Developing a TDM Program for the City of Carlsbad in California

Steer worked in partnership with the SANDAG to develop a TDM Program for the City of Carlsbad as a key strategy in meeting its Climate Action Plan (CAP) targets. The program, which includes the development of an ordinance, will also serve to mitigate the increased demand on the transportation network as a result of continued economic growth and promote more sustainable travel options for employees, residents, and visitors. The ordinance will also formalize the city’s development planning process as it relates supportive infrastructure requirements for new developments and the sustained implementation and monitoring of the program after occupation.

How we helped

The work was divided into two phases over the course of 18 months. The first phase involved developing and conducting a series of TDM training workshops for City staff. Steer assisted the City of Carlsbad by developing a customized commuter program, which outlines the multi-modal services and amenities that will be available to city staff.

In the second phase of the project, Steer developed the language and guidelines for the city’s TDM Ordinance and voluntary business program. The ordinance will be a city-wide policy which lays out the basic requirements for developers and businesses to build or operate within the city, respectively, while still allowing for flexibility in which TDM strategies are implemented at each worksite. An implementation handbook and templates were created to explain the process and help businesses with compliance during the first few years following adoption. In addition, Steer led the development of a free web tool that allows businesses to explore the best TDM strategies for their worksites by filtering based on various criteria (CarlsbadTDM.com).