HomeMy WebLinkAbout5831RESOLUTION NO. 5831
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
AUBURN, WASHINGTON, ADOPTING THE 2025-2029
COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN
WHEREAS, motor vehicle traffic is a major source of air pollution, which causes
significant harm to public health and degrades the quality of the environment; and
WHEREAS, increasing motor vehicle traffic aggravates traffic congestion in the
City of Auburn; and
WHEREAS, traffic congestion imposes significant costs on City businesses,
government, and individuals in terms of lost working hours and delays in the delivery of
goods and services, as well as making the City a less desirable place to live, work, visit,
and do business; and
WHEREAS, decreasing the demand for vehicle trips is a significantly less costly
method of reducing traffic congestion and vehicle pollution than constructing new
transportation facilities; and
and
WHEREAS, RCW 70A.15.4020 sets forth state policy on commute trip reduction;
WHEREAS, WAC 468-63-040 sets forth state administrative policy on commute
trip reduction and local commute trip reduction plans; and
WHEREAS, adoption of this Resolution will promote the public health, safety, and
general welfare within the City of Auburn and the region; and
WHEREAS, the Washington State Transportation Demand Management
Technical Committee has reviewed and approved the City of Auburn Draft Commute Trip
Reduction Plan.
Resolution No. 5831
May 22, 2025
Page 1 of 2
Rev. 04/24
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUBURN,
WASHINGTON, RESOLVES as follows:
Section 1. The City of Auburn 2025-2029 Commute Trip Reduction Plan
attached as Exhibit A is hereby adopted.
Section 2. The Mayor is authorized to implement those administrative
procedures necessary to carry out the directives of this Resolution and the Mayor or
Designee is authorized to prepare and adopt periodic updates to the Commute Trip
Reduction Plan.
Section 3. This Resolution will take effect and be in full force on passage and
signatures.
Dated and Signed this 2"d day of June, 2025.
ATTEST:
Shawn Campbell, MM , City Clerk
Resolution No. 5831
May 22, 2025
Page 2 of 2
CITY OF AUBURN
NANCY ) O' MAYOR
Jason(Whalen, City Attorney
Rev. 04/24
CITY OF AUBURN
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Resolution 5831, Exhibit
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN CITY OF AUBURN
Table of Contents
Introduction..............................................................................................................................................1
Benefitsof CTR..........................................................................................................................................1
PerformanceTargets...............................................................................................................................29
Services and Strategies...........................................................................................................................30
Alignmentwith Plans..............................................................................................................................37
Engagement............................................................................................................................................38
Regional Transportation Planning Organization CTR Plan Review.........................................................41
List of Figures
Figure 1: Auburn Population (1920 — 2020)............................................................................................. 2
Figure 2: Auburn Workforce Top Industry Sectors(2020).......................................................................
2
Figure 3: Future Land Use in Auburn.......................................................................................................5
Figure 4: Auburn Street System...............................................................................................................6
Figure 5: Types of Bicycle Facilities..........................................................................................................8
Figure 6: Existing Bike Facility Statistics as of January 2024....................................................................
8
Figure 7: Auburn Existing Bicycle Facilities..............................................................................................9
Figure 8: Auburn Existing Sidewalks......................................................................................................10
Figure 9: Level of Traffic Stress (LTS).....................................................................................................11
Figure 10: Auburn Bicycle Network.......................................................................................................12
Figure 11: Service Levels for Bus Routes................................................................................................13
Figure 12: Existing Transit Service in Auburn.........................................................................................16
Figure 13: Auburn Neighborhoods with Transit Needs and Gaps.........................................................17
Figure 14: Auburn Daily Commuting Patterns(2020)............................................................................19
Figure 15: Working at Home Rates by Industry in the Central Puget Sound.........................................20
Figure 16: Regional Center Mode Split Goals........................................................................................22
Figure 17: Auburn Community Emissions Forecast and Reduction Goals.............................................24
Figure 18: Auburn Emissions Inventory by Sector (MTCO2e) in 2015....................................................25
Figure 19: Regional Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, 2015..........................................................27
Figure20: TDM Strategies......................................................................................................................31
Resolution 5831, Exhibit A
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN CITY OF AUBURN
List of Tables
Table 1: Employment Development Capacity by Zone............................................................................4
Table 2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions Targets.......................................................................24
Table 3: Auburn's CTR Annual Cost........................................................................................................33
Table 4: City of Auburn CTR Implementation Schedule.........................................................................33
Appendices
Appendix A: Ordinance No. 6981
Resolution 5831, Exhibit
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN CITY OF AUBURN
Introduction
In 1991, the State of Washington adopted its Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) law. The laws intent
is to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution by shifting drive -alone commutes to other modes.
