HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08171993 - TC.3 TC.3
Contra
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
!_ Costa
FROM: TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE Coufty
DATE: August 9 , 1993
SUBJECT: Annual TDM Report for Pleasant Hill BART Station Area
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATIONS) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Accept the Annual Report of the Pleasant Hill BART. Station
Area Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program.
2 . Request the Contra Costa Centre Association to include in
their 1994 - . annual report to the Board of Supervisors
strategies to increase the use of transit and other
alternatives to driving alone beyond the current level of
performance.
FISCAL IMPACT
None to County general funds. The Pleasant Hill BART Station Area
TDM Program is funded by developer fees.
BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
Since 1986, the County has administered a Transportation Demand
Management (TDM) Ordinance for the Pleasant Hill BART Station Area,
which is intended to encourage the use of alternative modes of
transportation by employees in order to mitigate the traffic
impacts resulting from the develoment of the area. The ordinance
_ requires submittal of an annual report to the County, including an
—1 employee transportation survey. The Contra Costa Centre
Association was formed to allow area developers to jointly plan and
carry out a TDM program. The annual report for 1993 indicates that
`INUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR X RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S) : (�om Power Gayle Bishop
ACTION OF BOARD ON APPROVED" AS RECOMMENDED ,{ OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A
UNANIMOUS (ABSENT TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN
AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
Orig Dept: Community Development ATTESTED 3
Contact: Ernest Vovakis, 646-2131 PHIL BATCHELOR, LERK F
cc: Contra Costa Centre Association THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
(via CDD) AND COUN Y DMINISTRATOR
Jim Kennedy, Redev. Agency BY , DEPUTY
Annual Report for Pleasant Hill BART
August 9, 1993
Page 2
use of commute alternatives has stablized over the past three years, while the
employment population of the area has increased from about 2 , 000 employees to
2, 800. The commute mode of station area employees between 1991 and 1992 is
summarized as follows:
Mode 1991 1992 1993
Drive Alone 70% 73% 71
Carpool 13% 11% 10%
Transit 11% 11% 8%
Vanpool 4% 2% 3%
Walk/Bicycle/
Other 2% 4% 8%
These results equal an "average vehicle ridership" or AVR of 1.21, which exceeds
the County's 1993 objective of 1. 15 and the Bay Area Air Quality District's 1. 10
performance objective for 1993 . The Air District's Trip Reduction 'Rule comes
into effect on July 1, 1994 in Contra Costa County. The AVR standard under the
Air District rule increases by . 05 each year, reaching 1. 35 in the year 1998.
Thus; while the Pleasant Hill BART station area continues to outperform much of
the Bay Area in the use of commute alternatives, within two years this rate must
improve to continue meeting the Air District standards.
The average commute distance was 16. 1 miles, a drop from last year's 17.5 miles.
The overall response rate to this year's survey was an excellent 70%, ranging
from 43% to 100% for individual buildings. During the past year, the Centre
Association initiated a noontime shuttle program, which eliminates the need for
a car for lunchtime errands by employees. A guaranteed ride home program has
also been instrumental in relieving concerns among carpoolers and vanpoolers
about getting home in an emergency. Additional information on the Annual Report
and survey results appear in Exhibit A.
In reviewing the Annual Report, the Transportation Committee was concerned that
the performance of the Pleasant Hill BART Station Area has stabilized over the
past three years. The Committee believes that new measures should be considered
for improving the "average vehicle ridership" of this area and recommends that
the Contra Costa Centre Association evaluate innovative measures during the next
year , and include recommendations to the Board of Supervisors in their 1994
Annual Report.
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1992
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CONTRA COSTA CENTRE
TRANSPORTATION SURVEY
JULY, 1993
RIDES for Bay Area Commuters, Inc.
60 Spear St., Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94105-1512
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Executive Summary
Results of the survey are based on questionnaires completed by 70% of the
employees (1,986 out of 2,837) at Contra Costa Centre. Last year the response rate
was 67%.
The percentage of people who drive alone decreased from 73% to 71%. Transit
ridership fell from 11% to 8%, and the percentage of carpoolers and vanpoolers
stayed approximately the same.
Nearly one-third of the Centre's workforce live within five miles of the Centre. The
average one-way commute distance is 16.1 miles; in 1991 and 1992 it was 17.5 miles.
The drive-alone rate is highest among commuters who live from 6-10 miles from the
Centre, lowest among commuters who live more than 40 miles away.
The drive-alone rate at different buildings ranges from a high of 87.0% at Station
Plaza, to a low of 45.8% at Embassy Suites.
