WAC 468-63-050
Regional commute trip reduction plan. (1) Purpose and process.
(a) Purpose of regional CTR plan. The state's intent in
requiring regional CTR plans is to ensure that the region
develops a consistent, integrated regional strategy for
meeting CTR goals and targets. The region shall use existing
plan information as much as possible to determine how the CTR
program can help the region achieve its transportation goals.
The state intends for CTR services and strategies to be
prioritized in regional funding programs.
(b) Plan development process. RCW 70.94.527(6) requires
the regional CTR plan to be developed in collaboration with
all affected local jurisdictions, transit agencies, and other
interested parties within the region.
(i) Collaboration. The RTPO shall invite, as
appropriate, local jurisdictions, local transit agencies,
major employers, business associations and economic
development organizations, nonprofit transportation and land
use advocacy organizations, pedestrian and bicycle advocacy
organizations, public health agencies, tribal governments, and
others as necessary to participate in the development of the
regional CTR plan's goals, targets and strategies.
(ii) Development of regional GTEC criteria. The RTPO
shall develop minimum land use and transportation criteria for
GTECs in collaboration among local jurisdictions, transit
agencies, major employers, and other affected parties as part
of the regional CTR plan. The state intends for minimum land
use and transportation criteria for GTECs to be developed as
early in the regional planning process as possible.
(iii) Regional role. The state intends for the RTPO to
coordinate the local and regional CTR planning process, and
work closely with local jurisdictions to ensure consistency in
all of the plans. The RTPO shall provide data and technical
assistance to local jurisdictions to aid the development of
their local CTR plans.
(iv) Planning framework. The state intends for local
plans to follow a planning framework established by the RTPO.
However, the state recognizes that during the initial planning
phase in fiscal year 2007, development of local and regional
CTR plans will be a concurrent, iterative process. Thus the
state intent that RTPOs lead the planning process.
(c) Identification of lead agencies. The regional CTR
plan shall describe which entities will be implementing the
CTR program for each city and county, as determined locally.
This description shall include an identification of lead
agencies and the expected contractual relationships for
program administration.
(d) Consistency and integration with other plans,
programs and local requirements. RCW 70.94.527(6) requires
the regional CTR plan to be consistent with and incorporated
into transportation demand management (TDM) components in the
regional transportation plan (as required by RCW 47.80.030).
The regional CTR plan shall be consistent with TDM components
in the regional transportation plan. The regional CTR plan
shall be incorporated by the RTPO into the regional
transportation plan by December 31, 2008.
(e) Plan review and approval. According to RCW 70.94.527(6), regions without an approved regional CTR plan
shall not be eligible for state CTR funds.
(i) Schedule. For jurisdictions in the region to receive
CTR program funding, the CTR board must receive final draft
regional CTR plans by October 1, 2007, and by March 31 every
two years thereafter, if updates have been made to the
regional CTR plan or if the RTPO is adopting a regional CTR
plan for the first time.
(ii) Submittal. RCW 70.94.527(7) requires RTPOs to
submit their regional CTR plans, related local CTR plans, and
certified GTEC programs to the CTR board. By October 1, 2007,
and by March 31 every two years thereafter, the RTPO shall
submit the regional CTR plan, all local CTR plans in the
region, and GTEC certification reports to the CTR board.
Local and regional CTR plan submittals shall include
documentation of support from the applicable transit agencies
if the plans include a transit element.
(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 local CTR plans to the CTR
board, it shall also submit its determination of which local
CTR plans are consistent with the regional CTR plan and meet
state requirements. If any plans are not consistent or do not
meet state requirements, the RTPO shall describe its reasoning
and what changes need to be made to the plan before it is
approved. The CTR board shall use the RTPO recommendation
during its review of the local and regional CTR plans.
(iv) Approval. According to RCW 70.94.527(7), regional
CTR plans must be approved by the CTR board to be eligible for
state CTR funding. The CTR board shall review the regional
CTR plan and notify the RTPO in writing whether it approves or
denies the plan. If the regional CTR plan is approved,
jurisdictions in the region are eligible for state CTR
funding. If the regional CTR plan is not approved, the CTR
board shall state its reasoning and recommendations for
improvement to the RTPO. The RTPO may then choose to submit
its revised plan to the CTR board by the deadline established
by the CTR board or to appeal the decision.
