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City report shows mixed results from employer-targeted commute programs; council presses for more data
Summary
The City's 2024 Transportation Demand Management report covering 82 properties found varied progress: some properties met reduced single-occupancy-vehicle targets while others fell short, often because of lower transit mode share. Councilors sought clearer percentages, city-worker commute data and shuttle-use figures; staff said follow-up with noncompliant properties will be required.
City staff presented the 2024 Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program report, which monitors commute patterns at 82 properties covering roughly 37,000 employees and parking spaces. The report found that some participating properties were close to or met their single-occupancy-vehicle (SOV) targets, while others were far off.
Ryan McKinnon, the PTDM planner, told the council that responses ranged widely: "Of the 9 projects, some of them were very close to meeting their goals, and some of them were quite far from meeting their goals." For those that fell short, staff said they would work with property owners to implement additional TDM measures; for those near target, staff may monitor for improvement.
Councilors asked for more granular data: specific percentage shortfalls per property, results for city employees and details on how many commuters used private or public shuttles. Councilor Nolan pressed to understand whether missed targets reflected minor slippages (e.g., from 10% to 12%) or much larger gaps; staff noted some properties saw transit mode share declines of 9 percentage points or more.
Councilors and staff discussed the MBTA bus network redesign and other regional transit improvements as crucial to helping employers reduce SOV trips. Staff also noted that remote work remains a key factor reducing commute trips overall.
What happens next: Staff will provide further breakdowns and follow up with properties that missed targets to require implementation of additional measures and to report back to council.