More than two-thirds of Contra Costa Centre employees (67.8%) live within the
county.
Ninety-two percent of the Centre employees arrive at work during the BAAQMD
peak period of 6:00 a.m. -10:00 a.m.
The Average Vehicle Ridership (AVR) at Contra Costa Centre is 1.21, placing it
ahead of the 1993 County goal of 1.15. The Vehicle-Employee Ratio (VER) is .82,
which surpasses the 1993 goal of .87.
Ninety percent of the solo drivers said they would be willing to consider a commute
alternative one or more days per week.
"Irregular hours" was the most common factor in choosing a commute mode among
solo drivers.
About 37% of the commuters had heard of the Guaranteed Ride Home Program, a
decrease of 3% from 1992.
i
Table of Contents
Background...................................................................................................................1
Methodology .........................................................................2
CommuteMode...........................................................................................................2
Commute Mode over Time.......................................................................................4
CommuteDistance......................................................................................................5
Commute Mode by Building....................................................................................7
County of Residence.......................................... 8
.........................................................
ArrivalTime.................................................................................................................8
WorkSchedule........................................................................................................ . .9
AlternativeFuels..........................................................................................................10
Tripto Transit...............................................................................................................10
Tripto Carpool/Vanpool..........................................................................................11
Disincentives to Ridesharing.....................................................................................11
CommuteAlternative.................................................................................................12
Average Vehicle Ridership and Vehicle Employee Ratio..................................14
Conclusions and Recommendations.......................................................................14
a
Contra Costa Centre
1993 Employee Transportation Survey
Background
Contra Costa Centre is a multi-tenant complex located at the Pleasant Hill
BART station in Contra Costa County. Since 1986, the Centre has been subject
to a special Transportation System Management (TSM) ordinance which
requires the Centre to promote ridesharing as an alternative to driving alone
to work.
Last fall, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD),
responding to the California Clean Air Plan, finalized a rule concerning trip
reduction. This rule, formally titled Regulation 13, Rule 1, affects all
companies with more than 100 employees, but does not discuss multi-tenant
complexes such as Contra Costa Centre. The rule actually takes effect in July,
1994 for areas currently subject to a local Trip Reduction Ordinance, but most
employers who conduct annual employee transportation surveys, including
those at the Centre, are anticipating the Rule and constructing their
questionnaires to address the issues of importance to the BAAQMD.
The nine buildings at the Centre coordinate their trip reduction efforts
through the Contra Costa Centre Association (CCCA). In addition to
promotional events and other ETC responsibilities, the CCCA conducts the
annual transportation survey mandated by the TSM ordinance.
RIDES has been analyzing the Centre's survey results since 1990, during
which time the Centre has grown from 1,570 employees to 2,837 employees in
nine buildings. Ultimately, the Centre will have 8,000 employees in eleven
buildings. The nine current buildings are:
Urban West Communities* 469 employees
Bank of the West 524 employees
Station Plaza 171 employees
Embassy Suites Hotel 120 employees
Pactel Corporate Plaza 296 employees
3000 Oak 201 employees
Pacific Plaza 634 employees
Western Financial Savings Plaza 122 employees
Citibank 300 employees
Total 2,837 employees
*Includes Foster/Ousley/Connley, a major employer
1
Methodology
Surveys were distributed to all employees at Contra Costa Centre in late
April, 1993. When the BAAQMD Rule takes effect it will require a response
rate of at least 60%. This year, 1,986 of the 2,837 employees responded,
meaning that the response rate was 70%. This fulfills the BAAQMD
requirement, and is an improvement over the previous year's response rates
(67% in 1992, 43% in 1991, and 371/6 in 1990). Such a high response rate is
testament to the efforts of the Employee Transportation Coordinator. It not
only ensures an accurate assessment of Centre employees' commuting
behavior, but it improves the AVR and VER because non-respondents below
60% are counted as solo drivers. These calculations will be discussed later in
the report. The table below shows the response rate at each building.
umbe Number Resl2onse Percent
of Employees of Surveys Rate of Surveys
Bank of the West 524 442 84.4% 22.3%
Pactel Corporate Plaza 296 150 50.6% 7.6%
Embassy Suites Hotel 124 124 100.0% 6.2%
Urban West Communities 469 404 86.1% 20.3%
Pacific Plaza 630 269 42.7% 13.5%
3000 Oak 201 173 86.1% 8.7%
Station Plaza 171 164 95.9% 8.3%
Western Financial Savings 122 81 66.4% 4.1%
Citibank 300 179 59.7% 17.3%
, Total 2,837 1,986 70.0% 100%
For the second year in a row, Pacific Plaza, the largest building, had a low
survey response rate. In contrast, Embassy Suites, one of the smallest
buildings, had a 100% response rate. To account for these discrepancies, the
overall data is weighted so that each building has a response proportional to
its size. The responses of the Pacific Plaza tenants are weighted more heavily,
while the responses from Embassy Suites are weighted less heavily, and so on.
