Commuter Services FDOT District One An Overview and Status Report - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Commuter Services

FDOT District One TDM Summit December 5, 2008 An Overview and Status Report Richard Dreyer and Margaret Dwyer

12 Counties of Southwest Florida FDOT District One

• Initiated in March 2007
• Florida Department of Transportation –

District One

• Unique Two-phased Approach
• Collaborating with businesses, commuters, and

local communities

• Large and Diverse 12-county Region
• Strategic Goals – centered on reducing traffic

congestion and making it easier for everyone to get around

Who We Are:

INTRODUCTION

12 Counties of Southwest Florida FDOT District One

Background:

INTRODUCTION

• Tampa Bay
• Sar/Man-
• MPO
• SCAT
• Lee
• LeeTran
• Park and Ride Lots
• Statewide Support

• Florida Department of Transportation –

District 1

• Tindale-Oliver & Associates, Inc.
• URS Corporation, Inc.

Organization:

The Team

Key Objectives District-Wide Approach

#1

Facilitate Local Buy-in & Consensus

#2

Recognizable Program Identity

#3

Influence Local Policies

#4

Implement Strategies & Evaluate

#5

Two Phase Approach Strategic and On-Going Planning Operational Program- Employer Outreach

Strategic Planning

Strategic Plan Elements:

• Stakeholders
• Existing Situation
• Policies
• Goals
• Regional Forums
• Consensus
• TDM Strategies

On-Going Planning Three Areas of Planning

Work Plans, Evaluation, and Updates

Strategic

Example, Policies, and Training

FDOT

Policy, LDR’s, and Training

Local Support

Activities

Local Support:

• Inventory of Plans and Policies
• Build a Library of Resources
• Sample Policy Language
• Best Practices
• Monitoring Regulations
• Presentations
• Meeting Attendance
• One-on-One Discussions
• Training Seminars
• Reports

FDOT:

• Research Training Programs
• Interviews with FDOT Staff
• Action Plan
• Issues
• Recommendations
• Sample
• Case Studies
• Success Stories
• Developing Training Ideas
• Reports

• Completed Strategic Plan
• Extensive Stakeholder Interface
• TDM Resource Library for Local Policies and Regulations
• Monitoring and participating
• In developing DRI Checklists
• Impacts from Air Quality Standards and Green Initiatives

Accomplishments

Accomplishments

Providing assistance and guidance to local planners

• informational brochure
• restructuring policies to

include more TDM strategies

• best practices and sample

policies or rules

• Identifying and training TDM

champions

• Incorporating TDM into the

DRI review process

Accomplishments

Created a Park and Ride Lot locator map as a resource for the

• utreach staff and regional

Partners. Developed guidance on incorporating TDM into the Congestion Management Process (CMP) of the MPOs. Presented information to several MPO Boards and Committees, a well as other groups.

Developed and Conducted a District-wide Seminar on incorporating TDM into local decision making. Developing a series of local seminars with specific local policy information. Identified a need to develop a TDM resource for the LRTP updates.

Accomplishments

• Evaluating FDOT policies and procedures so they can be

made more supportive of TDM strategies.

• Promote TDM within FDOT through interviews and

information sharing.

• Working with the FDOT to develop comprehensive training

program for staff.

• Next: Marketing and Outreach Components

Accomplishments

12 Counties of Southwest Florida FDOT District 1

• Launched in September 2007
• Program of the Florida Department of

Transportation – District 1

• Polk, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, Collier
• Hardee, DeSoto, Highlands, Okeechobee, Glades, Hendry
• 12-county region – new employer-based

approach with planning/marketing emphasis

• Rebuilding relationships and instituting a new

approach

• Collaborating with businesses, commuters, and

local communities

• Goals - reduce traffic congestion and make it

easier for everyone to get around

Who We Are:

We work with business leaders, the community, and the traveling public

• We work with local governments and

transportation partners to help build better communities.

• We work with businesses to help their

employees find a better way to get to work than driving by themselves.

• We provide our Partners with one-stop solutions:

 Improved mobility  Enhanced benefits  Increased productivity  Lower costs

Our Approach:

Helping commuters make informed transportation choices

• Strategic Planning
• Operational Features
• Toll-Free Information Line: 866.585.RIDE
• Rideshare Database
• Geographic matching
• 24-hour turnaround
• Emergency Ride Home administration
• Regional Outreach Program
• Partnerships with businesses & key

stakeholders

• Marketing to commuters & employers
• Annual Evaluations (CUTR)

Program Components:

Preferential Parking for carpoolers is one of many commute programs

• Carpooling
• Vanpooling
• Bus Transit
• Bicycling
• Walking
• Teleworking
• Compressed Work Weeks
• Flexible Work Hours
• Parking Management

Promoting Commute Options

Developing Worksite Programs

• Continual program development
• On-site matching
• Commuter events
• Transit promotions
• Vanpool formation meetings
• Preferential parking
• Relocation assistance
• Relationship maintenance
• Worksite commuter surveys
• Ongoing education program
• On-site promotional events
• Marketing tools
• ETC Toolkit
• Bulletin board announcements
• Newsletter articles,
• Memos and email reminders.

