46.68.080 Requirements for employers.
An affected employer is required to make a good faith effort, as defined in RCW 70.94.534(2) and this chapter, to develop and implement a CTR program that will achieve the goals for the affected worksite established by the city’s CTR plan, or if the affected employer is not included in the city’s CTR plan, the goals for the affected employer as determined by the city to reduce VMT per employee and SOV commute trips. The CTR program must include the mandatory elements described below. The employer shall submit a description of its program to the city and provide regular progress reports to the city on employee commuting and progress toward meeting its goals.
A. CTR Program Description Requirements. The CTR program description presents the strategies to be undertaken by an employer to achieve the commute trip reduction goals for each goal year as established by the city’s CTR plan. Employers are encouraged to consider innovative strategies and combine program elements in a manner that will best suit their location, site characteristics, business type, and employees’ commuting needs. Employers are further encouraged to cooperate with each other and to form or use transportation management associations (TMAs) in developing and implementing CTR programs.
1. Description of Employer’s CTR Program. At a minimum, the employer’s description must include:
a. General description of the employment site location, transportation characteristics, and surrounding services, including unique conditions experienced by the employer or its employees;
b. Number of employees affected by the CTR program;
c. Documentation of compliance with the mandatory CTR program elements (as described in subsection B of this section);
d. Description of the additional elements included in the CTR program (as described in subsection B of this section); and
e. Schedule of implementation, assignment of responsibilities, and commitment to provide appropriate resources.
B. Mandatory Program Elements. Each employer’s CTR program shall include the following mandatory elements:
1. Transportation Coordinator. The employer shall designate an employee transportation coordinator (ETC) to administer the CTR program. The coordinator’s name, location, and telephone number must be displayed prominently at each affected worksite. Coordinators shall be trained in CTR program development and administration through a program approved by the city. The coordinator shall oversee all elements of the employer’s CTR program and act as liaison between the employer and the city. The objective is to have an effective transportation coordinator presence at each worksite; an affected employer with multiple sites may have one transportation coordinator for all sites. The employer shall negotiate with the city for the number of coordinators required.
2. Information Distribution. Information about alternatives to SOV commuting shall be provided to employees at least twice a year. Each employer’s program description and progress report must report the information to be distributed and the method of distribution.
3. Progress Report. The CTR program must include a regular review of employee commuting and of progress and good faith efforts toward meeting the SOV and VMT reduction goals. The city will determine the time and frequency for submittal of the progress report by the affected employer. The city’s determination will be based on worksite commute trip reduction performances. Affected employers shall file the progress report with the city in accordance with the format established by this chapter and consistent with the CTR Task Force Guidelines. The report shall describe each of the CTR measures that were in effect for the previous year(s), the results of any commuter surveys undertaken during the year(s), and the number of employees participating in CTR programs. Within the report the employer should evaluate the effectiveness of the CTR program and, if necessary, propose modifications to achieve the CTR goals. The employer should contact the city for the format of the progress report.
4. At least once every two years the affected employer shall distribute and collect Commute Trip Reduction Program Employee Questionnaires (surveys) on a form provided by the city, and achieve at least a seventy percent response rate from employees at a worksite, to measure the affected employer’s progress toward its SOV and VMT goals.
5. Additional Program Elements. In addition to the specific program elements described above, the employer’s CTR program shall include elements needed to meet CTR goals. Elements may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following:
a. Provision of preferential parking or reduced parking charges, or both, for high-occupancy vehicles;
b. Instituting or increasing parking charges for SOVs;
c. Provision of commuter ride matching services to facilitate employee ridesharing for commute trips;
d. Provision of subsidies for transit fares;
e. Provision of vans for vanpools;
f. Provision of subsidies for carpools or vanpools;
g. Permitting the use of the employer’s vehicles for carpooling or vanpooling;
h. Permitting flexible work schedules to facilitate employees’ use of transit, carpools, or vanpools;
i. Cooperation with transportation providers to provide additional regular or express service to the worksite;
j. Construction of special loading and unloading facilities for transit, carpool, and vanpool users;
k. Provision of bicycle parking facilities, lockers, changing areas, and showers for employees who bicycle or walk to work;
l. Provision of a program of parking incentives such as a rebate for employees who do not use the parking facilities;
m. Establishment of a program to permit employees to work part-time or full-time at home or at an alternative worksite closer to their homes;
n. Establishment of a program of alternative work schedules such as compressed work weeks which reduce commuting;
o. Promotional activities for ridesharing and transit, as well as fixed commuter information centers;
p. Guaranteed rides in emergency situations for ridesharers;
q. Implementation of other measures designed to facilitate the use of high-occupancy vehicles, such as on-site day care facilities and emergency taxi services; and
r. Reduction of parking provided in accordance with the Everett Zoning Code. (Ord. 3169-10 § 5, 2010; Ord. 2277-98 Ch. 3 § B, 1998.)