This allows the Centre as a whole to be evaluated fairly. The data is not
skewed by the survey response rate and it reflects employer size accurately.
Commute Mode
This year's questionnaire asked the commute mode question differently than
in previous years. From 1986 through 1992, employees were simply asked
how they normally got to work. The earlier method was based on the
assumption that solo drivers who occasionally carpooled and carpoolers who
occasionally drove alone would cancel each other out. Striving for greater
accuracy, the BAAQMD survey asks respondents how they got to work each
2
day of a specific survey week. The 1993 CCCA survey follows their format.
Commuters are also given a wider variety of specific commute mode options,
including compressed work days off, other time off (vacation, sick, etc.) and
working at another site.
The latter option is important. The BAAQMD is concerned with the number
of employee trips to the worksite. In essence, it asks, "Of all the people
working at a specific site, how many drove alone, carpooled, etc.?"
Accordingly, workers who said they traveled to another site are dropped out
of the calculations entirely: employers neither get credit nor are penalized for
the commute mode these employees use.
Naturally, the changes in methodology affect the response. To obtain one set
of data, the five days of the week were averaged. The total figures in the first
column indicate the commute modes on a typical day at Contra Costa Centre.
Commute Mode - 1993
Average Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Drive alone 70.5% 72.5% 70.4% 69.8% 70.4% 69.2%
Carpool 10.1% 9.8% 10.1% 10.3% 9.9% 10.5%
Public transit 8.1% 7.2% 8.1% 8.5% 8.5% 8.2%
Time off 3.1% 3.0% 2.9% 2.7% 2.9% 3.8%
Vanpool 2.6% 2.4% 2.7% 2.6% 2.7% 2.3%
Other 2.0% 1.9% 2.1% 2.0% 2.3% 1.9%
Walk 1.9% 1.6% 1.9% 2.3% 1.7% 1.9%
Bicycle 1.0% 0.9% 1.0% 1.0% 0.9% 1.1%
Motorcycle 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5%
Buspool 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.2%
Taxi 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1%
Compressed Day 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1%
Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
The BAAQMD suggests that motorcyclists be counted as solo drivers, so the
drive-alone rate at the Centre is 71%. This is an improvement over last year's
drive-alone rate.
The percentage of commuters who drive alone to the Centre is lower than that
of other East Bay residents. In a survey conducted by RIDES for Bay Area
Commuters in April, 1992', the drive-alone rate among East Bay Residents
Commute Profile '92, An In-depth Look at Commuting in the Bay Area, RIDES for Bay Area
Commuters, July, 1992.
3
was found to be nearly 76%, and the carpool/vanpool rate was 9%.
Approximately 12% of residents used transit to get to work.
Commute Mode over Time
The new methodology and the new commute mode categories make direct
year-to-year comparisons difficult. However, the major mode choices,
driving, carpooling, and transit have remained the same. The population has
stabilized somewhat at the Centre, and the pattern of the last three years is
likely to continue. The 680/24 highway construction project may be having
an impact.
Last year's report speculated that the slight upswing in solo driving was a
temporary aberration, attributable to a combination of factors. The
fundamental elements of the Centre's TSM program had only improved over
the years, and no extraneous event accounted for the change. The 1993 data
suggests that the speculation was correct.
Commute Mode Over Time
Mode 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993
Drive alone 81% 82% 83% 77% 70% 73% 71%
Carpool 10% 13% 10% 10% 13% 11% 10%
Transit 6% 4% 3% 9% 11% 11% 8%
Vanpool — — — — 4% 2% 3%
Walk — 1% 2% 2% 2% 3% 2%
Bicycle — — 1% 1% — 1% 1%
Other 3% — 1% 1% — — 5%
The primary difference between 1993 and the previous years is in the "other"
category. The 5% of commuters are largely comprised of people taking time
off. In past years, respondents were not given credit for these days. It should
be noted that this new category tends to obscure the decrease in carpool and
transit use. Ideally, ridesharing would continue to rise, or at least remain
constant, while the use of compressed work weeks and telecommuting
increased.
