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.