or which face a light rail station (Section 3.1140). 5-11 Chapter 5: Public Transportation - Compatible Zoning Specialized Zoning Techniques Many communities exploring public transportation compatibility have found that conventional zoning regulations are inadequate. New zoning techniques have been evolving which will make development compatible with public transportation an have withstood legal challenges. The following is a brief description of those techniques which offer promise to Snohomish County jurisdictions. - Bonus or Incentive Zoning Bonus or incentive zoning is an increasingly popular technique. Increased development rights are provided to a developer, usually in the form of higher densities or greater building height, in return for the provision of something deemed to be in the public interest or benefit. Incentive zoning can be included as a part of a special zoning district or it can be used in conjunction with regular zoning districts. For example, a low floor area ratio (FAR) could be set in the regular zoning districts around bus transfer centers to entice developers to provide the desired improvements and take a bonus. Other examples: Parking requirements can be reduced, or higher densities can be achieved in exchange for locating near a bus transfer center. Granting FAR bonuses for weatherization improvements to increase pedestrian comfort near or at bus stops could be considered. The additional benefits granted to a developer and the zoning requirements being waived must be carefully coordinated with a plan to achieve the desired results. Bellevue, Washington, as a part of its downtown plan, will create a "pedestrian friendly" downtown by emphasizing a network of mid-block pedestrian corridors complete with plantings, interesting paving and retail frontages. To accomplish this plan, generous density bonuses will be granted to abutting properties that contribute to this plan. - Overlay Zone An overlay zone is a zoning district adopted into a zoning ordinance to overlay the conventional zoning districts and is usually tied to one or more specific parcels of land or larger areas. It is defined by a set of standards used to locate one or more particular uses in a special area or to require special attention to be paid to a particular condition. An overlay zone is approved when an application can meet all standards. - Planned Unit Development Zoning Planned unit development (PUD) zoning is a popular zoning technique used to encourage coordinated development of large tracts of land usually in the suburbs. The PLJD approach permits more creativity and flexibility in a development than the strict application of traditional zoning regulations. Also, governments can have greater discretion and control in granting approval and are able to require not only public transportation-compatible land uses, densities, and designs, but also dedication of land for transit facilities. 5-12 Chapter 5: Public Transportation - Compatible Zoning Specialized Zoning Techniques, continued - Special District Zoning Special district zoning creates a specific zoning district for specific areas because of their unusual character or proximity to a special facility, or special problems which conventional zoning cannot address. Special districts have been most effective when they contain bonus or incentive zoning provisions. Special zoning techniques have been used in Portland and in San Francisco to encourage high density development and good design in HCT station areas. The purpose of Portland's "Transit Overlay Zone" reads as follows: The Transit Overlay Zone encourages a mixture of residential, commercial, and employment opportunities within identified light rail station areas which provide goods and services primarily to public transit and pedestrians. The Transit Zone allows for a more intense and efficient use of land at increased densities for the mutual reinforcement of public investment and private development. The site devel- opment standards of the Transit Zone are designed to encourage a safe and pleasant pedestrian environment near transit stations by encouraging an intensive area of shops and activities, by encouraging amenities such as benches, kiosks, and outdoor cafes, and by limiting conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians. (Section 570.010) Click HERE for graphic. Mixed land uses are best for public transit ridership Source: HCT Suburban Area Planning Development, Stanton-Masten Associates, (November, 1989) 5-13 Chapter 6: Transportation Management: Making Better Use of the Transportation System Click HERE for graphic. Chapter 6: Transportation Management: Making Better Use of the Transportation System Introduction If transportation management approaches are not embraced, the best efforts toward improving roadways, increasing transit services, and implementing planning programs will be virtually useless. Communities around the nation are discovering that making dents in traffic congestion and creating real mobility improvements for their residents means doing more than g up roads and beefing up bus systems. Two "tools" have emerged to help in this effort: Transportation System Management (TSM) and Transportation Demand Management (TDM). Both TSM and TDM techniques are designed to help local governments, land developers, employers, community groups, and others understand how they can make better use of existing transportation facilities, often at relatively little cost. Transportation System Management techniques include improving roads, intersections and other facilities to make them operate more efficiently and carry more vehicles and people. Building high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes