HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-12-16 IFAC TDM Coordinator Memo - Kack
Date: May 5, 2016
To: Craig Woolard
From: David Kack
Re: TDM & TDM Coordinator
We look forward to working with you, the City of Bozeman and Montana State University to implement Transportation Demand Management (TDM) in the greater Bozeman area. As you are aware, transportation demand management, traffic
demand management or travel demand management (all TDM) is the application of
strategies and policies to reduce travel demand (specifically that of single-occupancy
private vehicles), or to redistribute this demand in space or in time (Wikipedia). We believe that TDM is an integral part of the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) being developed for the City of Bozeman, and the Transportation and Parking Plan being
developed for Montana State University.
If Bozeman is truly to be the “most livable place,” it must embrace the first livability principle, which is to provide more transportation choices. Bozeman needs to recognize that no city or town has been able to build its way out of congestion.
Therefore, as the population in Bozeman and the greater Bozeman area grows, TDM
is a vital tool in managing the growth of traffic (vehicle miles traveled). TDM
includes specific actions such as enhancing alternative modes to the single occupancy vehicle (SOV), and creating policies and procedures (and incentives and disincentives) to reduce the use of SOVs as the only (or primary) mode of
transportation in a community. TDM typically requires a shift in culture, and is a
long-term, on-going process. There is no one “silver bullet” and often multiple
modal options and supportive strategies are necessary to make TDM a success. To ensure success, TDM needs to be viewed as part over the overall transportation system. As part of this, the TMP needs to sets performance based goals for our
future transportation system. These goals need to have measurable outcomes such
as specific bicycle, pedestrian and transit mode share or vehicle miles traveled goals
(similar to those in Boulder, Colorado). These goals should drive all future transportation funding and planning decisions.
Through a partnership between the City of Bozeman, Montana State University, and
the Small Urban and Rural Livability Center at the Western Transportation Institute,
an FTE will be able to focus on TDM. This position would be housed within the Small Urban & Rural Livability Center at WTI. The Coordinator would work with Montana State University and City of Bozeman officials to implement a robust
transportation demand management plan for the greater Bozeman area. The position
would coordinate multi-modal travel options and strategies to shift trips from single
occupancy vehicles to other modes. The TDM Coordinator will conduct research, organize programs, conduct education and collaborate with partners to address transportation demand management needs in the greater Bozeman area.
Examples of work to be conducted as part of the TDM process, includes, but is not
limited to, the following:
Data Analysis
• Use GIS to map the locations of employees of the ten largest employers in Bozeman
• Map the locations (local housing locations) of MSU students.
• Complete a mode-share analysis, and build on existing efforts for the TMP to determine the percentage of travel by various modes, and work to develop
targets for future mode share split in the greater Bozeman area.
Policies/Programs
• Work with the City of Bozeman and MSU to establish mode share targets
• Recommend policies/programs to be implemented in Bozeman based on best
practices from relevant communities
Modal Options
• Assess level of service at key locations for all modal options, including: 1)
Walking; 2) Biking; 3) Carpooling; 4) Van pooling; and 5) Transit as well as
supportive strategies for possible implementation.
• Review funding and infrastructure for implementing or increasing use of various modes
Education/Outreach
• Work with relevant stakeholders to implement and promote TDM efforts, including the construction of adequate facilities for alternative modes
Implementation
• Review maintenance projects to ensure they address bike/ped and transit facilities
• Ensure plans for construction of future streets address all modes
Evaluation
• Recommend process to, and collect data to measure modal use/split
• Evaluate specific modal options
We look forward to working with the City of Bozeman, Montana State University and all relevant parties/stakeholders to shift the culture from one focusing on the
movement of cars/vehicles to one that focuses on moving people.
“Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted
counts.”
--Albert Einstein