49-588. Requirements for major employers

A. In each year of the regional program each major employer shall:

1. Provide each regular employee with information on alternate mode options and travel reduction measures. This information shall also be provided to new employees at the time of hiring.

2. Participate in a survey and reporting effort as directed by the task force and as scheduled by the staff. The results of this survey shall form a baseline against which attainment of the targets in subsection D of this section shall be measured as follows:

(a) The baseline for participation in alternative modes of transportation shall be based on the proportion of employees commuting by single occupancy vehicles.

(b) The baseline for vehicle miles traveled shall be the average vehicle miles traveled from place of residence to work per employee for employees not residing on the work site.

3. Prepare and submit a travel reduction plan for submittal to the staff and presentation to the task force. The staff shall assist in preparing the plan. Major employers shall submit plans within nine weeks after they receive survey data results. The plan shall contain the following elements:

(a) The name of the designated transportation coordinator.

(b) A description of employee information programs and other travel reduction measures which have been completed in the previous year.

(c) A description of additional travel reduction measures to be undertaken by the major employer in the coming year. The following measures may be included:

(i) A commuter matching service to facilitate employee ridesharing for work trips.

(ii) Provision of vans for vanpooling.

(iii) Subsidized carpooling or vanpooling which may include payment for fuel, insurance or parking.

(iv) Use of company vehicles for carpooling.

(v) Provision for preferential parking for carpool or vanpool users which may include close-in parking or covered parking facilities.

(vi) Cooperation with other transportation providers to provide additional regular or express service buses to the work site.

(vii) Subsidized bus fares.

(viii) Construction of special loading and unloading facilities for transit and carpool and vanpool users.

(ix) Cooperation with political subdivisions to construct walkways or bicycle routes to the work site.

(x) Provision of bicycle racks, lockers and showers for employees who walk or bicycle to and from work.

(xi) Provision of a special information center where information on alternate modes and other travel reduction measures is available.

(xii) Establishment of a full-time or part-time work at home program for employees.

(xiii) Establishment of a program of adjusted work hours which may include telecommuting, compressed workweeks or staggered work hours. Work hour adjustments should not interfere with or discourage the use of ridesharing and transit.

(xiv) Establishment of a program of parking incentives such as a rebate for employees who do not use the parking facility.

(xv) Incentives to encourage employees to live closer to work.

(xvi) Implementation of other measures designed to reduce commute trips such as the provision of day care facilities or emergency taxi services.

(xvii) Incentives for use of reduced emission vehicles and alternative fuel vehicle refueling facilities.

B. All employers in area A with one hundred or more employees at a single work site shall notify their employees of the employees' duty to comply with the requirements of section 49-542. The travel reduction program regional task force shall prepare and make available a standard information form for use by all employees of those employers.

C. Except as provided in subsection F of this section, an approvable travel reduction plan shall meet all of the following criteria:

1. The plan shall designate a transportation coordinator.

2. The plan shall describe a mechanism for regular distribution of alternate mode transportation information to employees.

3. For employers that in any year meet or exceed annual regional targets for travel reduction, the plan shall accurately and completely describe current and planned travel reduction measures.

4. For employers that, in any year, fall below the regional targets for travel reduction, the plan shall include commitments to implement:

(a) At least two specific travel reduction measures in the first year of the regional program.

(b) At least three specific travel reduction measures in the second year of the regional program.

D. After the second year, the task force shall review the travel reduction programs for employers not meeting regional targets and may recommend additional measures.

E. Employers shall implement all travel reduction measures they consider necessary to attain the following reduction in the proportion of employees commuting by single occupancy vehicles or commuter trip vehicle miles travel reductions per regulated work site:

1. Five per cent reduction in the proportion of employees commuting by single occupancy vehicles as determined in the annual survey in the first year, except that in area A the reduction shall be ten per cent.

2. In the second, third, fourth and fifth years, an additional five per cent reduction in the proportion of employees commuting by single occupancy vehicles as determined in the annual survey, except that in area A the reduction shall be ten per cent. If the percentage of employees commuting in single occupancy vehicles is sixty per cent or less, additional reductions are not required.

F. Notwithstanding any other requirements, a major employer may be in compliance with the requirements of subsections A, C and E of this section by submitting a plan that demonstrates achievement of emissions reductions equivalent to those that would have been obtained through compliance with the requirements of subsection E of this section. Emissions reductions achieved for the purpose of compliance with this subsection shall be in addition to any other emissions reductions that are otherwise required by law, rule, ordinance or permit. The plan may contain any of the following measures to achieve emissions reductions:

1. Voluntary polluting vehicle trade-outs only if both of the following conditions are met:

(a) Vehicles are not crushed.

(b) The program applies only to vehicles owned by the major employer or its employees.

2. Use of clean on-road vehicles.

3. Use of clean off-road mobile equipment.

4. Remote sensing.

5. Other mobile source emissions reductions.

6. Emissions reductions from stationary sources.

7. Peak commute trip reductions.

8. Other work-related trip reductions.

9. Vehicle miles traveled reduction programs.

10. Fuel additives which have been shown to reduce hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide or particulate matter emissions of significant polluting on-road vehicles, off-road mobile sources or area sources by twenty per cent or more.