is one example of a TSM technique. Transportation Demand Management encourages the traveling public to use options other than the single-occupant auto or to travel during the least congested times of the day. Programs such as "ridesharing" encourage people to use buses or carpools or vanpools and are examples of TDM. Some people call TSM the "concrete and steel congestion management strategies" and TDM the "people-based, congestion management strategies." Both are important and both have their places in transportation planning and land use development in our communities. Indeed, it is becoming clearer that if transportation management approaches are not embraced by communities, developers, and employers, especially in the more congested parts of the county, the best efforts toward improving roadways, increasing transit services, and implementing planning programs will be virtually useless. This chapter is an introduction to TSM and TDM: Interested readers are encouraged to talk to their local transit operator and planning agency for more detailed information on how these measures work and what assistance can be provided for persons interested in developing transportation management programs. 6-1 Chapter 6: Transportation Management: Making Better Use of the Transportation System Using Transportation Management Examples of Transportation Management Techniques TSM TDM - HOV lanes on freeways - Employer-subsidized bus passes - HOV lanes on arterials - Preferential parking rates for - Queue-jump lanes for buses vanpools/carpools - Park-and -ride lots - Transit/commuting options - Priority signals for buses information for employees - "Flex time" programs - Ridematching services Transportation management programs are carried out through voluntary implementation approaches or mandated approaches. The following provides a brief introduction to these approaches. Voluntary Transportation Management Programs - Individual Employer Programs A large employer voluntarily establishes a ridesharing program for its employees with assistance from the local transit operator. The employer holds a "transportation fair" each year, circulates rideshare information with paychecks, and sets aside reserved parking for carpools and vanpools. - Voluntary programs operated by single employers can be effective and may be a good solution in low-density areas where TMAs and other group actions may be impossible. Voluntary programs are subject to frequent staff turnovers and to changes in company priorities. It addition, they address what may be area-wide problem with a site-specific solution. This is particularly true where major employers are located in relative isolation in employment parks. While the program may work well initially, experience else- where suggests that over time the employer's level of involve- ment may decline, incentive programs may no longer be pub- licized, priority parking for vanpools may not be enforced, and the program may lose momentum and eventually disappear. - Transportation Management Associations (TMA) Transportation Management Associations are generally developed by private sector representatives with the participation of the local transit operator and other affected public agencies. The TMA in Bellevue, Washington, for example, includes membership of downtown Bellevue business leaders, developers, METRO and Community traffic in specific areas through a variety of strategies that may include limiting parking, initiating transit incentive programs, implementing ride- matching services, etc. TMA membership is voluntary as are all the programs provided by the TMA. Costs are covered by membership fees and by special grants or assessments. - Transportation Management Associations can be very effective with the right leadership and broad-scale participation from the area. The program can be tailored to the local situation and modified easily. However, since compliance is voluntary, there may be problems enforcing some program elements. * A joint committee of Metro and SNO-TRAN has funded a study of developers TSM program compliance. The results are expected in 1990. 6-2 Chapter 6: Transportation Management: Making Better Use of the Transportation System Using Transportation Management, continued Mandated Transportation Management Program Examples - Ridesharing Ordinances A local jurisdiction passes an ordinance requiring: - All small employers with less than 50 employees to publicize the local transit operator's bus and ridesharing services; and - All Mid to large-sized employers (50 or more employees) to prepare a plan for involving employees in public transportation programs, creating preferential parking for carpools and vanpools, setting up walking and bicycle use incentive programs, etc. Another jurisdiction has a similar TDM ordinance, but this one also requires: - Appointment of a transportation coordinator by each large employer and fines to mandate compliance. - Rideshare ordinances are hard to monitor and administer since employers may try to encourage ridesharing and bus use, but be unable to get Large numbers of employees to do so. In addition, most of these ordinances are so vague, particularly in their requirements for small employers, that they may have no practical effect. - Agreements with Developers Many communities require TSM and/or TDM programs as mitigation measures for traffic that results from building a large, new development. The developer then passes on these program requirements in lease negotiations to tenants. Generally, compliance by the tenant is voluntary, although some Jurisdictions require lease agreements to call for ongoing participation. - While physical TSM improvements (such as