WAC 468-63-040   Local commute trip reduction plan.  (1) Purpose and process.

     (a) Purpose of local CTR plan. The state's intent in requiring local CTR plans is to ensure that CTR program goals and targets help jurisdictions achieve their broader transportation and land use goals, and that the jurisdiction in turn develops services, regulations, policies and programs that support the trip reduction investments of major employers. This can be achieved by integrating the local CTR plan and program with other transportation and land use plans and programs, and collaborating with local service providers, interest groups, and others to develop effective trip reduction strategies. Nothing in these rules is intended to change the requirements for local comprehensive plans developed under the Growth Management Act. The state intends for the CTR planning process to provide a new perspective on the local comprehensive plan; while a jurisdiction may choose to update or amend its comprehensive plan based on the outcome of the CTR planning process, nothing in these rules requires it.

     (b) Plan development process. RCW 70.94.527(4) requires local CTR plans to be developed in consultation with local transit agencies, the applicable RTPO, major employers, and other interested parties.

     (i) Consultation. The local jurisdiction shall invite, as appropriate, representatives of major employers, local transit agencies, the applicable RTPO, business associations and economic development organizations, nonprofit transportation and land use advocacy organizations, pedestrian and bicycle advocacy organizations, public health agencies, tribal governments, and residents, employees and businesses that will be affected by the CTR plan to participate in the development of the local CTR plan. The state intends for the invited partners to work collaboratively with the local jurisdiction by providing data and plans and discussing opportunities, including new and reprioritized investments and policy changes, to reduce drive-alone commute trips in the jurisdiction and increase transportation access to affected major employer worksites.

     (ii) State role. WSDOT shall provide information to support local CTR plan development. This information shall include employer and jurisdiction base year values, calculated from CTR survey data, state highway system performance data, and other information as appropriate. WSDOT shall also provide technical assistance to support implementation of the local CTR plan, which may include but is not limited to:

     (A) Printing and processing of state CTR survey forms;

     (B) Creation of survey reports and customized data reports;

     (C) On-line survey set-up and assistance;

     (D) On-line annual report set-up and assistance; and

     (E) Program reviewer and survey training.

     (iii) Regional role. It is critical that the local jurisdiction collaborate with the applicable RTPO in the development of its local CTR plan. By working closely with the RTPO, the local jurisdiction can produce a CTR plan that meets state requirements and is consistent with the regional CTR plan.

     (iv) Public outreach. The local jurisdiction shall follow, at a minimum, a comparable process to the local requirements and procedures established for purposes of public outreach for comprehensive plan development, adoption, or amendment, including public notices and public meetings and hearings.

     (c) Consistency and integration with other plans, programs and local requirements. RCW 70.94.527(5) requires local CTR plans to be consistent with applicable state and regional transportation plans and local comprehensive plans. RCW 70.94.527(5) also requires local CTR plans to be coordinated and consistent with those of adjoining jurisdictions or related regional issues to ensure consistency in the treatment of employers who have worksites in more than one jurisdiction. The local jurisdiction shall review the local comprehensive plan to ensure that it is consistent with the local CTR plan. If the local jurisdiction determines that the local comprehensive plan needs to be updated or amended to be consistent with the local CTR plan, the local jurisdiction shall identify in the local CTR plan what changes may be needed and when the changes will be made. The local jurisdiction shall use the regional CTR planning process as a means to discuss regional issues with adjoining jurisdictions. The local jurisdiction shall follow the administrative guidelines established by WSDOT and posted on the agency's web site to ensure consistency in the treatment of employers who have worksites in multiple jurisdictions.

     (d) Plan review and approval. RCW 70.94.527(1) requires the local CTR plan to be submitted to the RTPO and be included in the regional CTR plan.

     (i) Schedule. In order for a local jurisdiction to receive state CTR program funding in the 2007-2009 biennium, the CTR board must receive the final draft of the local CTR plan by October 1, 2007. For biennia after 2007-2009, the CTR board must receive updated CTR plans by March 31 every two years thereafter if updates to the local CTR plan have been made or if a jurisdiction is adopting a local CTR plan for the first time.

     (ii) RTPO review. RCW 70.94.527(5) requires the RTPO to review the local CTR plans. Local jurisdictions shall submit the final draft of their local CTR plans to the applicable RTPO by the date specified by the RTPO, so that the RTPO may review the plans before submission to the CTR board. The RTPO will review the local CTR plan to determine its consistency with the regional CTR plan and state requirements.

     (iii) Determination of consistency. RCW 70.94.527(7) requires the RTPO to collaborate with the CTR board to evaluate the consistency of local CTR plans with the regional CTR plan. When the RTPO submits its regional CTR plan to the CTR board, it shall also submit any final drafts of local CTR plans in the region and recommend to the CTR board which local CTR plans are consistent with the regional CTR plan and state requirements.

     (iv) Approval by CTR board. RCW 70.94.527(7) requires local CTR plans to be approved by the CTR board in order to be eligible for state CTR funding. The CTR board shall review the final drafts of local CTR plans and communicate its findings in writing to the submitting RTPO within one hundred twenty days following receipt of the plans. If the CTR board approves a local CTR plan, the local jurisdiction shall then adopt the local CTR plan by ordinance and begin to implement the plan and any other necessary changes to local ordinances, plans, or programs. If the CTR board rejects a local CTR plan, it shall communicate its reasoning and recommendations for improvement to the submitting RTPO. The RTPO shall then work with the local jurisdiction to improve the local plan. Jurisdictions may submit a revised local CTR plan to the RTPO and CTR board in the schedule jointly established by the RTPO and the CTR board.