4
Most of the carpools going to Contra Costa Centre have two people in them.
Percent of Total
76.7%
80.0%
60.0%--
40.0%-. 19.4%
20.0% 4.0%
0.0%
2 3 4
Number in Carpool
The number of people per vanpool varies more widely, reflecting the
different sizes of vans and that not all the vanpools are filled at all times.
Percent of Total
20.0% 18.5% 18.5%
18.0% 16.6% 16.6%
16.0%
14.0% 11.1% 11.1%
12.0%
10.0% 7.4%
8.0%
6.0%
4.0%
2.0%
0.0%
5 6 7 9 10 11 12
Number in Vanpool
Commute Distance
The average one-way commute distance at Contra Costa Centre is 16.1 miles, a
noticeable drop from the 1991 and 1992 average of 17.5 miles. One possible
explanation is that, as the number of people working at the Centre has leveled
off, the employees are moving closer to the worksite. The higher distance of
the past few years might have been due to new employees who had not yet
changed their home location.
The average commute distance at the Centre is significantly lower than that of
other East Bay residents. In a recent survey% the average one-way commute
•Ibid.
5
among East Bay residents was 18.33 miles, nearly 14% higher than the average
commute at Contra Costa Centre.
Distance to Work (One-Way)
Distance Percent
0-5 miles 32.5%
6-10 miles 16.4%
11-20 miles 21.6%
21-40 miles 23.7%
More than 40 miles am
Total 100%
The biggest changes between 1993 and previous years appear to be among
people who travel fewer than 5 miles and people who travel more than 40
miles.
One-Way Commute Distance Over Time
Distance 12 192 1991 1992 1993
0-5 miles 28% 33% 28% 28% 33%
6-10 miles 21% 16% 19% 16% 16%
11-20 miles 24% 20% 23% 23% 22%
21-40 miles 18% 25% 21% 26% 24%
More than 40 miles 4% 6% 9% 8% 6%
The decrease in the drive-alone rate seems to correspond to the decrease in
average one-way commute distance.
Commute Mode by Distance
One-way distance Drive alone Carpool Vangool Transit Other
0-5 Miles 72.5% 10.4% 0.5% 5.0% 11.6%
6-10 Miles 78.7% 6.4% 1.0% 4.7% 9.2%
11-20 Miles 75.9% 8.6% 2.3% 8.1% 5.1%
21-40 Miles 61.7% 12.5% 5.2% 14.3% 6.3%
More than 40 Miles 50.0% 12.5% 12.5% 17.3% 7.7%
The smallest group of commuters, those who travel more than 40 miles, also
has the lowest drive-alone rate. Commuters at the shorter distances tend to be
solo drivers. The tables demonstrate how difficult it is to formulate trends
when the data shows only incremental changes. The information above
6
suggests that the drive-alone rate should have increased, rather than
decreased, as more commuters move into the distance category with a higher
drive-alone rate. The changes occur within groups, at the margins.
Looking at the incidence of solo driving at different distances in 1993
compared to the last three years shows a familiar, pattern, but significantly
lower drive-alone rates. This is almost certainly attributable to the changes in
the methodology this year.
Drive-Alone Rate
One-wad distance 1990 1911 1992 1993
0-5 Miles 85.3% 77% 79.8% 72.5%
6-10 Miles 91.4% 86% 86.3% 78.7% ,
11-20 Miles 84.5% 78% 78.0% 75.9%
21-40 Miles 60.8% 57% 64.3% 61.7%
More than 40 Miles 48.5% 55% 56.1% 50.0%
Commute Mode by Building
The percentage of commuters driving alone varies from a high of 87% at
Station Plaza, to a low of 45.8% at Embassy Suites. The employees of 3000
Oak continue to have a low drive-alone rate. Except for Station Plaza where it
rose from 81% to 87%, the incidence of solo driving at each building
remained fairly constant from 1992 to 1993.
Commute Mode by Building
Drive alone CarRool Transit Vanpool Other
Centre Average 70.5% 10.1% 8.1% 2.6% 9.7%
Urban West 80.1% 7.8% 3.1% 0.6% 8.4%
Bank of the West 62.9% 15.7% 6.1% 8.1% 7.2%
Station Plaza 87.0% 4.6% 3.7% 0.9% 3.8%
Embassy Suites 45.8% 16.9% 22.9% 3.6% 10.8%
Pactel Corp. Plaza 75.3% 6.6% 9.6% 1.0% 7.5%
3000 Oak 59.1% 12.1% 24.2% 0.8% 3.8%
Pacific Plaza 64.1% 11.2% 9.2% 2.7% 12.8%
Western Financial 84.2% 1.3% 2.6% 3.9% 8.0%
Citibank 78.9% 6.0% 7.0% -- 8.1%
7
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County of Residence
County of residence changed little from 1992. Two-thirds (67.8%) of Contra
Costa Centre employees live in Contra Costa County. A higher percentage of
Centre employees live in Contra Costa County this year, further support for
the lower average commute distance.
