• Entering into an agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation will authorize the City of Vancouver to receive state grant funds to cover the costs of the regional CTR administration and program costs for the 2019-2023 Commute Trip Reduction.
• The interlocal agreement with Clark County and the cities of Camas and Washougal establishes the 2019-2023 CTR Work Plan covering the City’s regional administration of the program.
• The City of Vancouver will provide program management and oversight of the CTR program for Vancouver, Clark County (those portions lying within the unincorporated Vancouver UGA), Camas and Washougal  

Goal 1: Ensure our built urban environment is one of the safest, most environmentally responsible and well maintained in the Pacific Northwest.

Objective 1.1: Develop and maintain a safe, balanced, and innovative transportation system that will meet the needs of future generations

In 2006, the Washington Legislature passed the Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Efficiency Act, requiring local governments in identified urban areas with traffic congestion to develop programs that reduce the drive-alone trips and vehicle miles traveled per capita. The CTR Efficiency Act amended the 1991, Commute Trip Reduction Law, codified as §70.94.521-.551 RCW. Biannually, the State Legislature allocates grant funds to support local CTR activities. Since 2005, the City of Vancouver, Clark County and the cities of Camas and Washougal have developed an intergovernmental agreement establishing a regional work plan and assignment of administration responsibilities for the CTR program.

The City of Vancouver provides program management and oversight of the CTR program for Vancouver, Clark County (those portions lying within the unincorporated Vancouver UGA), Camas and Washougal.  Through this program, the City will provide direct services to a total of approximately 55 affected participating worksites (100 + employees that report to work between 6 am – 9 pm).  

Financial support of the CTR program has been provided in the past biennium by the State Legislature.  As part of the 2019 Legislative session, the CTR program was authorized for funding for the 2019-2021 biennium with a projected funding for the 2021-2023 biennium. If the Washington State Legislature fails to appropriate funds for the Commute Trip Reduction Work Plan in the 2021-2023 biennium, this Agreement shall terminate on June 30, 2021. These funds are distributed on a formula basis through the Washington State Department of Transportation, Office of Public Transportation and Commute Options.  In this case, the City of Vancouver will be the primary contracting agency for the Vancouver, Camas and Washougal urban growth areas.

The proposed CTR intergovernmental agreement and associated CTR Work Plan specifies that the City of Vancouver will receive all of the state grant funds to administer the regional program.  For the period (starting July 1, 2019 and ending June 30, 2023), grant funds are authorized in the amount of $408,022. In receiving this allocation of program funds, the City should have sufficient resources to manage the program.

Staff proposes the City enter into a contract with the Washington State Department of Transportation to receive State CTR program grant funding; and enter into a Commute Trip Reduction intergovernmental agreement with Clark County and the Cities of Camas and Washougal to guide the City’s administration of the regional program.

1. The agreement provides funds that have the potential of being used as a match for future City of Vancouver Transportation Demand Management applications.
2. The agreement allows the City to have more influence in the administration of the regional CTR program.