adding bus pullouts or shelters) are fairly easy to require and have been completed by developers under such agreements, long- term TDM actions, such as providing rideshare coordinators at developments, are harder to enforce. Locally, little is known about compliance with such agreements over time. - Transportation Management Ordinances Transportation management ordinances are in place in many communities as tools to reduce use of single occupant autos especially during peak periods. Generally, the ordinances require all employers (except the very smallest) to prepare management plans targeted to meet certain trip-reduction goals. The local jurisdiction provides technical support and ordinance enforcement and reports back to the community on the success of the program. - Experience shows that this approach can work if sufficient resources (public and private) are allocated to employee information and incentive programs and if the allowed demand management tools are (a) effective and (b) properly developed and maintained. For example, commuter ridematch efforts have to be consistently provided so that carpool/vanpool occupancies remain high. 6-3 Chapter 6: Transportation Management Making Better Use of the Transportation System Using Transportation Management, continued - Transportation Demand Programs Communities may require existing developments to institute demand management programs to mitigate against air quality or traffic problems. In some communities, TDM requirements are attached to business license renewals and in others, the jurisdiction provides reduced-cost transit passes as incentives to existing businesses to develop TDM programs. - While most transportation management programs have fo- cused on new developments, this approach reaches existing employers and other traffic generators. Its use in this state is questioned. In its report, Transportation Demand Management Policy Guidelines, METRO indicates that Washington jurisdictions may be restricted in imposing these types of regulations on existing businesses . 6-4 Chapter 6: Transportation Management: Making Better Use of the Transportation System What Makes Transportation Management Work? To work, transportation management programs have to be carefully planned and implemented, and the local transit operator is there to help. As the material above indicates transportation management programs can either be voluntary or required. Both have the purposes, but mandatory programs seem to be most effective i the long run for the following reasons: - Everyone knows what to expect. The rules are established in ordinances and can only be changed by formal procedures. - The programs are ongoing. Properly drafted and supported regulations continue to be in effect even if property changes hands or company priorities shift. - Solutions tend to be area-wide. Since programs are not developed in isolation by individual property owners, "economies of scale" may be realized by programs that are undertaken throughout an area. - Costs may be shared. Marketing strategies, costs of printing, even acquisition of passenger vans or other equipment can be shared by area participants, although this is also true for some voluntary programs (such as those operated by TMAS). Whether it is mandatory or voluntary, a transportation management program is most likely to be successful where: - There is a clear understanding of the problem and widely- shared interest in resolving the problem; - There is understanding of what the various transportation management tools and strategies can do, how effective they will be under local conditions, what their implementation costs (up front and ongoing) will be, and how they will be monitored and revised over time; - There is a coalition of private and public sector and transit representatives who are willing to spend the time and money to create, market and enforce the program; and - Local land uses, parking availability, transit and rideshare services, and pedestrian facilities are con- ducive to safe and comfortable travel by other than the single-occupant auto. Transportation management tools can run the gamut from being very simple (and inexpensive) to being complex and costly to set up and operate over time. The examples listed above are just a sampling of the many variations of programs that can be considered to help reduce the use of autos for work and other trips. Some of these techniques or programs can be easily implemented by a developer, an employer, or the transportation coordinator at a college or other major trip-generator. Others require the assistance of specially trained people available from the local transit agency or from other resources such as the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA). 6-5 Chapter 6: Transportation Management Making Better Use of the Transportation System Sample Costs of Transportation Management Programs The five strategies that follow are examples of transportation management programs that range in cost from under one thousand dollars to many thousands of dollars. The METRO report fists many other examples and provides extensive details on them.