The next largest concentration is in Alameda County where 13.6% of the
Centre employees live. The "other" counties include San Joaquin, Stanislaus,
Napa, Sonoma, Sacramento, and Yolo.
A complete list of cities of residence is included in the appendix. .
County of Residence
umbe Percent
Contra Costa 1,278 67.8%
Alameda 256 13.6%
San Francisco 102 5.4%
Solano 94 5.0%
San Mateo 46 2.4%
Santa Clara 41 2.2%
Marin 26 1.4%
Other 42 2.2%
Total 1,885 100%
Arrival Time
Most employees (92.3%) arrive at work in the peak period of 6:00 a.m. to
10:00 a.m. as defined by the BAAQMD. This is a slight decrease from last
year, when 94.9% of the employees arrived during the peak period. The peak
period is important for calculating Average Vehicle Ridership (AVR). Only
employees who begin work during that time period are included in the
calculations. Congestion can be improved by shifting work trips out of the
peak.
The following table shows the arrival times and drive-alone rate at each time
period. It indicates that dropping the people who do not arrive during the
peak period from AVR calculations will have a positive effect.
8
Arrival Time
Arrival Time Percent Drive-alone rate
Before 6:00 a.m. 2.2% 81.6%
6:00-6:59 a.m. 9.8% 60.8%
7:00-7:59 a.m. 32.8% 69.9%
8:00-8:59 a.m. 45.5% 70.3%
9:00-9:59 a.m. 4.2% 80.3%
10:00 a.m. or later 5.5% 77.7%
Work Schedule
Just over 11% of the survey respondents said they work a compressed work
schedule. This is an increase over last year, when 8% of the respondents said
they worked a compressed schedule. There are three common types of
compressed schedules: 9/80, or nine days, eighty hours, with one day off
every two weeks, 4/40, or four days, forty hours, with a day off every week,
and 3/36, or three twelve-hour days each week.
6.0% 5.4%
Percent of People who Work
5.0% Compressed Schedules
4.0% 3.4%
3.0%
2.0% 1.4%
1.0% 0.9%
0.0%
19180' 14140' 13136' Other
It would be interesting to learn more about what the "other" schedules are. It
may be that these people simply work irregular hours (more or less than forty
each week) and consider that an alternative schedule. Few of the respondents
who said they worked another schedule went on to describe it. Compressed
schedules favorably impact AVR, so it is important to gather as much
information as possible about their usage.
Unfortunately, when respondents described their daily commute mode, only
0.5% said they had taken a compressed day off during the survey week.
9
When 3.4% of the employees work a 4/40 week, at least that many should have
gotten credit for omitting a trip to work during the survey week. On future
questionnaires, instructions for these questions should be more explicit.
Alternative Fuels
Like compressed schedules, use of alternative fuels impacts AVR. The
BAAQMD, focusing on air quality, gives credit to employers if the solo
drivers use methanol, compressed natural gas, or electricity to power their
vehicles. At Contra Costa Centre, 3.8% of the employees said they use an
alternative fuel.
Again, however, there is a minor flaw in the questionnaire design. Employees
may have responded that they used an alternative fuel if their cars use diesel
fuel. The BAAQMD does not give AVR credit for diesel fuel as it is not a
"clean" fuel. In addition, more credit is given for electricity than for
methanol, etc. There were compelling reasons for asking this question in a
broad-brush manner this year, but future questionnaires should require
F
respondents to describe which type of alternative fuel they use.
Trip to Transit
Survey respondents who said they used transit to commute were asked how
they got from their homes to the transit stop or station. This question is
important because even transit users can contribute to congestion and air
pollution if they drive to the transit stop. These short trips have a
disproportional impact on air quality, as most pollutants are released when
an engine is started, before the catalytic converter has warmed up.