Commuters Finding Alternatives

• Economically beneficial
• Increased productivity
• Reduced absenteeism & health costs
• Reduced parking & office space needs
• Reduced costs from lower payroll taxes
• Employee retention and recruitment
• Relocations and downsizing; good for

employee morale; low-or-no cost benefit

• Environmental benefits
• Green teams; sustainability programs;
• Sarasota Health Care System, FDOT, Polk

Community College, Sarasota County, City of Sarasota, University of South Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University, Lee County Clerk of Courts, MCC,

• ACUPCC – University of South Florida;

Florida Gulf Coast University

Why Partners Offer Commuter Programs

• Credits for New Construction
• Credits for Existing Buildings

Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design

Credit 4.1 Alternative Commuting Transportation, Demonstrate a 10% reduction 1 Credit 4.2 Alternative Commuting Transportation, Demonstrate a 25% reduction 1 Credit 4.3 Alternative Commuting Transportation, Demonstrate a 50% reduction 1 Credit 4.4 Alternative Commuting Transportation, Demonstrate a 75% or > reduction 1

Credit 4.1

Alternative Transportation, Public Transportation Access

1 Credit 4.2

Alternative Transportation, Bicycle Storage & Changing Rooms

1 Credit 4.3

Alternative Transportation, Low-Emitting & Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

1 Credit 4.4

Alternative Transportation, Parking Capacity

1

Building Partnerships

Partner Case Examples

Relocation Assistance

• Consolidation of facilities in Collier and Lee

Counties

• Employee commute distances increasing 30+ miles
• ne-way
• Conducted week-long “one-on-one” meetings with

staff to discuss program options

• Carpools, owner-occupied vanpools, ERH, and park

& ride lot outcomes

Preferential Parking Program

• Proactive ETC with regular events and marketing

campaigns; gas card incentives as encouragement

• Dedicated CP-only parking signs with permit

stickers for employees’ windshields

• Created a distribution scatter plot map to identify

additional carpool potential

• Scheduled an additional Lunch & Learn to reach out

to employees one-on-one

Partners with Emergency Ride Home

• Chico’s FAS
• Citrus Connection
• City of Bartow
• City of Sarasota
• Comcast
• Eaton Aerospace
• FCCI Insurance
• Florida’s Natural Grower’s
• GC Services
• Gevity
• Lee County BOCC
• Lee County Clerk of Courts
• Lee County Health Department
• Lee County DOT Operations
• Lee County Port Authority
• Marriott Vacation Club
• Nielsen Media Research
• Pierce Manufacturing
• Plymouth Harbor
• Polk County Property

Appraisers

• Sarasota County
• Tropicana
• USF Polytechnic
• Winter Haven Hospital
• Polk County Sheriff

We are working with more than 70 Employer and Stakeholder Partners

• Become a registered program Partner
• Hold a transportation event, commuter fair, or
• nline survey to get initial employee feedback
• Launch your program with a marketing campaign

to publicize the Partnership and raise awareness among employees

• Work with your Commuter Services Coordinator

to determine your participation level and set goals for your program

• Begin implementing your program plan

Recommendations for Getting Started

Be creative with incentive programs!

• Create an ongoing education program using the

marketing tools we’ll provide for bulletin board announcements, newsletter articles, memos, or email reminders.

• Promote the Emergency Ride Home (ERH)

program at your worksite, to alleviate employee apprehension about getting stranded.

• Develop incentives to encourage carpooling such

as preferential parking or other rewards to encourage an alternative commute

Keeping the Momentum Going

Program Achievements to Date

Program Metrics

• +450 new and follow-up meetings with the business

community

• Recruitment of 2,700 individuals into the rideshare

database for carpooling

• +70 events at worksites to work one-on-one with

employees

• 72 Partners on board, working to develop programs
• 2 FT staff, plus 1 new outreach coordinator coming
• n board next week
• Vanpool potential within:
• Comcast, Tropicana, Bealls DC & HQ, MCC,

Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Lee County BOCC (downtown Ft. Myers depts.), City of Sarasota, Sarasota County

Planting the seeds of tomorrow; training children about Commuter Services during FDOT’s “Bring Your Kids to Work Day”

Contact Commuter Services Today!

• Margaret Dwyer, AICP, Program Advisor
• Richard Dreyer, AICP, Project Manager
• Christine Diaz, Program Manager

FDOT District One 801 North Broadway PO BOX 1249 Bartow, Florida 33831 Phone: 863-519-2414 Fax: 863-519-5125 Toll Free: 1-866-585-RIDE (7433) www.CommuterServicesFL.com

We’re Here to Help!