     (v) Appeal. If a local CTR plan is not approved by the CTR board, the local jurisdiction may choose to appeal the decision to the secretary of transportation or his/her designee within sixty days of the board's decision by submitting a written request for appeal to the secretary of transportation or his/her designee. The secretary of transportation or his/her designee shall consider the appeal within sixty days of the jurisdiction's request. If the secretary of transportation or his/her designee grants the appeal, the local CTR plan shall be considered valid by the CTR board and RTPO. If the secretary of transportation or his/her designee denies the appeal, the local jurisdiction is not eligible for state CTR program funding until its revised plan is submitted and approved by the CTR board.

     (e) Plan update cycle. According to RCW 70.94.527(5), local jurisdictions shall review their local CTR plans annually and revise them as necessary to be consistent with applicable plans developed under RCW 36.70A.070. The local CTR plan shall be updated at least once every four years, in order to establish new four-year targets and program strategies and update other elements as needed.

     (2) Required plan elements. RCW 70.94.527(4) requires affected local governments to adopt CTR plans consistent with the rules and deadlines established by WSDOT. The state intends for local jurisdictions to use information in existing plans and programs, such as the local comprehensive plan, unified development codes, the transportation improvement program, economic development plans, and others, as much as possible in order to develop the local CTR plan. The local CTR plan is required to meet the requirements specified in these rules, but local jurisdictions may choose to adjust the scope of their local CTR plans as needed to make them more effective. The local CTR plan shall describe how the CTR program will help achieve the jurisdiction's broader land use and transportation goals.

     The local CTR plan shall contain the following elements:

     (a) Description of land use and transportation context. Jurisdictions shall evaluate the significance of local land use and transportation conditions, characteristics and trends to describe the most critical factors to the success of CTR.

     The plan shall highlight the existing and future land use and transportation conditions and characteristics considered most critical by the jurisdiction and evaluate the degree to which existing local services, policies, regulations, and programs, as well as any documented future investments, will complement the trip reduction efforts of CTR employers. Jurisdictions may choose to broaden the scope of their local CTR plan by developing a jurisdiction-wide analysis, rather than focusing only on major employers.

     The plan shall evaluate the existing barriers to the success of the CTR program, and identify how the jurisdiction and its partners can overcome these barriers. The state intends for the plan to be a mechanism through which employers can describe what policy changes, services and support they need to make their CTR programs more effective.

     The plan shall also discuss cross-boundary issues, such as pass-through commute patterns or larger regional issues, and how these affect the local CTR plan.

     (b) Goals and targets. The plan shall establish the jurisdiction's CTR goals and targets and show how achievement of these goals and targets will contribute to the jurisdiction's other adopted land use and transportation goals. The plan's goals and targets shall be established at a level that meets or exceeds the state minimum standard described in WAC 468-63-030, Program goals and measurement. The plan shall describe the base year values and numerical targets for each major employer worksite required to participate in the CTR program.

     (c) Measurement methodology for determining base year values and progress toward meeting goals and targets. The plan's measurement methodology shall be consistent with the measurement guidelines established by WSDOT and posted on the agency's web site.

     (d) Description of local services and strategies for achieving the goals and targets. The plan shall describe what local services and strategies will be implemented to achieve the plan's goals and targets, and how these services and strategies will support the CTR programs of major employers. Strategies may include, but are not limited to:

     (i) Modifications of local policies and regulations, including the transportation concurrency system, street design standards, parking, and zoning;

     (ii) Investments in services and facilities, including transit services, nonmotorized facilities and amenities; and

     (iii) Marketing and incentives.

     Transit agencies shall work with counties, cities and towns as a part of their six-year transit development plan established in RCW 35.58.2795 to take into account the location of major employer worksites when planning and prioritizing transit service changes or the expansion of public transportation services, including rideshare services (RCW 70.94.527(5)).

     (e) Description of requirements for major employers. The plan shall describe the requirements for major employers that will be outlined in the local ordinance. The plan shall also describe the program that the local jurisdiction will offer to its employees and how this contributes to the success of the overall plan. The plan shall also identify the major employer worksites, including affected state agency locations, within the jurisdiction's affected urban growth area and any major employment installations.

     (f) Documentation of consultation. The plan shall include documentation from the local jurisdiction that verifies consultation with employers, transit agencies and others to develop the plan. If the CTR plan includes new or reprioritized transit service beyond that identified in the six-year transit development plan as a strategy to meet the goals and targets, the plan shall include acknowledgement from the applicable transit agency that it supports the transit element of the plan and has agreed on a plan to fund future service investments. If the plan submittal to the CTR board does not include acknowledgement of support from the applicable transit agency, then the new or reprioritized transit service element of the plan shall not be considered as a valid strategy to meet the plan's goals and targets.

     (g) A sustainable financial plan. The plan shall describe the funding revenues from public and private sources that are reasonably expected to be available, as well as the expected costs, to implement the plan and achieve its goals and targets. If a jurisdiction identifies program elements that are not necessary to the success of the plan, but would support the plan and are beyond expected resources, the plan shall describe the level of funding that would be needed to implement the program element and how it would contribute to the success of the plan.

     (h) Implementation structure. The plan shall describe how the various strategies identified in the CTR plan will be implemented, either by the local jurisdiction, its partners, or its contracting partners, and when the elements of the plan are expected to be implemented. If the local jurisdiction decides to update its comprehensive plan to be consistent with the CTR plan, it shall describe which elements need updating and when the update will occur.

     (i) Growth and transportation efficiency centers. If the jurisdiction has designated a growth and transportation efficiency center, the local jurisdiction shall summarize and incorporate the GTEC program plan into the local CTR plan in the next update of the plan.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 70.94.537. 07-05-065, § 468-63-040, filed 2/20/07, effective 3/23/07.]