Today, more than 1,000 worksites take part in the CTR program statewide and the program is
well-known nationally as an example of impactful transportation demand management (TDM).
The law requires local jurisdictions to adopt ordinances detailing requirements for employers to
implement employee CTR programs that encourage the reduction of the number of trips and
miles people drive alone to work. In 2010, the City of Auburn adopted Ordinance 6981, codified
by Auburn City Code (ACC) Chapter 10.02, which provides these requirements for employers
within the City limits.
The State CTR law and Auburn City Code requires all major employers, with over 100 employees
at a single site and arriving between 6:00 and 9:00 AM, to develop programs and strategies to
reduce the number of commuter automobile trips made by their employees.
The State CTR law also requires that the City develop a local CTR Plan, to be updated every four
years. This plan lays out the benefits of CTR, CTR performance targets, CTR services and strategies,
how this plan aligns with other plans, and the public engagement undertaken when developing
this plan. This plan is also a reference point in updates to the City's CTR ordinance and CTR-
affected worksite's individual CTR programs.
Benefits of CTR
1) Describe the local land use and transportation context and objectives.
a) Describe the setting in Auburn as it is today or will be in the near future.
In the 100+year history of Auburn, it has risen from a small railroad and farming community to a
small town, and now the 14th largest city in the state. Continued growth has caused the city to
become a place of regional significance.
Nestled between Seattle and Tacoma, the largest and third largest cities in the state, respectively,
Auburn retains a uniqueness to the grander metropolitan area. Likewise, the future of Auburn
foresees an exciting, vibrant city where businesses want to locate, where people want to live, and
that people want to visit.
Located alongside the SR-167 corridor in the valley between Renton and Kent, approximately mid-
way between Seattle and Tacoma, Auburn is primarily situated within King County, with a portion
of the city extending south into Pierce County. As of 2023, it was ranked the 14th most populous
city in Washington, with a population of 88,820.1 Its location in the densely populated and
urbanized area of Central Puget Sound has provide for substantial population growth since World
War II and particularly since 2000, as shown in Figure 1.
1 Washington Office of Financial Management (OFM) April 1, 2023 Official Population Estimates.
PAGE 1
Resolution 5831, Exhibit A
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN CITY OF AUBURN
Figure 1: Auburn Population (1920 — 2020)2
90,000
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Traditionally, Auburn has been a blue-collar community since its initial early 20th century
population boom stemming from the construction of a railroad freight terminal. Despite a
decrease in manufacturing employment in the 1990s and early 2000s, 12% of Auburn residents
were employed in the manufacturing industry in 2020. Since the recession of 2008, the number
of Auburn residents employed in health care, retail, and construction have increased substantially
and the overall diversity of jobs worked by Auburn residents have increased. As of 2020, the top
ten industries in which Auburn residents were employed, as seen in Figure 2, were health care,
retail, manufacturing, construction, education, transportation and warehousing, hospitality and
food, wholesale trade, and administration and waste management.
Figure 2: Auburn Workforce Top Industry Sectors (2020)3
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
y�Tie
T C. "°SQ\� q}
0
.f• y�
�Ti cy
�`TcsCP PaF
2 OFM.
3 US Census Longitudinal Employer Household Dynamics (LEHD), via Census On The Map
PAGE 2
Resolution 5831, Exhibit
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN CITY OF AUBURN
Looking toward the future, King and Pierce Counties have allocated Auburn a combined target of
12,112 new housing units and 19,520 new jobs between the baseline of 2019 and 2044. The 2024
Comprehensive Plan is intended to accommodate these 2044 housing and job targets through
new zoning and land uses in various corridors and nodes throughout Auburn, and in the
Downtown area in particular, further described in the next section.
b) Describe features of land use and transportation facilities and services
that affect commuters.
