Trip Reduction Program

Maricopa County Trip Reduction Program Ordinance

The Trip Reduction Program is a County ordinance that requires employers with 50 or more employees and/or driving aged students reporting to one site at least 3 days a week, 6 months per year to participate in the program. This group of employees and students makes up approximately 40% of all the employed people within Maricopa County.

The purpose of this ordinance is to reduce traffic impacts on air pollution and emissions within Maricopa County by requiring major employers and schools to develop, implement, and maintain a Trip Reduction Program.

What Are The Goals Of The Program?

Employers and schools are asked to reduce single occupant vehicle (SOV) trips and/or miles traveled to the work site by 10% a year for the first 5 years the employer or school is in the program, then 5% each year thereafter, or until a rate of 60% SOV travel is reached.

What Are The Requirements Of The Program?

• Designate a transportation coordinator
• Conduct an annual employee and/or student transportation survey
• Prepare and submit a trip reduction plan. Plan Formats are available online.
• Develop and implement an annual plan
• Provide documentation required to show that the plan is being implemented
• Distribute information on alternative modes of transportation to all new employees

Who Can Help You?

Maricopa County TRP, is responsible for administering the Trip Reduction Ordinance. Their responsibilities include:

• Distribute and process electronic and paper TRP surveys
• Provide survey analysis
• Review TRP plans submitted
• Monitor plan implementation
• (See FAQs if you have guidelines on the audit/monitoring process)
• For more information, call Maricopa County at (602) 506-6750.

Travel Reduction Program Task Force

The Maricopa County Trip Reduction Program Task Force is composed of transportation coordinators and representatives from businesses affected by the Trip Reduction Program.

Members are appointed to the task force by the Maricopa County supervisor in their home or work district. This group of 15 people (three from each supervisory district) has the responsibility of

• Evaluating trip reduction plans and approving or rejecting a plan
• Monitoring the implementation of approved trip reduction plans
• Describing inadequacies in trip reduction plans and/or implementation efforts by TRP employers and allowing adequate time for improvement
• Issuing Notices of Violations to employers that have been found to be out of compliance with the trip reduction ordinance.

The Task Force meets approximately every four weeks; meetings are open to the public.

2008 Task Force Meeting Schedule

For information on an appointment to the Maricopa County Trip Reduction Task Force, agendas and meeting minutes, please contact Brad Hartsock, 602.506.6627 or bhartsoc@mail.maricopa.gov.

Valley Metro/Regional Public Transportation Authority

Valley Metro Rideshare offers FREE services to help your company promote alternative commute options to the worksite. Our goal is to provide services and resources to help motivate employees to commute to work by ways other than driving alone. Our Rideshare staff assists Transportation Coordinators with preparing, writing and implementing the Trip Reduction Program. In addition, we offer a variety of services including:

• One-on-one assistance to Transportation Coordinators.
• FREE, interactive workshops for Transportation Coordinators and others who want to be more effective in executing a successful Trip Reduction Program.
• FREE ridematching services
• Vanpool program services
• FREE promotional and collateral materials.
• FREE, geographically located Transportation Coordinator's Alliance/Association meetings to provide Transportation Coordinators or interested individuals with an opportunity to meet on a regular basis to network, share ideas, and work together on promotions and programs.

For more information, call us at 602.262.RIDE or email your Rideshare representative.

If you are not sure who your Rideshare representative is call us or e-mail Rideshareinfo@valleymetro.org.

Best Workplaces for Commuters
Recognition program for employer commute options programs. Contains information on the program and how to apply.

Vehicle Emissions Testing

Arizona law requires employers with 100 or more employees at a single work site to notify their employees of vehicle emission testing and inspection requirements (A.R.S. 49-542). Vehicles registered in Maricopa County AND all vehicles registered outside of Maricopa County, when that vehicle is used to commute to a work site located within Maricopa County, must be inspected and emission tested.

Your organization may use the notification provided by Maricopa County or develop an alternative notification process. English and Spanish versions are available below for posting, however, it is also a good practice to notify new employees of emission testing requirements.

Emission Testing Notice – English/Spanish

If you would like more information regarding vehicle emission testing locations, cost or exemptions, please call Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Vehicle Emissions Hotline, at (602) 470-4646, or visit their web site at: http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/vei/