83R10696 MCK-D
By: Watson S.B. No. 1273
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to creating a commuter trip reduction pilot program for
the Texas Department of Transportation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,
is amended by adding Section 201.407 to read as follows:
Sec. 201.407. COMMUTER TRIP REDUCTION PILOT PROGRAM. (a)
The department shall develop a commuter trip reduction pilot
program for selected department offices in Austin to reduce the
number of single-occupant vehicle commuter trips made by department
employees.
(b) The director shall appoint a commuter trip reduction
pilot program committee to develop and oversee the pilot program
and a commuter trip reduction coordinator to serve as the presiding
officer of the committee.
(c) In developing the pilot program, the committee shall:
(1) consider as a model the state of Washington's Joint
Comprehensive Commute Trip Reduction Plan;
(2) meet with the department management team during
the planning stage to identify potential challenges and
opportunities;
(3) consider whether the pilot program will have
mandatory trip reduction goals or voluntary trip reduction goals
and whether the goals will be measured agency-wide or by
department, division, or work group; and
(4) estimate the potential direct and indirect costs
to implement the pilot program and identify money and other
resources to support the pilot program.
(d) Before implementing the pilot program, the committee
must survey department employees in the offices participating in
the pilot program to obtain baseline data regarding the employees'
commuting habits. The committee must obtain responses from at
least three-fourths of the employees in the participating offices.
The committee shall use the data obtained to measure any reduction
in single-occupant vehicle commuter trips made by department
employees during the pilot program.
(e) The program must include strategies designed to reduce
the number of single-occupant vehicle commuter trips made by
department employees, including:
(1) flexible work hours;
(2) telecommuting;
(3) mass transit incentives;
(4) ridesharing;
(5) bicycle commuting; and
(6) an emergency ride home program.
(f) To promote the pilot program the committee shall:
(1) introduce the pilot program with an official
announcement that includes presentations by high-level state
officials;
(2) communicate with department employees about
commuting options using information displays, e-mail, flyers and
posters, the department's intranet, and presentations to work
groups and management teams, including new employee orientations;
(3) meet regularly with department heads to address
issues regarding employee commuting; and
(4) establish a ridesharing program to match employees
who work the same hours and live near each other.
(g) Not later than December 1, 2014, the department shall
report the results of the pilot program to the legislature and make
recommendations for abolishing, continuing, or expanding the
program. The report must:
(1) compare the number of single-occupant vehicle
commuter trips and number of vehicle miles traveled by department
employees before and after implementation of the pilot program;
(2) include the percentage reduction of
single-occupant vehicle commuter trips made by department
employees and the vehicle miles traveled during the pilot program;
(3) evaluate the effects of the pilot program on
traffic congestion;
(4) review the benefits of a mandatory commuter trip
reduction program in comparison to a voluntary program;
(5) include a cost-benefit analysis of the pilot
program, considering direct and indirect fiscal impacts; and
(6) include any other information the department
determines is relevant to evaluate the pilot program.
(h) This section expires September 1, 2015.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.