Past and Current Land Use
A broad overview of Auburn's existing land use designations shows industrial (light and heavy)
designations in the west side of the valley floor portion of the City, extensive commercial
development (light and heavy) located along Auburn Way N, Auburn Way S, and A Street SE, and
sizable heavy commercial designated areas near the SR 18 and 15th Street SW interchange and
between 15th Street NW and 37th Street NW (Emerald Downs). Residential development
generally exists along the east side of the valley floor and the surrounding hillsides of West Hill,
Lea Hill, and Lakeland Hills. A major land use activity in Lea Hill to the east includes Green River
College (a CTR-affected site) located on SE 320th Street.
The existing land use element identifies Industrial as the City's second most predominant zoning
designation (Residential being first). Consequently, the City's land use plan establishes a
development pattern that has traffic generated by these industrial uses directed toward the State
Highway System.
Another key feature in the land use element is a Heavy Commercial designation at 15th Street
SW, adjacent to SR 167 and SR 18. This commercial designation is the site of The Outlet Collection.
The Outlet Collection generates high volumes of local and regional traffic that utilizes State
highways and City streets. Auburn's "Auto Row", along Auburn Way N, to the north of downtown
also generates large volumes of local and regional traffic.
Downtown Auburn is near the geographic center of the City, located generally east of the
Interurban Trail, north of SR 18, west of F Street SE/NE, and south of 3rd Street NW/NE and 4th
Street NE. Downtown Auburn is designated as a Regional Growth Center by the Puget Sound
Regional Council (PSRC) as part of Vision 2050. Designated Regional Growth Centers are identified
for housing and employment growth. Downtown Auburn contains a mix of land uses, including
residential, commercial, and industrial uses. Commercial uses in Downtown are focused along
Main Street, Auburn Way, and A Street SE. Historically, this commercial development has served
predominantly local needs. However, the presence of Auburn Station, MultiCare, City Hall, and
new development projects, combined with regulations and policies that encourage transit -
oriented developments (TODs), downtown commercial development will serve a broader range
of needs in the future.
The City's Comprehensive Plan land use map focuses residential development in the eastern
portion of the valley and in the West Hill, Lea Hill, and the Lakeland Hills area. Access to the State
Highway System in Lea Hill is limited to SR 18 at SE 304th Street. Future impacts on the State
Highway System in the Lea Hill area will primarily be commuter traffic due to the predominance
PAGE 3
Resolution 5831, Exhibit A
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN CITY OF AUBURN
of residential comprehensive plan designations in that area and the continued growth of Green
River College. The development of Lakeland Hills will also principally result in increased commuter
traffic.
Future Land Use
To address the growth targets of 12,112 new housing units and 19,520 new jobs, the 2024
Comprehensive Plan was developed to accommodate the housing and job targets through new
zoning and land uses in various corridors and nodes throughout Auburn, and in the Downtown
area in particular.
Table 1, below, shows the employment capacity by zone. The employment capacity estimates
accommodating 20,701 new jobs at the maximum buildable capacity by 2044, exceeding the City's
target of 19,520. Growth is targeted for the Downtown Urban Center (DUC) and in Growth
Centers, whose core is primarily R-NM Neighborhood Mixed -Use. Additional growth in
commercial space is also anticipated, following a recent trend in industry job growth in auburn.
