Build a Coalition 5

Now is the time for Teton County to stop the vicious cycle of provide and predict. To get back on track toward meeting the Teton County Comprehensive Plan vision and ITP targets, local stakeholders will need to band together with a strong voice and work toward a virtuous cycle that centers decision making on wildlife and wild lands, and preserving Teton County's character and beauty for future generations. Reversing the dominant logic that people will drive and therefore our roads must be larger and faster will require strong leadership, honest discussion of tradeoffs, and willingness to make short term sacrifices for long-term gains. Local citizens, advocacy groups, and local government will need to partner, and in doing so:

Build Broad Support

The types of solutions put forward in this report require tireless advocacy, education, and broad partnerships. Core principles of demand management and multimodal system investment won’t gain immediate and resounding support. Changing people’s behavior requires education, transparent conversations about the “why,” and consistent investment.

• Broaden the conversation: while many key stakeholders are involved on Teton County transportation discussions, many people don’t have the time to tune in. Organized groups such as the Teton Transportation Coalition, which already brings together many key stakeholders, provides a great opportunity to broaden the message about why balanced solutions for WY-22 affect everyone. Take time to talk to potential opposition groups and build “unexpected partners!”

• Build public – private partnerships: limited staffing capacity at the Town and County is a commonly cited challenge. Increased transportation staffing at the County is as critical as technical staff resources to work closely with WYDOT throughout the NEPA process.

Act Early

WYDOT’s multiyear process to plan and design investments for WY-22 will begin as early as Fall of 2023. Local stakeholders should strive to make demonstrable progress by the time that study gets underway.

• Lobby for the allowance of High Occupancy Vehicle and Transit Lanes: State legislative action is required to allow HOV or transit lanes to be implemented in Wyoming. This is a high priority as legislation may be needed for HOV+Transit or Shoulder Running Transit alternatives to be considered in the WY-22 study. Legislation should include options to manage highway travel lanes by vehicle occupancy and using pricing. (This strategy does not recommend highway pricing as a short-term strategy, but with advent of new technology, it could become a more viable and equitable option).

• Demonstrate demand management: Without clear evidence of demand management actions that work, it will be hard for a coalition to promote TDM in a WYDOT led planning process for WY-22. Actions are needed sooner. The Town and County should move quickly to implement paid parking, development of a Downtown Jackson TMA, expansion of e-bike programs, and other recommendations that can start to influence peak season demand for driving.

• Fund transit: this strategy relies on continued expansion of public transportation. START has a strong track record of building a successful, community responsive transit network, but more service requires more funding. Transit operating funds must be generated largely at the local level. Expansion of transit service may the be the most critical element to preventing unnecessary highway expansion.

Pilot And Learn

Changing behavior is not a perfect science. It requires a test and adapt approach. Because TDM programs don’t require major permanent infrastructure, there is opportunity to pilot programs, track results, and adjust.

• Leverage disruption: Use the upcoming Snake River Bridge Construction as an opportunity to model behavior change. Make transit a viable way to bypass construction related congestion by increasing peak transit service and providing transit priority approaching the bridge during peak periods.

• Organize and act: Use Snake River Bridge mitigation and peak season visitation as impetus to form a Downtown Jackson TMA—organizing employer transportation needs – and use the TMA structure to develop TDM programs that help ensure employees and visitors from Idaho or Teton Village can reliably access Jackson.

• Build on TVA’s success: Teton County has a nation-leading model for TDM programming and can share expertise and lessons learned, building on what’s worked in Teton County!

Move Markets

This strategy focuses on three key travel markets: (1) employers, (2) tourists/visitors, and (3) residents.

Moving the needle for each group will require different strategies and leadership from different stakeholder groups and government organizations.

• Find employer champions: Organize Downtown businesses and large employers around a collective challenge – sustaining a workforce with an escalating cost of living. Help demonstrate that the cost of commuting –both time and money—is a major factor in where people chose to live and work. Find champions that can build support for a TMA that can tackle these challenges collectively.

• Build a Car Free Visitation Program: As local agencies turn to mitigating the impacts of high visitation, rather than promoting tourism, there is no better time than to create programs, information, and infrastructure that allow attractive car-free visitation. Travel and Tourism, TVA, and the Chamber of Commerce should look to examples, such and Breckenridge’s No-Car, No Problem campaign and continue to work with Grand Teton National Park to develop shuttle services for visitors.

Set A Foundation

Managing demand for vehicle trips and supplying excellent travel options that compete with the auto for reliability, quality and experience is the heart of this strategy. This won’t happen overnight. Progress relies on two foundational actions:

• Price and manage parking: Mobility pricing is among the most effective tools for managing demand and reducing unnecessary auto trips. Since it is challenging and likely inequitable to price roadway use in a rural environment, implementing paid parking for on- and off-street supply in the Jackson core area will be among the most effective means to manage demand. Managed well, paid parking can also be a tool to regulate availability, ensuring that space is available for visitors and customers.

• Develop (and implement) a long-range transit strategy: START has an aggressive growth plan in place for 2020-2025. The WYDOT process identifying future investments in Highway 22 will focus on a 20-year timeframe. It is imperative that there is a long-range plan in place for START bus services to Teton Valley, Stilson, and Teton Village. Modeling completed for this project shows that transit can play a critical role in a balanced WY-22, but it may be discounted without a clear plan in place.