dc.title: Transportation Demand Policies for Austin, TX dc.description.abstract: Austin's rapid population and economic growth has intensified traffic congestion, with drivers losing an average of 64 hours per year and the region facing an estimated $1.98 billion in annual lost productivity. To meet its 50/50 Mode Split goal by 2039, the City of Austin Transportation and Public Works Department must move beyond infrastructure expansion and embed Transportation Demand Management (TDM) into its core policy framework. This report examines how TDM can be applied to large employers, defined as organizations with more than 50 employees, an underaddressed gap in Austin's current approach.
Drawing on comparative analysis of peer cities including Seattle, Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, and Portland, expert interviews, a commuter survey, and a large employer workshop, the research identifies three core characteristics of effective TDM programs. Successful programs operate as regionally coordinated, partnership-driven systems rather than isolated efforts. They require employer participation while allowing flexibility in implementation. They prioritize verifiable, enforceable commitments over rigid commute outcome targets that are difficult to attribute and measure over time.
Based on these findings, the report recommends a menu-based TDM participation model for large employers, building on point-based compliance frameworks already applied to private-sector developers. To support evidence-based policy selection, the project also delivers a TDM Policy Evaluation Framework that provides a standardized method for prioritizing strategies across weighted criteria aligned with Austin's transportation priorities.