(v) Appeal. If a regional CTR plan is not approved by
the CTR board, the RTPO 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
RTPO's request. If the secretary of transportation or his/her
designee grants the appeal, the regional CTR plan shall be
considered valid by the CTR board. If the secretary of
transportation or his/her designee denies the appeal, the
region is not eligible for state CTR program funding until a
revised regional CTR plan is submitted and approved by the CTR
board.
(f) Annual progress report. RCW 70.94.527(8) requires
RTPOs with a regional CTR plan to submit an annual progress
report to the CTR board at the end of each state fiscal year.
The RTPO is required to submit a progress report to the CTR
board by June 30, 2008, and every year thereafter. The report
shall describe progress in achieving the regional CTR goals
and targets and shall highlight any problems being encountered
in achieving the goals and targets. The information shall be
reported in a form established by the CTR board.
(g) Plan update cycle. The regional CTR plan shall be
updated concurrent with the schedule for the regular update of
the regional transportation plan or in order to establish new
regional goals and targets and incorporate information from
updated local CTR plans.
(2) Required plan elements. RCW 70.94.527(6) requires
affected RTPOs to adopt a regional CTR plan consistent with
the rules and deadlines established by WSDOT.
The regional CTR plan shall contain the following
elements:
(a) Description of land use and transportation context.
The state intends for RTPOs to evaluate the significance of
regional land use and transportation conditions,
characteristics and trends to highlight factors that are
considered critical to the success of the regional CTR plan.
The plan shall discuss the existing and future land use
and transportation conditions and characteristics considered
most critical by the RTPO 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 major employers and help
employer programs be more effective.
The plan shall evaluate the existing barriers to the
success of the CTR plan, and identify how the RTPO and its
partners can overcome these barriers.
The plan shall also discuss cross-boundary issues, such
as pass-through commute patterns or extra-regional issues, and
how these affect the regional plan.
(b) Minimum criteria for growth and transportation
efficiency centers. The RTPO shall adopt minimum
transportation and land use criteria that are appropriately
scaled to the regional context. The RTPO may establish either
absolute or relative criteria. The regional criteria may
include, but are not limited to:
(i) Consistency with local and regional CTR plans and
local comprehensive plans;
(ii) Support achievement of goals in the regional
transportation plan;
(iii) Minimum existing and/or target density thresholds
(i.e., activity density, population density, or employment
density);
(iv) Minimum and maximum geographic sizes;
(v) Existing and targeted levels of transit service;
(vi) Existing and targeted commute trip mode splits;
(vii) Current and forecasted level of delay on state and
regional facilities of significance;
(viii) Number of employees and/or residents;
(ix) Maximum parking development ratios for new
commercial and residential development;
(x) Pricing strategies affecting parking demand (commuter
and transient); and
(xi) Bicycle and pedestrian accessibility.
(c) Regional program goals and targets. The plan shall
describe the established CTR goals and targets for each of the
region's affected urban growth areas and designated GTECs.
The plan shall also describe the entire region's goals and
targets for CTR and how the regional goals and targets relate
to the local goals and targets. The plan shall describe how
the regional CTR goals and targets will help the region
achieve its other transportation goals.
(d) Description of how progress will be measured. The
plan shall describe how the measurement of local CTR plan
progress will be used to assess regional progress toward CTR
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.
(e) Description of regional strategies for achieving the
goals and targets. The plan shall describe what regional
services and strategies will be implemented to achieve the
plan's goals and targets, and how these services and
strategies will support major employer programs and local CTR
plans. The regional services and strategies may include
modifying regional funding allocations and program
prioritization criteria to support the regional CTR plan.
(f) 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 RTPO 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.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 70.94.537. 07-05-065, §
468-63-050, filed 2/20/07, effective 3/23/07.]