Table 1: Employment Development Capacity by Zone"
zoning
Assumed
EmploymentNet
Districts
DevelopableNon-Residential
Capacity
(acres)
DU/Acres
(units)
Light Commercial (C-1)
32
-13
845,391
2,254
Heavy Commercial District (C-2)
8
-8
-
-
Auburn Gateway District (C-AG)
0
15
653,400
653
Light Industrial (M-1)
132
-41
3,945,338
3,945
Heavy Industrial (M-2)
81
-9
3,122,925
3,123
Airport Landing Field (AF)
5
0
233,038
233
Mixed -Use Districts
Developable Acres
zoning
changes
Assumed
Density —
EmploymentNet
Capacity
(acres)
DU/Acres
(units)—1
DUC Downtown Urban Center —125
0
5
163,350
408
DUC Downtown Urban Center — 75
0
5
163,350
408
DUC Downtown Urban Center — 55
0
4
130,680
327
DUC Neighborhood Residential
0
3
98,010
245
DUC Health and Wellness —125
0
2
87,120
218
DUC C-1
0
13
566,280
1,510
DUC C-2
0
12
522,720
1,394
DUC M-1
0
39
1,698,840
1,699
Neighborhood Mixed -Use (R-NM)
0
89
1,938,420
5,169
Total New (2044) Jobs
21,587
Capacity
As seen in the map of future land use in Auburn (see Figure 3), mixed -use and commercial land
use is concentrated along Auburn Way N and I St SE where frequent transit is planned to start
4 Imagine Auburn: City of Auburn Comprehensive Plan Update 2024.
PAGE 4
Resolution 5831, Exhibit
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN
CITY OF AUBURN
operating in 2026, as well as in locations of known future development plans, including the Outlet
Collection area along 15th Street SW, Icon Material mining operations and adjacent lands along
the east side of Kersey Way (known as the Segale devilment area), and vacant or underdeveloped
land areas on Lea Hill and West Hill. Industrial land use, where future job growth is also targeted,
is concentrated along the C Street SW, A Street NW/B Street NW, and West Valley Highway
corridors.
Figure 3: Future Land Use in Auburn
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COMMERCIAL PUBLIgQUAS1-PUBUC Fn P tentlal Anne,ation Areas
DOWNTOWN URBAN CENTER MIXED USE C1 Urban Separators Overlay a
NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTIAL ONE INDUSTRIAL m Wert 11I11 OvRday(OrtBnan :6122)
NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTIAL TWO RESIDENTIAL CONSERVANCY (3 Bridges Onday (Ordnance: 6922)
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NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENM. THREE D-1— Urban Center E3 tea 1*11 Overlay (Ordinance: 5346 6 6121)
_ ® OPEN SPACE r t apa.ed D—t— urban ante, cTR wew wks
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PAGE S
Resolution 5831, Exhibit
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN
Transportation Facilities
CITY OF AUBURN
Streets System
The City has roughly 250 centerline miles of public roadways.' The City's planned arterial street
network is mostly established with existing roadways with only a few new arterials that have yet
to be constructed. Many of the City's arterial and other streets were not built to current City
design standards as the network itself is a product of almost a century of evolving standards and
design approaches. Many older roads, including those inherited through several annexations, do
not include robust pavement sections and do not accommodate active transportation users.
The street system functions as a network. Functional classification is the hierarch by which streets
and highways are defined according to the service they provide. There are three main classes of
streets in Auburn: arterials, collectors, and local streets. Figure 4 provides the currently adopted
classification of Auburn's existing and planned streets, with current CTR-affected worksites shown
for reference.
49Ure 4: Auburn.5rreet System
1
O '�1
B,.
_..
— other Prindpal Arterial
— Minor Collector
significance (KSS) RoutesWA
(NHS) Routes
5 City of Auburn 2024 Comprehensive Transportation Plan.
PAGE 6
Resolution 5831, Exhibit A
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN CITY OF AUBURN
Future Streets System Conditions
Using the City's VISUM-based travel demand model and the 2044 Preferred Land Use Future
model of the 2024 Comprehensive Plan, it is forecasted that AM peak hour (7:00 — 9:00 AM) trips
will increase by 28% (from 22,900 trips today to 19,300 trips in 2044), and PM peak hour (4:00 —
6:00 PM) trips by 37% (from 30,700 trips today to 42,200 trips in 2044).6
Active Transportation
The City recognizes that the past development of the transportation system has prioritized the
automobile as the primary travel mode. A side effect of this has been conditions less conducive
to active transportation travel. The City seeks to redress the balance by enhancing conditions in
which active transportation modes are a realistic and attractive travel option.