Among the transit users at the Centre, 41.9% said they carpool to their transit
stop or station. This is a statistic to be proud of. Throughout the Bay Area,
only 3% of transit users carpool to the transit stop`. Twenty-one percent of
Centre transit users said they drive alone to the transit stop, similar to the Bay
Area average of 19.8%. Nearly 13% walk; in the region as a whole the average
is 60.9%. The large percentage of transit users (16.1%) who said they use an
other" mode to get to their transit stop is perplexing. There aren't many
other options than those listed on the questionnaire. One possibility is that
these people use two forms of transit (BART plus, for instance).
Ibid.
10
Mode to-Transit
Mode Percent
Carpool 41.9%
Drive alone 21.0%
Other 16.1%
Walk 12.9%
Shuttle 4.8%
Dropped off/Taxi 3.2%
Total 100%
Trig to CarpooINanpool
Survey respondents who carpool, vanpool or use a club bus were asked how
they got from their homes to the pick-up point. Like the trips to transit, these
trips impact air quality and congestion.
One-thud of the respondents said they walked to the pick-up point. The 9.5%
of carpoolers who said they use an "other" mode to get to the pick-up point
may be picked up at their homes, and so have no trip to the pick-up point.
The use of a shuttle is encouraging.
Mode to Carpool Pick-up Point
Mode percent
Walk 33.3%
Drive alone 21.4%
Shuttle 16.7%
Carpool 14.3%
Other 9.5%
Dropped off/Taxi 4.8%
Total 100%
Disincentives to Ridesharing
Solo drivers were asked what discourages them from carpooling, vanpooling,
or using transit to get to work. In past years, respondents were permitted to
give as many reasons as they liked. This year, they were only asked for the
most important reason. However, the results were nearly identical from year
11
to year. As at most companies throughout the Bay Area, irregular hours were
cited as the primary disincentive to ridesharing.
"Irregular hours" and "Need car for personal use" have been the top two
disincentives to ridesharing at Contra Costa Centre for three years. It is
somewhat frustrating, as there is little left to say about this issue. Further
education and incentives such as a shuttle are the only answers. Even people
with erratic schedules and many errands to run may be able to arrange their
lives so that they can carpool or use transit one or two days each week. The
only other suggestion is to encourage them to use alternative fuels in their
vehicles. Even if they are still contributing to congestion, at least they'll be
polluting less.
F
Disincentives to Ridesharing
Reason Percent
c.
Irregular hours 37.6%
Need car for personal use 14.4%
s
Need car for work 10.9%
Prefer to drive 8.3%
Don't want to depend on others 5.9%
Poor transit service 5.6%
May need car for emergency 5.2%
Need to drop/pick up children 5.2%
Hard to find rideshare partners 4.0%
Hours are too inflexible 3.0%
Commute Alternative
Despite the high percentage of personal reasons for driving alone, 90% of the
solo drivers said they would be willing to consider a commute alternative
one or more days per week. The most popular option was carpooling.
Commute Alternative
Mode Percent
Carpool 45.5%
Transit 18.6%
Bicycle 10.9%
Telecommute 10.4%
Vanpool 9.5%
Walk 5.1%
12
Ridesharing Incentives
Given the strong interest in ridesharing alternatives, the next logical step is to
ask what would get the solo drivers to try an alternative. In this case, as in
previous years, commuters were able to give the three incentives most likely
-�' to entice them out of their cars. The most popular incentive was a guaranteed
ride home. This reflects the concern over irregular hours and the need to get
home in the event of an emergency or unexpected overtime.
Incentives to Rideshare
Incentive Percent
Guaranteed ride home 20.6%
Flexible work schedule 16.7%
Financial subsidies 13.1%
Personal help finding ridesharing partners 10.8%
Transit fare subsidies 8.3%
Awards/prizes for ridesharing 5.9%
Sale of transit passes at work 4.8%
Preferred parking for carpools/vanpools 4.8%
Bicycle lockers/showers at work 4.8%
On-site services (ATM) 3.6%
Personal help with transit information 3.5%
Better pedestrian facilities 1.3%
Allow bicycle at transit 1.3%
Bicycle lockers at transit station 0.7%
The list of incentives is encouraging because many of the incentives are easy
to implement. For instance, Contra Costa Centre already has a Guaranteed
Ride Home program for carpoolers and vanpoolers. All that is needed is
further publicity. Similarly, free personalized assistance in finding
ridesharing partners is just a phone call away. RIDES for Bay Area
Commuters offers this service; solo drivers at the Centre simply need to be
told about it.
_9,
Siliaranteed Ride Home Program
Only 36.7% of the respondents said they were aware of the Guaranteed Ride
Home (GRH) program offered to carpoolers and vanpoolers. This is about
3% lower than last year, which is surprising. Among those who had heard of
the program, nearly one-third learned about it at a transportation fair.
