Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Week, which takes place September 18-22, 2023, and is sponsored by the Association for Commuter Transportation, was designed to create awareness among elected officials, state departments of transportation, and government, transit and planning agencies, of the importance of investing in safe, reliable and eco-friendly modes of transportation for all commuters.
TDM Week also encourages employers to normalize active and shared transportation principles and programs within their organizational culture, providing incentives and benefits to help reduce the carbon footprint of their employees’ commutes.
At the BTC quarterly meeting this week, we challenged attendees to think differently about TDM, which sounds like the word “tedium” when spoken as an acronym. We reframed TDM to mean “trips [that] do more” or “time does matter” to clarify how active and shared mobility can provide not only personal benefits such as exercise and connection, but also increase the efficiency of entire transportation systems. Approaches to demand management around the world are expanding beyond the reduction of single-occupant vehicle trips into the development of more safe, comfortable, and efficient land use and transportation systems that increase accessibility and productivity for all.
In Colorado, the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), and its Colorado Clean Commute Program are rewarding employers that provide access to active and shared transportation modes for their workforce with up to $125,000 in tax credits. HB22-1026, the Alternative Transportation Tax Credit, is new for tax years 2023 and 2024. It will reimburse organizations that qualify for up to 50 percent of the cost of making active and shared modes available to their workers. To see if your organization qualifies for these tax credits, use the free assessment tool found online.
“TDM Week gives programs like Way to Go the opportunity to educate employers on the value of supporting their workers in embracing non-solo driving commutes to ease traffic and improve air quality,” said Nisha Mokshagundam, Way to Go Program Manager. “The Alternative Transportation Options Tax Credit offers businesses an additional incentive to invest in transportation benefits and offer employees the flexibility to take advantage of them. Our experience has shown that companies that provide alternative transportation options have less turnover, boost morale, and show increased productivity. It’s a win-win.”
To find out more about TDM Week, please visit the website. For more about Colorado Clean Commute, please visit the Way to Go website.