City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: DECEMBER 7, 2016
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of a Grant Application for FY 2018 Funding for Continuation of the Alexandria Transportation Demand Management Program and Adoption of a Resolution. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]
BODY
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ISSUE: Consideration of a resolution for a grant application for FY 2018 funding for the continuation of the City of Alexandria (City) Transportation Demand Management Program, also known as GO Alex.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
1) Adopt the attached resolution (Attachment 1) to apply for FY 2018 funding in the amount of $240,942 which will be matched by $60,235 of City funds, for a total program of $301,177 for the continuation of the City’s TDM services with Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT); and
2) Authorize the City Manager to submit this resolution and enter any agreements with the
State required to receive these funds should the requested allocation be approved.
BACKGROUND: Transportation Demand Management (TDM) is the application of policies and strategies that attempt to change travel behavior to increase the efficiency of the City’s transportation system. The City has operated a TDM program since 1981 and each year has applied for and received funds from the Commonwealth of Virginia (Virginia). The City’s program, now called GO Alex (formerly known as Local Motion), administers TDM based programs and is coordinated by the Transit Services Division in Transportation and Environmental Services (T&ES). Over the course of the next several months the TDM Program will systematically introduce the new name and brand, GO Alex, to customers with a launch campaign and through a variety of different marketing and advertising channels.
TDM supports the City‘s 2008 Master Transportation Plan which envisions a "transportation system that encourages the use of alternative modes of transportation, reducing dependence on the private automobile." TDM measures also directly benefit the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, supporting the Eco-City Charter, improving public health, and creating stronger communities and a more prosperous and livable Alexandria.
DISCUSSION: By use of incentives, education, and marketing, TDM promotes more efficient use of the existing transportation systems by influencing the time, route, and mode selected for a given trip. It also increases travel choices, offering the opportunity to choose how, when, and whether travel will be by car or by some other mode, with the goal of managing demand with the transportation system.
GO Alex’s annual report, shown in Attachment 2, outlines program achievements and opportunities for growth and improved delivery of services. The website had large increases in user hits in FY 2016 compared to the previous fiscal year. There was a 58 percent increase in unique visitors, which is a new user who has never been to the website before, a 63 percent increase in number of visits, when someone reaches the website from a referring source outside the website domain, and a 58 percent increase in page views, which is counted when a page on the site is loaded by a browser. The Mobile Transit Store, which began operating October 2015, serviced 200 locations last fiscal year and had over $38,000 in sales.
Through the City’s event attendance and retail partners, GO Alex distributed over 30,000 brochures and had more than 10,000 customer engagements, which is an estimate as to the number of people exposed to GO Alex outreach.
In addition, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government (MWCOG) 2016 State of the Commute, which comes out every three years, reports the following regional findings, which are important measures to evaluate the performance of regional TDM programs. City data will be released early next year. The report shows a decline in drive alone commuting, and increases in transit use and teleworking.
|
|
2013 State of the Commute |
2016 State of the Commute |
|
Drive Alone Rate |
66% |
61% |
|
Transit Use |
17% |
20% |
|
Telework Use |
26.5% |
32% |
In FY 2018, DRPT will develop TDM performance measures to provide grantees with program feedback and encourage changes that lead to improved efficiency and effectiveness. Performance measures will help GO Alex communicate and respond to program strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.
FISCAL IMPACT: The City will need to fund a 20 percent match in the amount of $60,235 to match the DRPT amount of $240,942 in State funds, for a total program budget of $301,177. It is anticipated that these City match funds will also be included in the FY 2018 proposed budget, similar to the City match included in the FY 2017 adopted budget. If these matching funds are not included in either the FY 2018 proposed or adopted budgets, the City can withdraw, or otherwise amend, the grant application.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Proposed Resolution
Attachment 2: FY 2016 TDM Report
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, Deputy City Manager
Yon Lambert, Director, T&ES
Carrie Sanders, Deputy Director, T&ES/Transportation
Allan Fye, Acting Division Chief, T&ES/Transit Services
Gabe Ortiz, TDM Coordinator, T&ES, Transit Services