13
Guaranteed Ride Home Program
How Heard Percent
Transportation Fair 31.6%
Newsletter 25.2%
r
Bulletin/fliers 21.0%
Co-worker/TSM coordinator 16.8%
Other 4.8%
Average Vehicle Ridership and Vehicle Employee Ratio
The average vehicle ridership at Contra Costa Centre is 1.21, an increase
(improvement) of .02 over 1992. The BAAQMD target for the Contra Costa
County in 1993 is 1.15, and in 1994, 1.20. If the Centre maintains the current
commute mode split, it is in compliance until 1995.
The BAAQMD also looks at VER, which is simply the reciprocal of AVR. It
must decrease to improve. The Centre's VER is .82, and the 1993 goal is .87, so
the Centre is in compliance. In 1994, the VER goal will be .83, and the Centre
will still meet it. In 1995,the VER target drops to .80, so the Centre will need
to improve the commute mode split by then.
The AVR and VER calculations for the Centre are shown in Appendix 2. All
calculations are based on peak period employee trips, including only those
employees who arrive at work between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Employees who
worked at other sites are not included in the calculations. People who
responded that they took time off, or used an "other" commute mode were
averaged in, so that all the commute mode percentages remained unchanged.
The survey response rate among peak period employees was 68 The 32%
of employees who did not respond were split in half. Sixteen percent were
distributed according to the majority mode split, and the remaining 16% were
assumed to be solo drivers, in accordance with the BAAQMD instructions.
conclusions and Recommendations
Contra Costa Centre seems to be approaching stabilization in the commute
} -mode split. This is fine for the next two years, but improvements at the
` ` margin will be more difficult. The CCCA has taken a number of steps in the
; last year which encouraged ridesharing, and doubtless contributed to the
improved drive-alone rate. These incentives may have longer term
Cepercussions.
April. 1992, the Centre added three new vans. Drivers and riders are
;offered a subsidy which gradually stairsteps down until the vanpoolers are
o_:weaned from it. In addition, there is a Guaranteed Ride Home program for
14
carpoolers and vanpoolers which is a matching grant program funded by
Caltrans. A guaranteed ride home was the-most attractive incentive to solo
drivers, cited by 20.6% as something that would induce them to rideshare. It
also addresses the most commonly cited disincentive to ridesharing, irregular
hours.
For people who said they needed their cars for personal use, (the next most
common ridesharing disincentive), the Centre has a shuttle to local
enterprises. It has three routes, and has been in operation since late
_ November, 1992. This shuttle is run through a contract agreement and
replaces an earlier shuttle managed under different auspices.
For years, RIDES has been remarking on the surprisingly low transit usage at
the Centre. The Pleasant Hill BART station is virtually part of the Centre, and
the area is well served by local transit. In an effort to increase transit use, the
Centre has applied for a matching grant from the 680/24 Interchange funds.
The CCCA intends to use this money for a transit kiosk and funding of the
Commuter CheckTM program.
Finally, the CCCA addressed the needs of commuters with children by
acquiring 48 places in Kids Wonderland, a day-care center near the Pleasant
Hill BART station. Only 5.2% of solo drivers said that the need to drop off or
pick up children was a reason for driving alone, but in a situation like the
Centre's, where the drive-alone rate is already good, every little bit helps.
Contra Costa Centre will be able to improve AVR and VER simply by
improving the questionnaire design. The BAAQMD Rule does not take effect
until 1994, so this year was something of a test run. As noted earlier, survey
respondents seemed to have trouble with the commute mode question and
the compressed work week question. Detailed instructions will help here.
In other instances, the questions themselves need to be more explicit. The
alternative fuel question is one example. While they don't affect AVR and
VER, it would be interesting to find out more about the trips to transit and the
trips to carpool pick-up points. The survey data is compromised when too
many people respond "other" to the questions. Overall, the design of the
questionnaire needs to be improved so that people answer the appropriate
questions. Again, the questionnaire used by the CCCA is one of the first in
the Bay Area to attempt to implement the BAAQMD guidelines, and the
inconsistencies revealed are similar to those discovered with the other
pioneering surveys.
In conclusion, as we say every year, keep up the good work. The Centre
continues to be a model for Bay Area employers in terms of innovative ideas
and professional implementation. 1993-1994 will be a challenging year, as the
Park Regency, a large residential complex, just joined the CCCA. Working
with outbound commuters as well as those coming to the Centre will bring a
new set of issues.