* Strategy Example 1: Commuter Information Center Install permanent information display with holders for bro- chures and timetables. The transit operator can provide con- struction specifications and materials, and owners can pay for the design, construction, and maintenance. Cost Examples: Standard wall-mounted triple board with: - 12 timetable pockets & 2 brochure pockets = $ 450 - 36 timetable pockets & 6 brochure pockets = $ 800 (Rates vary depending on materials used) Strategy Example Work Site Promotions Transit Fairs Once a year events are held at the work site to inform employees about commuting options and incentive programs. Usually the events are two to four hours long (depending on number of employees). The local transit operator(s) provides handouts, makes the presentations, and answers questions. * The material which follows was taken from cost estimates prepared by King County METRO and reported in Transportation Demand Management Strategy Cost Estimates (July 1989). Cost Examples: For each work site promotional event: - 850 Employees or less = $100 + 8 hrs. staff time. Budget includes food, beverages, any rentals, prizes, etc. Staff time includes setting up, cleaning up, planning meetings with transit operator, publicity, etc. - 850-8,000 Employees = $1,500 + 16 hrs. staff time. Budget includes food, beverages, balloons, music, rentals, etc. Staff time includes arranging for other exhibits, ar- ranging entertainment, setting up, cleaning up, solic- iting prizes, planning meetings, publicity, etc. Strategy: Example 3: Alternative Work Hours Three types of alternative work hours can be used to reduce peak our trip making: flex-time which allows employees to choose heir own working hours within a range of hours; the compressed r week which allows employees to work 40 hours in less than five days (e.g. four 10-hour days); and staggered work hours/shifts r which the employer sets different shifts for employees, usually without employee input. Cost Examples: Alternative work hours can add to security and utility costs, but may save money by making better use of parking, equipment and other facilities since employees 6-6 Chapter 6: Transportation Management: Making Better Use of the Transportation System Sample Costs of Transportation Management Programs, continued are not all on-site at the same hours. Leave and overtime costs can also be reduced if employees can set their own schedules. Click HERE for graphic. Flex time allows employees to choose their own working hours within a range of hours. Strategy Example 4: Subsidized Transit Passes In many areas, developers are required to provide one- to three month free transit passes to the employees at new commercial developments or the residents of new residential developments. Some developers choose to provide transit passes or pay vanpool costs voluntarily to reduce auto traffic at their sites or cut the costs of providing parking stalls. Cost Examples: - The federal government currently allows an employer to provide an employee up to a $15 transit subsidy per month. - Many employers have set up monthly payroll deduction plans to pay for annual or quarterly transit passes (transit passes cost less than daily fares). - Employers have set up in-house transit pass outlets for their employees. - Employers pay 100% of transit pass costs as a company benefit instead of paying for parking fees. Strategy Example 5: Provision of Bus Stop Elements In partnership with the local transit operator, bus stops can be constructed at employment, residential, retail sites and other developments for a variety of costs, depending on the nature of the stop. Three bus stop elements are provided as examples. Bus stop landing pads are asphalt or concrete paving which passengers step onto as they board or alight from buses. Bus shelter footings are the concrete bases supporting bus shelters. Bus pullouts are the paved shoulder of a road where buses can safely stop for passengers. Cost Examples: - Bus stop landing pad = $500 - $1,000 (depending on whether asphalt or concrete is used) 6-7 Chapter 6: Transportation Management Making Better Use of the Transportation System Sample Costs of Transportation Management Programs, continued Click HERE for graphic. Source: Bus Facilities: Design Guidelines, Orange County Transit District - Bus shelter footing = $2,000 (excavation, forming & pouring) - Bus pullouts = $10,000 - $20,000 (very site specific; costs will reflect drainage, curb and gutter, and Wheelchair ramp requirements) 6-8 Chapter 6: Transportation Management: Making Better Use of the Transportation System Transportation Management Ordinances The subject of transportation management ordinances has been discussed in this area for several years. After two years of study, METRO and the Puget Sound Council of Governments proposed a model ordinance for King County in 1986. That same year a TSM Subcommittee of the Snohomish County Subregional Council was formed to explore the model's usefulness in this county. Transportation management concepts were very new in 1986 and the proposed model was not adopted by any of the jurisdictions at that time. Since then, a number of communities in King County have adopted TSM ordinances or regulations that effectively mandate certain TSM programs such as special parking ordinances to promote ridesharing. There is general agreement that transportation management ordinances should contain: - Goals that set out desired reductions in vehicle trips during specified periods such as the peak hour; the goals may be defined by geographic subarea (downtown vs. balance of the community) or by time periods (by 1992, by 1995). - Land Uses and Program Requirements that define what transportation management programs are required for what scale of and type of development (e.g. "Employers with 100+ employees must prepare a TSM Plan"). - Incentives may be included, although they are often not part of these ordinances. In return for specific transportation management program commitments (usually costly ones), the jurisdiction provides some form of zoning variance. (e.g. "Tacking requirement reductions of up to 15%;" reductions in impact fees.) - Monitoring requirements for the diction and/or the developer are defined. (e.g. "Annual employee surveys shall be submitted to the city by employers;" "the city will conduct employee surveys.") - Enforcement provisions may be included and may cover the levying of fines for noncompliance ("failure to implement plan provisions fine is $250 per day") as well as milestones for special efforts requirements (e.g. "The city will enforce ordinance if employer does not achieve trip reduction goals within X months after the development is 75% occupied"). - Administration of the ordinance must be spelled out. Usually the responsible entity within the jurisdiction is named (the Assistant City Manager, the City TSM Coordinator, the County TSM Task Force). Beginning on the next page are examples of transportation man- agement provisions from various jurisdictions. 