Posts about Cash-outs

Budget

Is the federal transit benefit actually bad?

by Michael Perkins   •   May 18, 2010 2:57 pm

The federal government should discontinue the transit benefit.

Photo by aliciagriffin.

Now that I have your attention, hear me out.

Federal employees in the national capital region get direct transportation up to $230 per month, which they can use to pay for transit or vanpool service. To qualify for the benefit, they have to give up parking privileges.

While this policy encourages transit use and discourages single occupancy vehicle commuting, it does that in a way that encourages Metro and other transit providers to increase fares. The policy also ignores the benefits to society and to employees of shorter commutes, like those on bikes or on foot. Eliminating both the transit and parking benefits and providing employees with flexible funds for transportation would remove these problematic incentives.

When WMATA proposes increasing peak hour fares, many commuters are not affected, because they receive a transit subsidy which covers their whole commute. This reduces the pressure on WMATA to hold down fares for everyone, and encourages a fare policy that attempts to raise peak fares even higher to collect more of this subsidy. Meanwhile, the cost difference between peak rail and bus grows, causing poorer residents to take much longer and less efficient bus routes to save money.

Another example of a transit agency reacting to this policy was when Fairfax Connector raised the fare on their Reston to Pentagon express routes. The $7 one-way fare was over the $230 limit, but what kind of support do you think an increase of 133% would have if most of that change were paid by riders?

The policy encourages long-distance commutes, by making a short bus or rail ride effectively the same cost as an extended ride on MARC or VRE. But those shorter rides don't cost the regional governments the same. Commuter rail infrastructure is expensive, and VRE, for example, is becoming limited in capacity by their railway fleet. Long-distance Metro riders take up space in crowded railcars which could go to people currently being left at stations because the cars are full.

The policy of free, unlimited transit ignores an even cheaper, self propelled mode of transit: walking and cycling. A work colleague lives just two blocks away, and has a five minute commute. Another rides his bike from Alexandria more than one day a week. Yet my commute, from Falls Church, receives more government support, even though theirs is even more energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and healthier.

Parking

DDOT releases TDM recommendations for new development

by David Alpert   •   February 17, 2009 12:33 pm

When any new building appears in the city, its residents, office workers and/or shoppers have to travel to and from the building. The traditional planning approach is to require enough parking so that all of the users could drive there. But that's not the ideal outcome, since our roads can't handle more traffic. Instead, many cities now push for other elements that make it easier for people to travel by other modes. These elements are called Transportation Demand Management strategies.

Photo by nicholi57 on Flickr.

At the Board of Zoning Adjustment hearing for the Whitman-Walker project at 14th and S, DDOT planner Chris Ziemann proposed several TDM strategies, including bicycle parking, car sharing spaces, free initial Zipcar or SmartBike memberships, and free SmarTrip cards for new residents. These come from a September DDOT memo on TDM which I was able to obtain.

These are the TDM strategies DDOT considers when looking at a new project:

• Bicycle parking: One space for each 20 car spaces, locked bicycle storage, and shower facilities for workers. That can include facilities for workers at residential buildings as well as office workers.

• Carpools: Reserved spaces in good locations for carpools and vanpools, and discounts against parking rates in pay garages.

• Parking costs: Ensure that the garage charges market rates for parking. If employees or residents get free parking, allow them to take a payment ("cash-out") for the market value of their space instead.

• Car sharing: Free parking spaces(s) for carsharing vehicles, accessible 24-7 to the public. Also, cover the initiation fee and first year membership fees for initial residents.

• Bike sharing: Allocate space for a SmartBike station, or possibly fund the station entirely.

• SmarTrip: Give new residents and building employees complimentary SmarTrip cards. DDOT suggests $20 for residential tenants and $60 for employees of residential buildings.

• Information: Put links on buildings' Web site to CommuterConnections.com and goDCgo.com. Include signs or brochures in lobby kiosks, information in welcome packets, or bulletin boards with information on transportation options.

• Technology: Have a business center in residential buildings with a copier, fax, and Internet access. This makes it easier for people to telecommute.

Keep in mind that this is just a menu of possibilities, not rules. DDOT can decide which are most appropriate for each project. The developers can voluntarily agree to implement some, and if not, BZA or Zoning Commission ultimately decides whether to impose any as conditions of approvals. Some, like bicycle parking, are also part of draft future zoning rules, but these may go beyond the absolute requirements of zoning.