15
E
E
1993 CONTRA COSTA CENTRE COMMUTE SURVEY
Survey due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 30, 1993.
Ajkm: Please print.complete each question on both sides of the survey.
R Name(or employee I.D. Number) First Name Home Zip Code
Division or Dept.
time do you normally start work(check one response)
1. Before 6:00 am 4. 8:00 am-8:59 am
2. 6:00 am-6:59 am 5. 9:00 am-9:59 am
3. 7:00 am-7:59 am 6. 10:00 am or later
many miles is your one-wav commute(home to work)?
did you travel to work each day during the survey week(April 19-23. 1993)? Please write the appropriate letter for each dr
the bakes below. If you used more than one means of transportation during the trip to work,choose the letter which accounL,
`for the greatest distance of your trip. Please do not leave any days blank
1 =Drove alone 6=Motorcycle/Moped 11 =Compressed work week day off
2-Carpool 7=Bicycle 12=Work at homettelecommute
3-Vanpool 8=Walk 13=Report to another work site or work activity
4-Public transit 9=Taxi 14=Other(describe)
3-Club bus/buspool 10=Time off(regular day off,vacation,
sick leave.jury duty)
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
0 0
you used 2 or 3 above(carpool or vanpool),how many people,including the driver and yoursei&are normally in the vehicle?_
Do you normally work a compressed work week? (Check one response)
1. No 3. Yes,3/36 5. Other(describe)
2. Yes.4/40 4. Yes,9/80
Do you commute in a private vehicle that is powered by an alternative fuel(methanol,compressed natural gas,electricity,etc.)?
1. Yes 2. No
1f you commute by public transit(bus.BART,train,light rail,ferry)one or more days per week, how do you normally get from
Yost bme t4 the transit stop or station? (Check one response)
1. Drive alone 5. Walk
2- -- Carpool 6. Motorcycletmoped
3. Shuttle or feeder bus 7. Dropped off/taxi
4• Bicycle 8. Other(describe)
« « « «OVER. « « «
commute by carpool,vanpool.or club bus/buspool one or more days per week. how do you normally get from your
to the pick-up point? (Check one response)
1. Drive Alone 5. Walk
2. Carpool 6. Motorcyclelmoped
3. Shuttle or Feeder bus 7. Dropped off/taxi
4. Bicycle 8. Other(describe)
you drive alone,what is preventing you from sharing a ride or taking the bus? (Check the most important reason)
1. My hours are too irregular 6. Do not like to depend on others
2. My hours am too inflexible 7. Difficult to find others to share a ride
3. Need my car for work 8. [prefer to drive my own car
4. Need my car for personal business 9. Day care needs
3. Cannot get home in an emergency 10. Transit service is not adequate
;Mould you be willing to use any of the following commute alternatives one or more days per week? (Check all that apply)
1. Carpool 4. Bicycle
2. vanpool 5. Walk
3. Transit 6. Telecommute
-t you drive alone to work.which of the following incentives would encourage you to use a commute alternative? (Check the
that ate most important to you)
1. Preferred parking for carpools/vanpools 8. Flexibility of work schedule
2. Sales of transit passes at work 9. Financial subsides for using
3. Personal assistance with finding commute alternatives
r
carpool/vanpool partners 10. _ Better pedestrian facilities
4. Guaranteed ride home in case of 11. _ Bicycle lockers at transit station
G'
emergency 12. _ Bicycle lockers/showers at work
3. Transit fare subsidies 13. _ Allow bicycles on transit
K 6. Awards/prizes for using commute 14. _ On-site services(ATM machine)
alternatives
7. Personal assistance with transit information
The Contra Costa Ceoffers a Guaranteed Ride Home Program to registered carpool and vanpool members,are you aware of
/ ntre this savioe? Yes No If yes,how did you find out about the service?
1. Transportation Faire
2. Newsletter
3. Co-worker or Transportation Coordinator
4. Bulletin notices/fliers
3. Other
-Optional
the se=a below if you would like to enter the Contra Costa Centre Commute Survey Drawing for one of the$50.00 cash
You can also obtain information about ridesharing or vanpooling by completing this form. The information is free and is
ID
COW MY of RES for Bay Area Commuters Inc.
I4ame Last Name
street address
Pie (-) Work phone
an that apply:
Eaux the in the drawing for a$50.00 cash prize
I would like to carpool
----- I have a car available for carpooling
l would like more information about a vanpool
1 would like more information about the Guaranteed Ride Home Program