Clark County councilors review 2025–2029 commute trip reduction plan ahead of June consent vote

Staff presented Clark County’s draft Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) plan for 2025–2029 during a work session on May 14, 2025, and said the county expects the plan to go on the council’s consent agenda for approval on June 3, 2025, with the plan effective July 1, 2025.

Mike Salas, a community planning staff member, told councilors the CTR update is a state-required plan produced every four years and covers the period from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2029. “What we heard to talk about is the commute reduction plan update. This is an update that was, it happens every 4 years,” Salas said.

The plan sets program performance targets, proposed services and strategies, and an engagement record. Staff said the City of Vancouver implements the CTR program for affected jurisdictions in the southwest Washington region and that the plan’s primary performance goal is a weighted average drive‑alone rate of 60% or less for CTR‑effective worksites. Olivia Khan, a City of Vancouver staff member on the project team, said the region’s current weighted average is about 65% and described the goal as “ambitious yet real.”

Why it matters: CTR is a state law (first adopted in 1991 and updated in 2007) that aims to reduce traffic congestion, air pollution and fuel consumption by shifting employee commutes at large worksites (those with 100 or more employees) to other modes. Staff emphasized that the plan is intended to reduce vehicle miles traveled and support land‑use and transit coordination.

Services and strategies: Khan said the plan relies on education, employer outreach, incentives and subsidies to make alternatives — transit, biking, walking, carpooling or remote work — more affordable and visible to employees. The plan also identifies transportation demand management measures, including parking pricing and infrastructure investments (for example, protected bike lanes), as factors that influence mode choice.

Staff discussed alignment with local and regional plans, including the Clark County comprehensive growth management plan update, the 2024 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, the county Transportation Improvement Program, and transit agency plans such as C‑TRAN’s long‑range plans and TriMet planning efforts. Khan said new transit service — notably C‑TRAN’s planned BRT corridor on Highway 99 (referred to in the meeting as “the vine on 99”) — is expected to increase transit capacity and make transit trips more viable for many workers, including those traveling to Washington State University and medical facilities around Salmon Creek.

Engagement and measurement: The project team described an outreach program conducted from April to August 2024 that included a regional commute survey (about 250 responses in English and Spanish), one‑on‑one conversations with affected employers (those with 100+ employees), roundtable discussions with employee transportation coordinators, partner interviews, and tabling at community events (for example, National Night Out and the Vancouver Farmers Market). Khan said many employees reported they do not know what transportation options are available and that employers said they need more support to offer commuter benefits.

Monitoring and comparison: Staff explained that affected employers administer an employee commute survey every two years and complete a worksite program report that documents facility amenities and benefits offered. Those data allow staff to compute mode splits at worksites and to compare program offerings and performance with other jurisdictions statewide.

Councilor questions and staff responses: Councilor Little asked how the CTR targets align with newer state climate goals; staff replied the state’s climate and growth management policy updates influenced the 60% drive‑alone target but noted the CTR program’s direct influence is limited to affected worksites. Councilor Fuentes asked why only Clark County and the cities of Vancouver, Camas and Washougal are designated as affected jurisdictions; staff said the law’s affected‑jurisdiction designation is population‑ and congestion‑based and that a statewide WSDOT analysis (last updated in 2007) determines which jurisdictions qualify. Councilor Young asked whether emerging technologies such as autonomous vehicles were being considered; staff said the plan is updated every four years and that the process allows future updates to address new technology as it affects travel behavior.

Next steps and implementation: Staff asked councilors to consider approving the plan on the June 3 consent agenda so the plan can be implemented on July 1, 2025. No formal vote occurred during the work session.

Provenance: The presentation and Q&A discussing the plan, targets, engagement and next steps occurred during the council’s May 14 work session on the CTR plan.