Over the last 15 years, there have been significant improvements to active transportation facilities
in Auburn's Regional Growth Center (Downtown Auburn). Sidewalk, Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA), and lighting improvements have been made to main Streets, S Division Street
Promenade, City Hall Plaza and Plaza Park, and behind the shops on E Main Street. Growth in the
downtown core has resulted in the development of multi -story residential and office buildings
and senior housing, helping renew the pedestrian infrastructure and creating a need for
continued effort to maintain and improve the sidewalk system. In addition, the Sounder Auburn
Station and transit hub at W Main Street and C Street SW provide pedestrians with more options
for connecting to regional destinations.
These improvements contribute to a more hospitable environment for pedestrians. Despite the
progress that has been made over the past years, there are still many areas of need and gaps in
active transportation systems in Downtown Auburn and in other areas throughout the city.
Commercial development outside Downtown exists primarily along arterials and is dominated by
strip development and auto -oriented businesses. Although sidewalks are provided on most
arterials, pedestrians may feel exposed to the traffic. Surface parking lots border the sidewalks,
and driveways interrupt the continuity of the sidewalk system. The high volumes of vehicular
traffic and wide streets along arterials, such as Auburn Way, pose a barrier for pedestrians
crossing the roadway.
Residential areas, such as southwest Lea Hill, were built under King County's jurisdiction and
sidewalk construction was not required. Breaks in the sidewalk network require pedestrians to
maneuver around parked cars, into private yards, or into the street. In newer neighborhoods such
as Lakeland Hills, sidewalk built to the City standards applicable at the time of their construction
are provided on both sides of the streets.
Lea Hill and West Hill neighborhoods have a sporadic and often disconnected sidewalk system.
Most newer residential developments have sidewalks, but many of the older residential areas and
arterial streets are missing large segments of sidewalk, resulting in an inconsistent pedestrian
environment.
6 City of Auburn 2024 Comprehensive Transportation Plan.
PAGE 7
Resolution 5831, Exhibit A
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN
CITY OF AUBURN
The Auburn Valley is flat and conducive to cycling for a range of skill levels and has a good network
of existing or planned north -south biking routes and trails. Areas along the Green and White Rivers
provide opportunities for multi -use trails that accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians. The
Interurban Trail is part of a major north -south regional trail system. The Green River Trail is also
an extension of a north -south regional trail. Conversely, there are few existing east -west
connections between,the West Hill and Lea Hill areas of Auburn which are more challenging due
to steep topography. Many bicycle lanes exist throughout the City but often have gaps before
forming a fully connected network or connection to transit and trails.
In 2024, the City's existing bike facilities were mapped using aerial photography and field
verification. Bike facilities are categorized into three classes: Class I Bikeways, Class II Bikeways,
and Class III Bikeways. These categories are shown and described in Figure 5.
Figure 5: Types of Bicycle Facilities
W
Class III bikeways typically
has the bicyclists and vehicles
sharing travel lanes.
Class 11 bikeways are generally
bicycle lanes in the roadway but
separated from vehicular traffic.
Class I bikeways are bicycle facilities
that are outside the roadway and
are usually separated from roadway
traffic by curbing, landscaping, buffer
hardscaping, or physical barriers.
