TRAVEL DEMAND MANAGEMENT

Travel Demand Management (TDM) is a strategy that can alter how, where, and when people travel. TDM combines policies, strategies, and methods that discourage driving alone, especially during peak travel times, to increase the overall efficiency of the entire transportation system utilizing various methods. This concept is moderately inexpensive and effective for reducing traffic congestion and harmful emissions caused by autos.

Many TDM strategies are simple and achievable, such as:

y Employer policies that encourage staggered work schedules: This concept allows the peak traffic times to be attained over a longer period to reduce the overall peak. The idea is to encourage some road users to adopt alternative schedules that are either outside or towards the beginning/end of traditional peak times. y Stagger school bell times: School start times are generally aligned with commute times. Starting schools earlier or later would not only reduce congestion but would potentially create incentives for students to use alternative modes to school – especially those not old enough to drive – because parents may not be available to drive them. However, this must be balanced with considerations about a household’s ability to combine parent and child trips. y Trip chaining: This strategy encourages planning multiple purpose trips in sequence to minimize travel (school trip, grocery, gym, medical appointment, etc.). y Incentivizing alternate modes: Promoting alternative transportation modes (transit/biking/walking/scooters) through school and work programs is an effective means to encourage non-auto use. Providing first/last mile connections to transit through bicycle/scooter share,

improved/enhanced walking environments and safe places to park bicycles helps create safe, connected networks that encourage alternative modes. y Shared mobility: Car and bicycle sharing, vanpool/ carpool provide options for commuters to accomplish errands during the day making leaving the car at home more practical. y Commuter Support Programs: Commuter support, such as guaranteed ride home programs, provides a fast way home in the event of an emergency. Commuters are provided a guaranteed ride home via TNC, taxi or rental car. Programs like these remove the concerns commuters have about getting home should they need to depart work early, or stay after hours.

TDM can also include disincentives for driving such as charging for transportation services (i.e. charging fees through registration, fuel, parking, and tolls or more recent policy discussions that would charge a mileage-based user fee).

National adoption of these strategies has increased as the demand for new and expanded roadways persists and revenues to pay for them diminish. As federal funding sources become less reliable, the obligation to pay for infrastructure improvements and ongoing maintenance is becoming the responsibility of local communities through various taxation methods and user fees.

PUBLIC TRANSIT: THE VINE BUS SYSTEM

The Vine bus system is the core of public transportation in Napa County. It consists of an integrated network of public transit routes serving communities within Napa Valley and links the Valley along major commute corridors to the Vallejo Ferry Terminal, Capital Corridor and Solano County transit, and BART in the East Bay.

In two separate NVTA-sponsored studies, Napa commuters indicated an interest in using public transit for some or all of their trips if service was more frequent and direct to reduce travel times. In January 2020, NVTA implemented a new service structure that created more frequent service and improved system connectivity within the City of Napa. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic NVTA had to restructure the transit service to compensate for the reduction in bus ridership and moved to an on-demand system within the City of Napa. In Napa County’s smaller jurisdictions, NVTA operates on-demand service, accessible through a phone app or by calling to dispatch the vehicle. These changes are expected to result in an increase of Vine ridership.

CARPOOLS AND VANPOOLS

The NVTA V-Commute program, powered under a premier Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platform by Ride Amigos, provides information and ride matching for Carpools and Vanpools. Employers and individuals interested in using these commute options can register with V-Commute independently or through their employer. In early 2020, MTC, in partnership with local Napa Valley leaders, Visit Napa Valley and the Napa Valley Vintners, introduced a pilot program called Napa Forward. This program focuses on employers in the wine and hospitality industry using another MaaS platform called LUUM. The pilot will focus on combining employers into a larger employer units to help promote ride-sharing among that industry group.

CAR SHARE AND BIKE SHARE

Constrained spaces, limited parking, and the high cost of car ownership foster car sharing in urban areas. Bike sharing was established as a means for traveling the last mile between urban rail systems and a final destination. The concepts no longer seem radical and these modes have spread to many suburban locations.

Car sharing reduces the number of vehicles owned and subsequently the vehicle miles traveled because it requires that we think twice before getting in the car (renting versus having a vehicle sitting outside your front door). One barrier to using public transit to work is that many people use their lunch hours for completing errands or need to go to a doctor appointment in the middle of the day. Car sharing provides a convenient and affordable substitution to driving your own car. Bicycle sharing can offer the same convenience, particularly for shorter trips.

CAR SHARE, BIKE SHARE, AND CARPOOL PROGRAMS CAN PROVIDE CONVENIENT ALTERNATIVES FOR COMMUTING AND OTHER TRAVEL NEEDS .

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Active transportation consists of any form of non-motorized travel, principally biking and walking. In addition to congestion-mitigating benefits, concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and the general health of our communities are stimulating interest in active transportation solutions. Policies and models for active transportation infrastructure, including the first statewide Active Transportation Plan— Towards an Active California (2017)—are changing the transportation planning environment and renewing the commitment towards walking and biking as a solution to some transportation issues. Building and maintaining active transportation infrastructure can be significantly less costly than highways and roads, while providing sustainable transportation solutions, making these types of investments very appealing.

NVTA adopted the first countywide Pedestrian Plan in 2016, and completed an update to the countywide Bicycle Plan in 2019. These plans combined create a comprehensive framework to build out and improve the active transportation network in all jurisdictions. Both plans meet the requirements of the California Active Transportation Program (ATP), the primary grant funding source for active transportation infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects and programs in the state.

IN NAPA COUNTY, OVER 60 PERCENT OF TRIPS ARE FIVE MILES OR LESS,11 WHICH DEMONSTRATES AN OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THE BICYCLING AND WALKING MODE SHARES. New data from the Travel Behavior Study allowed us to better answer questions left unanswered in the previous TBS. Home and work location information allowed the study to determine that 106,000 work trips start or end within Napa County on an average work day and that roughly half of total work trips are from residents who live and work within Napa County. Trip length information allowed the study to determine that 31 percent of Napa County trips are less than two miles in length and 63 percent are less than five miles in length, representing trips that could shift to active modes of travel, indicating places that further alternative transportation investments may be warranted.

Traffic congestion caused by inter-county commuters is likely to get worse over the next 25 years as housing prices in Napa are expected to remain high and much of the job growth projected for Napa County is expected to be low-wage jobs, especially in the faster growing agricultural, hospitality, and retail segments. Development of additional affordable housing for Napa’s workforce could have a significant impact on traffic congestion. While the current COVID-19 pandemic poses a challenge to employ the full potential of these strategies even a small shift from driving to transit, carpool, or active transportation modes could make a significant difference. V-commute will play an important role in incentivizing people to undertake one of these travel demand strategies.