Commute Trip Reduction

Washington's Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Law, enacted in 1991, encourages eco-friendly commuting options like public transit, carpooling, biking, walking, and telecommuting. As a CTR-affected jurisdiction, the City of Mercer Island has adopted a local CTR program, defined in its Municipal Code, that sets guidelines for participating employers. These guidelines set the minimums for how employers complete their 'good faith effort' and satisfy compliance with the law.

How does commute trip reduction work?

The State Commute Trip Reduction Law affects worksites with 100 or more full-time employees who begin their shift between 6 and 9 a.m. on weekdays in the nine most populous counties in the state. Worksites develop and manage their own programs based on:

• Transportation demand management strategies identified as having the greatest effect for their employees.
• Locally adopted goals for reducing vehicle trips and miles traveled.

Worksites conduct commute trip reduction surveys every other year to measure vehicle miles traveled and the mode choices of their employees. WSDOT and jurisdictions use these survey results to report on collective progress toward drive-alone and vehicle miles traveled reduction targets.