TDM Strategies to Influence Time & Route of Travel TDM strategies support smart growth's goals by: Reducing the number of vehicles on the road Providing an accessible, affordable, equitable range of transportation choices Encouraging energy efficiency Using transportation and land resources more efficiently TDM strategies traditionally have been directed toward commute travel and peak period congestion, but are more recently being utilized to help address other, non-recurring types of congestion as well. Commuter directed strategies are typically employer-based, whereas area-wide TDM programs are more typically implemented by government based agencies. TDM encompasses travel alternatives and strategies to support them. Because it involves behavioral change, TDM often relies on incentives or disincentives. Research shows that because many TDM strategies are complementary, they work best as part of overall larger transportation planning effort or comprehensive program. Demand management strategies fall into four main categories: Increasing vehicle occupancy - the number of persons in a vehicle Influencing the time or route of travel Facilitating shifts from automobile to transit or non motorized modes Eliminating the need for travel Strategies to influence the time or route of travel A good means of improving the efficiency of the transportation network is to influence when and where people travel. Although many highways are at or approaching their capacity during peak period commute times, they have excess capacity at most other times. Adding capacity to solve peak period congestion problems can have permanent effects on neighboring communities by inducing sprawl development. Reducing peak period travel is also important for air quality as well as traffic reduction because ground level ozone, or smog, is produced when tailpipe emissions "bake" in the morning sunlight. There are a variety of other strategies to reduce peak period travel and encourage off-peak travel that can be implemented by employers and transportation agencies. Congestion Pricing Congestion pricing and other forms of road pricing are potentially effective means of improving traffic flow during peak travel periods. Congestion pricing requires time-variable tolls, with higher prices during peak periods and lower or non-existent prices when roads are uncongested. Time-variable tolls can be based on a fixed schedule, daily and weekly schedule, or they can be dynamic, meaning that rates change depending on the level of congestion that exists at a particular time. It can be implemented on existing roadways to avoid the need to add capacity. Some highways have a combination of unpriced lanes and Value Priced lanes, allowing motorists to choose between driving in congestion and paying a toll for an uncongested trip. Congestion pricing can be a smart growth tool if the revenues it generates are used to support public transit or other alternate transportation modes. Congestion pricing can encourage some peak period road users to shift to off peak periods, to high occupancy vehicle modes, to other routes or to forego certain trips. Such changes in travel behavior can bring about improvements in regional mobility. Like other demand management strategies, congestion pricing works best in conjunction with other programs. If quality travel options are not available, an unintended consequence could be increased traffic on local or residential streets. The New Jersey Turnpike implemented a congestion pricing policy in 1999. They estimate that it has resulted in a shift of about one half of one percent, or 3,500 vehicles per day, of its daily traffic from peak to off peak periods. NJDOT estimates that if similar pricing strategies were adopted by the other toll authorities, an additional reduction of 6,000 daily trips would ensue. Data further suggests that congestion pricing policies are most effective when there is a significant difference between peak and off peak costs. Off peak discounts alone are not sufficient to induce changes in travel behavior. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) ITS, or "smart" highways, have gained a lot of attention in recent years as technological advances have made it possible to provide real time traffic information to users of the transportation network. The underlying concept of these systems is that better information about current traffic conditions allows travelers to make more informed decisions about their travel behavior, which will in turn, reduce traffic congestion and improve regional mobility. There are a variety of advanced traveler information systems available on-line, such as Smart Traveler and Transcom, as well as the national 511 telephone system. In addition, New Jersey's TMAs provide e-mail traffic and transit alerts to inform commuters about travel conditions. The Final Report of the New Jersey Congestion Buster Task Force (2002) estimates that 2,000 daily peak period trips could be eliminated through enhanced real time travel information systems. These technologies can also be applied to provide real time information on transit and parking conditions. For example, Princeton University's Graduate Shuttles are equipped with GPS vehicle tracking systems that enable students to see the vehicle location and next stops via the internet. Similar applications in Arlington County, Virginia have been associated with a 10% increase in ridership. Alternate Work Schedules Alternative work schedules, such as Flex Time, Staggered Hours and Compressed Work Weeks are strategies that can be implemented by employers to influence the time of travel. Work schedules established by employers have a tremendous impact not only on the volume of traffic traveling to the work site during peak periods, but also employees' willingness to consider carpooling and other commute alternatives. By reducing the amount of vehicles traveling to the site during the peak period, alternate work schedules can eliminate the need to add roadway capacity and can, therefore, be a valuable tool for municipalities that want to encourage smart growth. There are three basic types of work hour arrangements that are effective in influencing travel time: Staggered work hours are staged start-work times set by employers. For example, start times may be set at 15 minute increments, thereby more evenly distributing peak period traffic. Compressed Work Weeks allow employees to work their regularly scheduled hours in fewer days, such as four, ten hour days as opposed to five, eight hour days. This can impact traffic in two ways: 1) by creating longer work days, it moves traffic out of the peak period; and, 2) it eliminates a day of commuting to work. Flex time allows employees to set their own arrival and departure times within an established band of time. This also has the effect of distributing peak period travel and can make it easier for employees to coordinate their schedules for carpooling or to use public transit. Flexible work arrangements are popular among employees because they allow for a better balance between work and personal responsibilities. Several counties in Washington State, which has a mandated employer trip reduction program, have experienced close to a 5% reduction in commute trips as a result of compressed workweek programs. (Washington State CTR Task Force 2001 Report to the Legislature). Local officials can encourage employers to offer these types of programs through ordinances or their site plan approval process. The State's TMAs can assist employers in developing and implementing programs.