2025/05/28 Council Agenda Packet

7 • Drive alone rates have decreased from 74.4% in 2019 to 59.5% in 2022; reflecting a significant shift from traditional commuting methods. • A pivot by employers to support telecommuting and hybrid work schedules has resulted in a 10% increase of employees working from home in 2022 compared to 2019. • For Everett Transit, overall ridership has come back to 82% of 2019 ridership. If current ridership trends continue, the agency will meet or exceed pre-pandemic ridership levels by the end of 2024. • A shift of the morning commute peak period due to more flexible work schedules. The implications for CTR reflect a significant change in commute methods, including: • The decrease in drive alone rates signify a change of alternate commute modes by employees post-pandemic and reflect a need to develop infrastructure that supports modes such as biking and walking. • The increase in telework signifies a reduction in commute trips and helps the jurisdiction meet its CTR goals. However, this may change as major employers have begun to require a return to the office. • An increase in ridership levels signifies an increased interest in public transportation. • Shifts of the peak commute period that occur outside the 6 – 9 a.m. window fall outside of Commute Trip Reduction’s scope. At the same time, noticeable changes in traffic patterns compel transit planners to recognize the need for more service, such as increased frequency and expanded spans of service. d. List the most important land use and transportation objectives from your city or county’s plans that commute trip reduction most directly affects. The Commute Trip Reduction program most directly affects the City’s objectives to complete multimodal infrastructure systems, prioritize strategies that support climate action and continue to develop the City’s transit system. e. Describe critical aspects of land use and transportation that should be sustained and key changes that should be considered to improve commute trip reduction’s contribution to the land use and transportation objectives you reference. The City plans to continue investing in and developing infrastructure that supports multimodal networks for transit, biking and walking in order to build the community’s trust in the safety and reliability of these modes. The City collaborates with regional transit agencies in order to better understand and accommodate employees commuting across cities in order to provide efficient vanpool and transit options. Increasing housing density, which is a goal of the City’s comprehensive plan, could serve to improve the efficiency of transportation services.