All roads in the City are considered Class III Bikeways. However, only bike facilities of Class III
Bikeways with Pavement Markings level and higher were included in the inventory. The inventory,
with current CTR-affected sites shown as reference, is depicted in Figure 7 and yielded the
statistics shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6: Existing Bike Facility Statistics as of January 2024
22.62 rni Class I Bikeways
Class II Bikeway with Buffer
1.29 mil
Both Sides of Roadway
0 mi Class II Bikeway with Buffer
Intermittent or 1 Side of Roadway
15.95 mi ., , Sides , ,
Class II Bikeway
4.21 mi
■ Intermittent or i Side of Roadway
2.60 mi . Class III Bikeway
with Pavement Markings
TOTAL: 46.67 mi
PAGE 8
Resolution 5831, Exhibit A
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN CITY OF AUBURN
Figure 7. Auburn Existing Bicycle Fadilli fes
�•.. Put
1,1'Aut6 'Glenc rI" MerIdla`.3u -t,I�,I \ ZSE 284th St.�;/,�i 1. �''.37t St:NWi
-
.298th St"
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North I ( 7 _
181
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iai f :"t
and' :i%., a.rl�,' . , _ '' ' =; Al on ' A - Class l Bikeway
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1;: - Auburn Ga to y M
I F'rm Na , . _ Class II Bikewayw/Buffer
ffr.� a,�l: i .1`4•y� ,'i,-_ f .!37[h Si SEa _ (Both Sides)
S 368th�Sc�- •-'` s 1 •'..y`'• 'Ellin I ' " ,• _ . ,1 _____ Class II Bikewayw/Buffer
ii t, 9sori'R _
'j 3, `�`T��_�� 'i_`.•='= '•+ •L - (Intermittent orl5ide)
I�;; �. .,�• - P 1.p- 1V. •Roe .r Park -
',el r": 11 -- ,1srAve'E', Se Class ll Bikeway (Both
�,—_ � , _• • �� [in �w; �;3r `il - ,t ,'iF r'J; it , i! 5.6.
Sides)
m
(i•:=' . I - f „f T';' i�i Paclfh
Class II Bikeway
t6 ',,; -f= `•r•}.,;Lak'eland 53rA (Intermittent or1Side)
„s=3aacit•st-- r Class III Bikeway w/
Pavement Markings (Both `ram
end Si E:A:=- Sides) `..
Class III Bikeway w/
e1Tep -"'"- Pavement Markings
(Intermittent or 1 Side)
CTR-Affected Worksites
18th St EI- -1{ '' )I - - --_e t= Q City Limits -
;':W 0 DS- ,1`. `.lt i' I. 2Miles
"'i J iN' I,` lu i ,ski. I .. sr•North
IVIID630 ap6
-N, � --_- ' _ :a _ ��I-r •.}i�„I ' 1-124tA SrE - :- .. _ � •' I
Similar to bicycle facilities, a citywide sidewalk inventory was completed in 2022 for citywide
sidewalk. This inventory includes location, surface type, width, length, and surface area. When
mapped out, it shows where there are sidewalk gaps throughout the City. See Figure 8.
PAGE 9
Resolution 5831, Exhibit A
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN
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PAGE 10
Resolution 5831, Exhibit
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN CITY OF AUBURN
Future of Active Transportation Facilities
The 2024 Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) polices establish active transportation LOS
standards based on the Level of Traffic Stress (LTS). LTS, depicted in Figure 9, describes how
comfortable a pedestrian or bicycle route feels to its users based on a variety of variables. The
City rates the LTS of its bicycle and pedestrian facilities on a scale of "1" to "4", with "1" being the
most comfortable and "4" being the least comfortable facilities. For more details on how the LTS
is calculated and how pedestrian and bicycle facilities are scored, please refer to the CTP.
Figure 9: Level of Traffic Stress (LTS)
fTS 9 LTS 27range
��� _ r
---
Safe and comfortable for people of a Less comTolerable for e
wide range of ages and abilities. LTS 7, butconfident, le
people of"aexperienced of ages abicyclists and
pedestrians.
The CTP policies establish an LTS of "2" as the minimum standard for new and upgraded
pedestrian facilities. The CTP also establishes that new and upgraded pedestrian facilities meet
current ADA requirements.
As part of the 2024 CTP, the City has classified existing and planned bicycle routes as either
Regional, Priority, or Auxiliary Routes. Regional Routes provide connectivity through the City to
areas outside the City. Priority Routes provide connectivity from Auxiliary Routes to Regional
Routes, frequent transit stops, and Auburn Station. Auxiliary Routes provide connectivity to
Priority Routes from neighborhoods, commercial areas, schools, services, and non -frequent
transit stops. Together, these routes create a network that, when completed, will support general
movement of cyclists throughout the City and provide connectivity between neighborhoods and
commercial areas to transit stops, regional trail connections, and the downtown urban center.
Figure 10 shows what the bicycle network will look like when it is built out.
