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Home My WebLink About2021-02-05; Transportation Demand Management Business Outreach Program (Districts - All); Gomez PazTo the members of the: CITY COUNCIL Date$cA ✓cc / CM ✓ACM ~DCM (3) ..,/ Feb.5,2021 To: From: Council Memorandum Via: Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager {city of Carlsbad Memo ID# 2021028 Re: Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Pub~ic orks Transportation Demand Management usiness Outreach Program (Districts -All) This memorandum provides an overview of the city's Transportation Demand Management (TDM) outreach program to the existing business community. Background The city's Climate Action Plan (CAP), which was adopted in September 2015, aims to reduce Carlsbad greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and identifies TDM as a key strategy. On Feb. 26, 2019, City Council adopted Resolution No. 2019-024 (Resolution), Citywide TDM Plan and Ordinance, in accordance with Measure K-1 ofthe CAP. Staff developed a TDM outreach program to support this Resolution. While the TDM Ordinance places new requirements on new non-residential development, staff recognized the need to proactively engage with the existing business community to fully meet our GHG reduction goals. Discussion As part of the CAP, the TDM goal for existing businesses is to reach 32% non-single occupant vehicle trip rate by 2035. The plan specifically focuses on reducing drive-alone trips to jobs within the city by shifting commuters to travel via carpool, van, public transportation, commuter rail, walking or bicycling as well as telecommuting. This effort will reduce citywide traffic congestion, particularly during peak-hour travel times, and reduce total vehicle miles traveled (VMT), thus reducing GHG emissions. To create, launch and implement a TDM program for the existing business community, staff is working with a TDM consultant, UrbanTrans North America. Tasks requested in the contract include developing a program workplan, identity and marketing materials; conducting business member recruitment and retention; and implementing commuter outreach and campaigns. Key relevant updates include: Program Identity and Marketing Materials A comprehensive program identity system was developed for the program including the name "Carlsbad Commuter." Key materials have been developed to support this program including a digital ecosystem, toolkits, recruitment materials and commuter resources. The digital eco-system targets Public Works Branch Transportation Department 1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad I CA 92008 I 760-602-2730 t Council Memo -Transportation Demand Management Business Outreach Program (Districts -All) Feo. 5, 2021 Page 2 Carlsbad businesses and employees. This includes a website, a TDM trip planning/tracking tool for desktops and smart-phones, gamification and an automated communication system . Business Member Recruitment and Retention In 2019 and 2020, outreach to the existing business community was conducted to a targeted list of employers based on size, existing TDM program needs and proximity to TOM-supportive services. Recruited businesses will receive a custom service that analyzes their commuters by ability to change behavior, which incorporates origin/d~stination, transportation network, time of day, topography, industry and other key details needed for sustainable behaviors. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program engaged with over two dozen existing businesses and had begun implementing outreach events specifically geared towards carpooling, public transit and the Carlsbad Connector (a pilot shuttle service to businesses from the Poinsettia Coaster Station). These efforts were conducted with input from San Diego Association of Governments' (SAN DAG) iCommute team, Carlsbad's Life in Action team, city's Communication staff and the Carlsbad Connector team (which includes SAN DAG and North County T~ansit District (NCTD)). The recruitment strategy and programmatic resources immediately pivoted due to COVID-19. As a result, the Carlsbad Commuter team began developing industry-leading flexible work arrangement resources and services. The TDM Ordinance efforts are currently evaluating baseline data from the first six TDM Ordinance plans. These businesses will be transitioned to recruitment as an existing business partner for · additional behavior change programming and data collection. Outreach and Campaigns Due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated changes to the transportation network, the Carlsbad Commuter team updated the outreach and campaign strategy in 2020. The new strategy reprioritizes and restrains TDM mode-specific recommendations, incentives and services to match the county's risk-level assessment and associated color coding including: Purple/Red Risk Levels: Work from Home, Biking and Walking Orange Risk Level: Transit Yellow Risk Level: Carpool The Carlsbad Commuter team continues to monitor these risk levels and has established campaign plans for 2021 that are outlined at a high level in the next section. Timeline Key milestones and timing for the program will remain contingent on COVID-19 risk levels but is planned to include: Council Memo -Transportation Demand Management Business Outreach Program (Districts -All) Feb.5,2021 Page 3 February 2021 Launch Digital Ecosystem (www.carlsbadcommuter.com) Launch Business and Chamber Partnership Recruitment Program February/March 2021 Conduct a virtual Citywide Work from Home Campaign: Leveraging National Telework Week Late April/May 2021 Conduct a Citywide Spring TDM Campaign for Active Modes, with partnerships to support Earth Day and Bike to Work Week August/September 2021 Conduct a Fall TDM Campaign: with site-specific events leveraging International Car-free Day at partner employer locations Long-Term Programming Beyond the short-term milestones listed above, the TDM program has charted a course to establish and nurture a large network of engaged Carlsbad businesses and associated representatives. This will provide valuable networking and engagement surrounding the value of the TDM program and its associated business and community benefits. The TDM program will continue to deliver innovative, site-specific TDM programming for employer partners and associated campaigns to generate measurable behavior change amongst commuters. Programming will continue to pivot under the unprecedented COVID-19 context while purposefully working to rebalance the current levels of work from home to achieve both Carlsbad's economic development priorities and GHG reduction goals. Behavior change to sustainable modes will be measured through our app technology and through a reoccurring evaluation process conducted in coordination with the TDM Ordinance evaluation methodology. This will allow the city to manage and achieve associated goals of single occupant vehicle trip reduction and GHG reductions. TDM Take-Aways TDM by nature should be dynamic to external variables. The foundational TDM program structure created today will help Carlsbad remain resilient through COVID-19 and beyond. The TDM program will do so by leveraging leading technology, data-driven programming and proven behavior-change strategies. Carlsbad Commuter provides the city with a flexible set of tools to adapt to major external variables such as changing workforce demographics, regional land-use variances and rapidly advancing transportation technologies and services. It can also provide all Carlsbad industries, business sizes and geographic contexts with tangible benefits. These benefits and impacts will be measurable to prove return on investment, business continuity, GHG reductions and money savings. For more information on the Carlsbad Commuter program, please visit our website at https://www.carlsbadcommuter.com/. Next Steps Staff will continue to work with existing businesses and monitor progress as the region moves through the different COVID-19 risk levels. Council Memo -Transportation Demand Management Business Outreach Program (Districts -All} Feb.5,2021 Page 4 cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager Celia Brewer, City Attorney Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services Neil Gallucci, Police Chief David Graham, Chief Innovation Officer Robby Contreras, Assistant City Attorney Tom Frank, Transportation Director Jeff Murphy, Community Development Director Kristina Ray, Communication & Engagement Director James Wood, Environmental Manager Nathan Schmidt, Transportation Planning and Mobility Manager · Matt Sanford, Economic Development Manager Mike Grim, Climate Action Plan Administrator