City staff on March 18 briefed the Bothell City Council on a draft update to the city’s Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) plan, which sets targets and strategies to reduce single-occupancy vehicle commuting.

The briefing explained why the plan is being updated and laid out three proposed goals: respond to changed commute patterns since the COVID-19 pandemic, develop new strategies for CTR-affected employers to increase non-drive-alone travel, and set a citywide target to increase non-drive-alone trips by 15.5 percent. "The goal of the previous CTR plan was to increase non drive alone trips by 7%," said Sherman Comb, transportation planner, during the presentation. Staff described three options for setting a drive-alone-rate goal: adopt the statewide 60 percent target, retain the draft 67 percent drive-alone rate selected for Bothell, or choose and justify a local target.

The draft plan was developed in coordination with Community Transit, which acts as Bothell’s CTR administrator, and received preliminary approvals from Community Transit, the Puget Sound Regional Council, WSDOT and the state TDM committee, Comb said. Steve Morikawa, deputy director of public works, told the council the plan update also reflects a larger regional template Community Transit helped prepare.

Councilmembers asked about the effects of COVID on commute patterns and how local trends compare with regional corridors such as I-5. Comb said telecommuting drove a large drop in drive-alone trips during the pandemic and that commute levels are climbing again as some employers bring staff back to offices. "In Bothell itself, our numbers are still probably lower than we've seen before," Comb said.

Staff outlined next steps: complete a SEPA checklist, hold a public hearing on April 1 to meet Washington Administrative Code requirements, and return to council with three consent items needed for final adoption — an ordinance to adopt the CTR plan, municipal code revisions tied to the plan, and a resolution approving an interlocal agreement with Community Transit to continue administering the program. No council action was requested at the March 18 meeting.

Why it matters: the CTR plan is a state-recognized tool to encourage employers and commuters to use alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles (transit, carpooling, vanpooling, biking, walking, telecommuting). Community Transit administers the program for Bothell and other Snohomish County cities and provides training and monitoring for employer employee transportation coordinators.

What’s next: staff will return to council for the April 1 public hearing and later for formal adoption items. Community Transit will continue employer outreach and monitoring pending council action.