Transportation demand management

Transportation demand management (TDM) describes programs and projects that aim to provide more competitive transportation options to driving alone, reduce trips and improve traffic congestion without building more roads.

These projects use techniques like education, rewards and disincentives to:

• Reduce the need for vehicle trips.
• Reduce the distance of trips (e.g. shop close to home, home delivery).
• Shift to more efficient transportation modes, like transit and other forms of ridesharing.

Putting transportation demand management into practice

There are many strategies planners and engineers can use to put TDM into practice. When selecting what strategies to implement, planners and engineers should consider their project scope, cost, stakeholders, and location.

Examples of transportation demand management strategies include:

• Commute trip reduction.
• Providing transit passes to students or workers.
• Charging for parking.
• High occupancy toll lanes.
• High occupancy vehicle lanes.
• Changing land use zoning to support transit-oriented development.
• Providing showers and bicycle repair and storage at work sites.
• Promotions like Wheel Options and Bicycle Month.
• Outreach to employers to increase the use of telework and compressed work weeks.
• Senior shuttles to health care facilities.
• Vanpools.

To discover specific strategies and guidance for incorporating TDM into your projects and programs:

• Divisions 14 and 15 Design Manual (PDF 74MB) of the design manual give specific instructions on how to design facilities for transit, pedestrians, and bicycles.
• The Practical Solutions Performance Framework provides recommended performance measures for TDM-related projects.
• The Transportation Systems Management and Operations website features in-depth guides on a variety of TDM strategies.
• The WSDOT Telework Handbook serves as a reference for other public agencies looking to implement a remote work policy.

Planners and engineers can apply for state grants for transportation demand management projects and programs. Check out the following webpages for more information:

• Connecting Washington Transit
• First Mile/Last Mile
• Puget Sound Transit Coordination
• Regional Mobility

The state’s Transportation Demand Management Strategic Plan 2019-2023 (PDF 1.3MB) explains how the state and its partner organizations are using Practical Solutions and multimodal strategies to expand travel options across Washington state.

For more general information on transportation demand management, view the following resources:

• Federal Highway Administration USDOT, TDM Publications and Reference Materials
• Mobility Lab “What is transportation demand management, actually?”
• Victoria Transport Policy Institute Transportation Demand Management Encyclopedia