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Guideline S.13: Transportation Impacts Reduction

Intent

To reduce negative land development impacts on energy and to reduce pollution caused by transportation. To reduce automobile dependence, reduce the amount of pavement impacting natural systems, and allow for more ecologically responsive approaches to the site.

Recommended Performance Criteria

  1. Locate the building within 0.25 mile of one or more bus lines OR a light rail/bus station, AND within .25 mile of retail and public services.
  2. Locate project within 0.25 mile of restaurants and service facilities.
  3. Provide means for securing bicycles, with convenient changing/shower facilities for use by cyclists, for 5% or more of building fulltime equivalent (FTE) occupants OR according to local bicycle parking guidelines OR zoning requirements, whichever is more stringent.
  4. Install alternative-fuel refueling or plug-in electric vehicle charging station(s) for 3% of the total vehicle parking capacity of the site.
  5. Limit parking area by sizing parking capacity not to exceed minimum local zoning requirements, encouraging shared parking with adjacent uses, and adding no new parking for rehabilitation projects.
  6. Provide preferred parking for hybrid vehicle owners, carpools, or vanpools capable of serving 5% of the building occupants.
  7. Locate preferred parking, bicycle parking, pick-up areas, and covered waiting spaces within close proximity of the main building entrances, with markings clearly designating these areas.

Operations Policies

  1. Offer work pattern alternatives such as telecommuting and teleconferencing facilities that reduce vehicle and air travel time.
  2. Set a company policy to buy carbon emission offsets for business air travel.
  3. Support mass transit riders by offering free or discounted bus or train passes for those who commit to not driving in at least 3 days per week. Make company cars (preferably alternatively fueled) readily available for daytime business travel for those who do not drive in.
  4. Manage transportation impacts: Track commuting and business travel contributions to pollution impacts and include in annual environmental reporting. Evaluate the effectiveness of transportation policies and facilities and set goals for continual improvement in travel emissions performance.

Implementation in the Design Process:

Perform a transportation survey of future building occupants to identify transportation opportunities and needs. Determine in the survey the number of vehicle trips per square foot of building and equate that to the amount of CO2 produced or that could be “reduced” over a 1-year life cycle through alternative transportation methods. Monitor use.

Seek location accessible to two or more bus lines or a light rail station and within walking distance of retail and public services. Also consider sites that offer the possibility of sharing transportation facilities such as parking lots and refueling stations with neighboring developments.

In Predesign and other early design phases, include dedicated space for transportation amenities such as bicycle racks and showering/changing facilities and alternative-fuel refueling stations in the building and site program.

Through the design process, size parking capacity not to exceed minimum local zoning requirements. Add no new parking for rehabilitation projects. Provide preferred parking for carpools, vanpools, plug-in electric or hybrid vehicles. Design to encourage use by occupants with clearly marked carpool parking, pick-up areas, and covered waiting spaces within close proximity of the building entrance.

Develop specifications and drawings to support bicyclists, pedestrians, and mass transit/carpool members. Design means for securing bicycles, with convenient changing/shower facilities for use by cyclists. Ensure potentially hazardous fueling facilities are separately ventilated or located outdoors. Enhance the design hybrid/carpool/vanpool parking to encourage its use by occupants. Create and conveniently locate plug-in electric charging stations conveniently to encourage its use by occupants.

Predesign:

  • S.13A: Determination if the project site complies with the guideline.
  • S.13B: Determination if the project site complies with the guideline.
  • S.13H: Verification of work pattern alternatives offered.
  • S.13I: Verification of carbon offset policy.
  • S.13J: Verification of free or discounted bus or train travel.
  • S.13K: Verification of policy to track travel pollutants annually.

Design:

  • S.13C: Verification of inclusion of bicycle storage and changing/shower facilities.
  • S.13D: Verification of inclusion of alternative-fuel refueling stations.
  • S.13E: Verification of limitation of parking area.
  • S.13F: Verification of preferred parking for hybrid vehicles, carpools or vanpools.
  • S.13G: Verification of the location of preferred parking, bicycle parking, near building entrances.

Final Design:

  • S.13C: Verification of inclusion of bicycle storage and changing/shower facilities.
  • S.13D: Verification of inclusion of alternative-fuel refueling stations.
  • S.13E: Verification of limitation of parking area.
  • S.13F: Verification of preferred parking for hybrid vehicles, carpools or vanpools.
  • S.13G: Verification of the location of preferred parking, bicycle parking, near building entrances.

Metropolitan Council: www.metrocouncil.org

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