October 2023 marks the two-year anniversary of the adoption of the CONNECT Beyond Regional Mobility Plan. During this time, focus has been on the implementation of the plan’s key near-term recommendations. One of the most important and impactful recommendations is the development of a regional transportation demand management plan and program. Centralina is leading the effort on this recommendation.
What is Transportation Demand Management (TDM)?
TDM refers to a program of education and incentives that are meant to complement existing transportation infrastructure to allow travelers to better understand and increase the use of transportation choices, such as flexible work schedules, bike/walking, carpooling and riding transit. TDM programs help to increase the efficiency of existing infrastructure and ensure travelers can meet their daily needs through a variety of transportation options. To date, TDM activities in the Charlotte region have been limited to specific programs and geographic areas.
Benefits For our Region
According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) 2018 Statewide Transportation Demand Management Plan, the Charlotte region has the most congestion and could benefit the most from a transportation demand management program. A fully realized TDM program will benefit our region in many ways, with desired outcomes displayed in the chart below.
A key objective of the TDM program is to make sure that every community is represented in the plan (urban, suburban and rural) and that TDM strategies are tailored for each community type.
Regional TDM Plan Development Process
Centralina is partnering with NCDOT, regional planning organizations and the City of Charlotte to develop a regional TDM plan, with support and assistance from consultants Kittleson & Associates. In addition to these project partners, Centralina formed a TDM steering committee comprised of representatives from the business, transportation, local government, education and healthcare communities to help guide the plan’s development. The steering committee meets bi-monthly and will provide input and review on the following deliverables:
- Regional TDM program visions and goals
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- Regional assessment report – an examination of existing transportation conditions across the Charlotte region, including profiles of example “hot spots” for each CONNECT Beyond community type
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- TDM implementation guidebook – a playbook for developing a TDM program, outlining project management structures, performance metrics, TDM strategies and a communications framework.
Learning From Peer Regions
A key part of the regional TDM plan development process has been learning how TDM programs work in other regions. The TDM project team researched and interviewed five peer TDM programs, including Portland, OR, Austin, TX, Atlanta, GA, Raleigh, NC and Wilmington, NC.
Key takeaways from peer regions include:
- Importance of sustainable funding sources
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- The lead TDM agency is a “convener” and provides resources and incentives for partners
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- Using pilot projects to test TDM strategies in different community types
Hearing from Our Stakeholders
Over the past few months, the TDM project team has been holding stakeholder engagement meetings to gather inputs for the regional TDM plan. We appreciate those who have participated in previous meetings and provided feedback. If you have not been able to attend a previous meeting, we encourage you to provide your input through this survey.
This is an opportunity to share your insights on transportation barriers, possible TDM solutions and TDM strategies for different community types. We will be holding this survey open from now until November 30, 2023.
