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Commute trip reduction (CTR) is about making fewer drive-alone trips to and from work. By carpooling, walking, biking and, riding the bus, we help reduce pollution and traffic congestion. We can also reduce commute trips by working from home or compressing our work week (working more hours in a day and working fewer days per week).
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Thurston County, along with other communities across the nation, has been working to make alternatives to driving alone more inviting and convenient. Business and government agencies are helping their employees find commute options; schools, City government and non-profit organizations are participating in CTR too.
Not only will we reduce congestion and prevent air and water pollution, CTR is important to managing our transportation system. CTR makes the best use of the existing roads because by moving more people with fewer cars, we offset the need for costly roadway widening. |
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CTR is important to our community and benefits us individually. A vanpooler in Thurston County can save up to $5,000 dollars a year. A person who bikes 5 miles to work can save approximately $1,300 dollars a year, and gets exercise while commuting! Bus riders, carpoolers and people who walk to work save too on fuel, parking and car maintenance. Commute trip reduction makes sense!
The CTR Law
Washington's Commute Trip Reduction law was passed in 1991 to improve air quality, reduce traffic congestion, and minimize energy consumption. The law does this by establishing employer-based programs that encourage employees to find alternatives to drive-alone commuting. http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/TDM/tripreduction/CTRLaw.cfm]
See Also: The Goals and Requirments of CTR
CTR is working!
Across the state, more than 550,000 employees are employed at over 1,100 worksites participating in the CTR program. At these worksites, more people walk, bicycle, ride the bus, carpool, vanpool and telework than in 1993 when the program was initiated.
Statewide, the CTR program has resulted in:
- a reduction in drive-alone commuting by an average of 9.5 percent at affected worksites statewide;
- approximately 20,700 fewer vehicles are on our state's roads during peak commuting hours;
- an annual combined savings of $9-11 million in fuel costs, and;
- an annual reduction of 5,000 tons of pollution from being released into our air.
Thurston County's Program
In Thurston County, there are 95 worksites who are affected by the CTR law or have voluntary programs. Of these, 84 are government worksites and 11 are private businesses or organizations.
The breakdown of the number of affected worksites in each jurisdiction as of January 2004 is as follows:
Olympia 57
Lacey 16
Tumwater 18
Thurston County 2
Yelm 2
Thurston Regional Planning Council's Role
The lead agency for implementing the CTR program in Thurston County is Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC). TRPC's role is to assist Thurston County employers with their worksite programs, as well as helping employers understand the requirements of the law and assists with surveys and annual reports. TRPC administers the CTR program on hehalf of the jurisdictions of Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm, and Thurston County.
TRPC contact information:
Who's Who in Thurston County
To learn more about who is involved in Thurston County's CTR program, check the Roles and Responsibilities section.
A few facts about CTR in Thurston County
- If current driving trends continue and population grows as expected, by 2020, I-5 would need to carry enough traffic to fill 2-3 more lanes in each direction and US 101 would need to carry enough traffic to fill 1-2 additional lanes in each direction. (Regional Transportation Plan Update, 1998)
- In 1970 the average Thurston County driver drove 29 miles per day. By 1995, that average person was driving 38 miles per day, a 31% increase. (Regional Transportation Plan Update, 1998)
- If the 1998 drive-alone commute rate remains steady, by 2020 the average commute time will nearly double from 11 minutes to 20 minutes. (Regional Transportation Plan Update, 1998)
- For more facts on CTR, check out the fact page
| The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) "Employee Transportation Coordinator Handbook" provided text for many sections of this website. For more information on WSDOT's CTR resources, check out www.wsdot.wa.gov/TDM |
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Programs > Transportation > Commutes