The CTP policies establish standards that require Regional Routes to have the lowest LTS of "1",
Priority Routes to have a slightly higher LTS of "2" or less, and Auxiliary Routes to have an LTS of
no more than "3".
PAGE 11
Resolution 5831, Exhibit A
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN CITY OF AUBURN
Figure zlv: AUDUM wcyc►e Networx
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PAGE 12
Resolution 5831, Exhibit A
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN
Transit
The current transit service available, shown in Figure 12, in Auburn includes:
• Sound Transit Sounder commuter rail service
• Sound Transit express bus service
• King County Metro (KC Metro) frequent route service
• KC Metro and Muckleshoot Tribal Transit local route service
• KC Metro DART service
• Pierce Transit express route service
CITY OF AUBURN
The service levels for bus routes — frequent routes, local routes, and DART and express routes —
are described in Figure 11, below.
Figure 11: Service Levels for Bus Routes
Frequent Routes
BRT— Bus Rapid Transit
(RapidRide)
DART &
Express Routes
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service/
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PAGE 13
Resolution 5831, Exhibit A
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN CITY OF AUBURN
King County Metro Transit (KC Metro)
KC Metro provides frequent, local, and DART bus services linking destinations within the
community and providing regional connections to Auburn Station.
Route 160 provides connection between Auburn Station, Kent Station, and the Renton Transit
Center with very limited stops in between. It provides a maximum of 15-minute service during
peak hours and 30-minute service during off-peak, and operates from 4 am to 3 am on weekdays
and from 5 am to 3 am on weekends. This route will become the RapidRide I Line in 2026 and will
provide service every 10 to 15 minutes.
Route 165 provides regional service between Kent, Auburn, and Green River College. It connects
with Route 181 at Green River College. This route provides 20-minute service during peak hours
and 30- to 60-minute service during off-peak, operating from 5 am to 12 am on weekdays and 6
am to 12 am on weekends.
Route 181 provides daily service between the Twin Lakes Park -and -Ride, Federal Way Commons
mall, Federal Way Transit Center, the Outlet Collection, Auburn Station, and Green River College.
It provides 15- to 30-minute service during peak hours and 30- to 60-minute service during off-
peak, operating from 5 am to 11:30 pm on weekdays and 6:45 am to 11:30 pm on weekends.
Route 184 provides daily service from Auburn Station to south Auburn. It provides 20- to 30-
minute service during the day, and 30- to 60-minute service during nights and weekends, and
operates from 4:30 am to 1:30 am on weekdays and 5:30am to 2 am on weekends.
Route 915 provides weekday and Saturday service between Auburn Station and Enumclaw via
Auburn Way South. The route also includes a small portion of DART service with limited variable
routing in response to rider requests in downtown Enumclaw and the northern part of the Auburn
Downtown Urban Center around the MultiCare Auburn Medical Center. This route provides 40-
to 60-minute service operating from 4:30am to 7:45 pm during weekdays, and 90-minute service
operating from 10am to 6:30 pm on weekends.
Route 917 provides weekday and Saturday service between A Street SE, 41st Street SE, Algona,
the Outlet Collection, and Auburn Station. The route offers DART service (limited variable route)
in portions of Pacific. This route provides 25- to 40-minute service on weekdays, and 60-Ominute
service on weekends. It operates from 5 am to 7 pm on weekdays and from 8:30 am to 5:45 pm
on weekends.
ACCESS Transportation is KC Metro paratransit service, providing door-to-doo, shared -ride van
transportation within most of King County. The ADA requires door-to-door paratransit service for
persons whose disability prevent use of accessible fixed -route bus service.
KC Metro sponsors vanpool services that serve residents and employees in Auburn. Vanpool is a
shared -ride service that provides group transport for commuters with proximate origins and
destinations.
Pierce Transit
Route 497 is operated by Pierce Transit in partnership with the City of Auburn and KC Metro. It
operates peak hour weekday service between Lakeland Hills and Auburn Station. As a morning
PAGE 14
Resolution 5831, Exhibit A
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN CITY OF AUBURN
and evening service meeting Sounder commuter rail schedule, Route 497 is a commuter -oriented
route, but is open to all riders. Route 497 primarily serves Sounder passengers and significantly
reduces the demand for commuter parking at the Auburn Station parking garage managed by
Sound Transit.
