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Image Placeholder 190TRANSPORTATION2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE DRAFT Dec14-17 for review only DRAFT Dec14-17 for review only DRAFT Dec14-17 for review only Transportation Demand Management The primary emphasis of Transportation Demand Management (TDM) is to reduce the number of vehicular trips on congested roadways during peak travel times� Since many, or most of these trips are commuter (work) trips, TDM strategies primarily involve the workplace context and associated travel behavior� The primary methods or strategies are identified below: • transit • car/van-pooling • telecommuting • flex-time • non-motorized commuting In general, the policies or incentives to promote TDM activities are provided through employers� For example, employers can provide monthly discounts or passes to employees to use transit� They can provide coordination services to match up individuals for car/ van pooling activities� They can allow or promote telecommuting, particularly in various industries for which face-to-face contact is not important for task performance� Similarly, employers can allow or promote flex time, which enables employees to travel to/from work at non-peak travel times� Regarding non-motorized commuting, the provision of shower and changing facilities is often helpful to promote bicycle commuting� There are a number of reasons for employers to promote TDM activities� In some cases, vehicle parking is at a premium and anything they can do to reduce parking requirements is beneficial. Another example may be a large employer or group of employers accessed by congested road systems� If these employers can reduce rush hour trips into their facilities and associated congestion, it benefits their workers and makes their places of business more attractive places to work� Some employers wish to reduce vehicle trips to their facilities simply because it is “the right thing to do” for environmental reasons� Cities can increase TDM activities through promotional activities and by coordinating with key employers to identify and implement TDM plans� Cities may require TDM plans for new developments if they are large enough to have significant traffic impacts. For example, the City of Minneapolis actively uses this approach� Cities can also form or coordinate the formation of Transportation Management Organizations (TMOs)� These organizations pool resources and strategies to get the biggest “bang for the buck” for reducing traffic levels in a given area. The City of Hugo is a member of the I-35W/E Commission which is a TMO that has strived to limit single occupancy vehicle trips on I-35E� It is difficult to project the quantitative benefits of Transportation Demand Management activities with confidence. However, as fuel prices increase and congestion on major roadways in the metro region increase into the future, the demand for and potential of this approach will increase accordingly