Local governments play a crucial role in implementing policies to reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), an essential measure of traffic volume and greenhouse gas emissions. As urban areas continue to grow, so does the demand for transportation, leading to increased VMT and its associated challenges: congestion, air pollution, noise pollution, and climate change.
Reducing VMT is not merely about curbing individual travel but reshaping how communities are designed and connected. Policies for compact, mixed-use development can create walkable neighborhoods, reduce travel distances, and decrease reliance on personal vehicles. Well-integrated public transit systems and dedicated bike lanes can offer viable alternatives to driving, further diminishing VMT.
Moreover, fewer vehicle miles translate to improved air quality. Vehicle emissions are a significant source of pollutants, contributing to health issues like respiratory diseases and climate change. Thus, reducing VMT has direct health and environmental benefits.
Implementing policies such as congestion pricing, carpooling incentives, and telecommuting options also encourage behavioral shifts towards more sustainable commuting practices. Local governments' actions to lower VMT can result in more livable, equitable, and sustainable communities, enhancing overall quality of life.
Importantly, local policies that curtail VMT can also foster economic benefits. Reduced congestion increases productivity, and improved air quality can lower health costs. Investments in public transit and infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians can stimulate local economies while creating healthier and more connected communities.
In essence, local governments implementing policies to reduce VMT can yield far-reaching benefits. Through promoting sustainable transportation and land use patterns, they can improve public health, fight climate change, and create more livable and economically vibrant communities.
Below are key strategies for reducing community-wide VMT with successful examples for each.
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Example 1:
Implement a network of Mobility Hubs to support multi-modal transportation and development, creating hubs appropriate for neighborhoods, urban centers, and outer-region areas.Example 2:
Establish a comprehensive regional multi-modal plan focused on high-demand corridors, place-making, integrated mobility-hubs, and mobility innovations.Example 3:
Introduce a "Fare-Capping" equity-based incentive to frequent transit use. See City of Portland example. -
Example 1:
Mitigate roadway expansion impacts and improve non-vehicle mobility through “Cap and Stitch” strategies to reconnect communities and improve mobility options: See Downtown Austin Alliance example.Example 2:
Cook County's opposition to widening of interstate freeways lead to a redirect of funds to upgrade public transportation and support sustainable and equitable modes of transport.Example 3:
Remove freeways in favor of focusing on pedestrian streets and alternative mobility options. -
Example 1:
Promote and support employers in establishing hybrid work environments. See City of San Francisco Telework Toolkit.Example 2:
Establish an employee telecommuting policy.Example 3:
Improve work-from-home infrastructure through a Digital Equity Strategy and Action Plan. -
Example 1:
Promote and support employers in establishing policies for flexible work arrangements. See City of San our-day work week. Francisco’s Flexible Work Arrangement Implementation Guide.Example 2:
Establish a policy for government operations to transition to a four-day work week.Example 3:
Establish free assistance for employers providing compressed work week options for employees. -
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Collaborate with state, regional, and local government partners to establish a Central Business District Congestion Pricing program.Example 2:
Conduct a municipal congestion pricing study.Example 3:
Implement pricing options to support equity in mobility. -
Example 1:
Establish a variable-rate gas taxes to maintain appropriate revenue generation while incentivizing reduced VMT.Example 2:
Tax miles traveled instead of gasoline, placing the focus of the tax on incentivizing reduced VMT and increased alternative mobility. -
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Re-imagine and redesign the community’s bus system to increase frequency and service to more community members.Example 2:
Redesign the bus network to create better connections across the region.Example 3:
Establish a roadmap to achieve specific service increase goals. -
Example 1:
Implement and support transit safety best practices.Example 2:
Implement and promote a campaign to promote safety on bus and light rail services, emphasizing passenger etiquette, reporting suspicious activity, and being aware of surroundings while using public transportation.Example 3:
Implement and support a public transit "Vision Zero" plan. -
Example 1:
Implement a range of improvements within “Bus Priority Zones” to improve public transit efficiency and experience.Example 2:
Establish rapid bus transit connecting outlying metro communities with city center.Example 3:
Implement a transit-only lane enforcement policy and program. -
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Establish an E-Ride rebate program.Example 2:
Create a voucher instant rebate supporting eBikes and cargo eBikes.Example 3:
Support local eBike retailers. -
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Connect major regional employment centers with ABRT networks.Example 2:
Establish interurban partnerships to establish ABRT networks between regional communities.Example 3:
Establish bus rapid transit lines to connect the region’s low income neighborhoods with employment centers and daily needs. -
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Establish a metro bikeshare program.Example 2:
Establish a bikeshare collaboration between multiple communities within the region.Example 3:
Collaborate with local corporations to establish a corporate sponsorship to increase bikeshare coverage. -
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Establish an inter-city bus network to increase rural jobs access.Example 2:
Establish a regional Rural-Urban Connections Strategy to guide transit and transportation development.Example 3:
Establish a county-wide community action rural transit system. -
Example 1:
Increase support for alternative modes of transportation for commuters through a Commuters Benefit Ordinance. Support employers in establishing a Commuters Benefit Program.Example 2:
Establish a “transportation wallet” program to incentivize alternative mobility.Example 3:
Establish an income qualified cash incentive for households that choose not to have a vehicle. -
Example 1:
Support and expand bicycle commuter programs through establishing a Bicycle Parking in Existing Buildings Ordinance.Example 2:
Establish a parking cashout law providing cash incentive for commuters to choose public transit and other alternatives.Example 3:
Establish a community-wide challenge program to promote alternative transportation options.Example 4:
Establish a Commute Trip Reduction Ordinance requiring employers to provide information on alternative commute options and recognizing employers achieving outstanding commute reduction among staff.Example 5:
Establish an ordinance requiring employer Worksite Transportation Plans and Emission Reduction Plans including site specific average commuter vehicle occupancy rate (AVR) targets.