6-9 Chapter 6: Transportation Management: Making Better Use of the Transportation System Selected Transportation Management Provisions The following are examples of transportation management materials used in other areas. City of Pleasanton, California Transportation Systems Management Employer's Requirements (Pursuant to Ordinance No. 1154) The City of Pleasanton is committed to maintaining the community as an attractive and convenient place to live, work, visit and do business. To that end, a Transportation Systems Management (TSM) Ordinance was adopted on October 2,1984. It calls for employers, complexes and the City to work together in reducing traffic trips on City streets. Under the ISM Ordinance, the following requirements are made of employers with a permanent place of business within Pleasanton. Requirements one (1) through five (5) are to be prepared and submitted to the City Transportation Coordinator by January 2,1985. Future employers are to submit and begin implementation within two months following issuance of a Zoning Certificate, if required, or within two months following the date the employer opens for business. New complexes shall have four months following initial occupancy in which to comply. Click HERE for graphic. 6-10 Chapter 6: Transportation Management: Making Better Use of the Transportation System Selected Transportation Management Provisions, continued Transportation Survey An annual survey will be conducted by the City through all employers to establish employee commute pattern data and to provide carpool and vanpool matching information. The survey is to be distributed with the City's Business License Tax Form and/or by direct mail. Employers are to make copies of the survey and distribute them to all employees. When completed, they should be returned to the City by June 30 of each year. Information Program Employers are to establish methods for disseminating to all employees informational materials regarding transit, ridesharing and other commute alternatives. The materials may be provided by the City Transportation Coordinator and/or the employer. The City Transportation Coordinator has a form available to assist in putting together an appropriate information program. TSM Program The TSM Program is to be designed and provided to the City Transportation Coordinator to help achieve reductions in traffic generated by employees during peak travel periods (7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.). These programs will assist in achieving& over a four year period, a forty-five percent (45%) reduction in the number of vehicle trips that would occur during the peak periods ff the commute trips of all employees were made by single-occupancy vehicle trips. The TSM Program shall include any reasonable combination of measures which may include, but not be limited to, the promotion and marketing of carpools, vanpools, bicycles, transit-related programs, and alternative work hour programs. A TSM Program form is available for designing an appropriate program. Please contact the City Transportation Coordinator for the forms and assistance in putting a program together. In addition, complexes shall include a program for coordinating, monitoring and assisting with the TSM Programs of employers within the complex. Appoint a Transportation Coordinator Employers of less than 50 employees but located within a complex may appoint the complex's coordinator to be responsible for developing and implementing the TSM Program. Employers with 50 or more employees shall appoint a coordinator who shall be responsible for primary implementation of the TSM Program. Every complex shall have a coordinator who shall: - Be responsible for primary implementation of the TSM Program; - Serve as liaison to the City Transportation Coordinator,the TSM Task Force, and coordinators in the complex; - Participate in any regional activities required by the City Transportation Coordinator, - Be responsible for developing and implementing the TSM Programs for employers of less than 50 employees located within the complex, if so requested by the employer. 6-11 Chapter 6: Transportation Management: Making Better Use of the Transportation System Selected Transportation Management Provisions, continued Include TSM Requirements in CC & R's and/or Lease Every complex owner, property owner's association, landlord, and/or manager shall include reference to, and participation in, the requirements of the TSM Ordinance in the recorded Conditions, Covenants, and Restrictions (CC & R's) and in every lease. Annual Report Each employer having 50 or more employees, or which is located in a complex, and each complex doing business in the City on June 30 shall provide the City Transportation Coordinator with an annual progress report. The annual report will be due August 1 and shall cover the immediately preceding July 1 to June 30 period, or the portion of the period the employer/complex was