Pierce Transit also provides vanpool services similar to those offered by KC Metro.
Sound Transit
Sound Transit operates the Sounder commuter rail service on the Lakewood to Tacoma to Seattle
route (S Line) via the BNSF Railway. The S Line provides weekday peak hour trips northbound to
Seattle in the morning and southbound from Seattle to Tacoma to Lakewood in the afternoon.
Limited reverse direction trips are also provided in each peak hour, as well as limited midday
service. Some connections are available between S Line Sounder trains, which terminate in
Seattle, and N Line Sounder trains from Everett to Seattle. Additional special event service to and
from Seattle for Mariners, Seahawks, and Sounders games is available on some weekends.
Currently, nine trains operate northbound to Seattle in the morning peak and ten trains return
southbound during the evening peak. Three trains operate southbound toe Tacoma/Lakewood in
the morning and northbound to Seattle in the evening. There is currently one midday training
running northbound to Seattle.
Route 566/567 offers daily weekday, limited -stop service between Auburn Station, Kent Station,
Renton Transit Center, Bellevue Transit Center, and Overlake Transit Center. It provides 20- to 30-
minute service northbound during the morning peak from 5:30 am to 11:00 am, and 20- to 30-
minute service southbound during the evening peak from 1:40 pm to 8:00 pm.
Route 577/578 offers daily limited -stop service between Puyallup, Sumner, Auburn, Federal Way,
and Seattle. Route 577 provides service between the federal Way Transit Center and Seattle
during the peak periods when the Sounder train is in operation. The 578 provides service between
Puyallup and Seattle during the off-peak hours when train service is not currently provided. Route
578 provides 30- to 60-minute service on weekdays. On weekends, Route 578 provides hourly
service.
Sound Transit operates Auburn Station located in downtown Auburn. This full -service multimodal
facility provides parking for a total of 633 vehicles in a six -story parking garage and a surface
parking lot. A number of parking stalls are reserved for carpool/vanpool, and a number of stalls
are reserved for paying single -occupant vehicles.
Auburn Station currently handles approximately 470 daily bus trips. Approximately 3,000
passengers ride bus service to/from the station on a daily basis. Boardings at Auburn on the
Sounder commuter rail are approximately 1,300 per day.'
Muckleshoot Tribal Transit
Muckleshoot Indian Tribe (MIT) currently operates the Muckleshoot Tribal Transit (MTT) services
that offers two publicly available transit routes. The Reservation Hot Lap provides local service
' City of Auburn 2024 Comprehensive Transportation Plan.
PAGE 15
Resolution 5831, Exhibit A
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN CITY OF AUBURN
between SE 384th Street and SE 416th Street with 30- to 60-minute service from 7 am to 8 pm on
weekdays. The Reservation Route serves the SR 164 corrido generally between SE 416th Street,
Downtown Auburn, and the Outlet Collection with 30-minute service from 5:30 am to 8:30 pm on
weekdays, and 30-minute service from 10 am to 4:30 pm on Saturdays and holidays. MTT shares
many stop locations with KC Metro and is a valuable resource to the community as the service is
free to all passengers.
Figure iz: Existing ►ransrt.5erv►ce in Auburn
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PAGE 16
Resolution 5831, Exhibit A
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN
CITY OF AUBURN
Current Transit Needs and Gaps
The West Hill of Auburn is Figure 13: Auburn Neighborhoods with Transit Needs and
currently not directly served Gaps
by any transit service, making
its 7,500 residents the least
transit served people in
Auburn. Auburn's West Hill is
also unique in that it sits
between Auburn Station and
the Federal Way Transit
Center. This presents an
opportunity to provide transit
connections from West Hill to
the Federal Way Transit
Center, Auburn Station, or
both.
With the Link Light Rail
expanding south to Federal
Way with an expected opening
in 2026, there is an
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improve Auburn's overall
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systems through frequent and
efficient transit services
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the Federal Way Transit Center. When the light rail is complete to the Federal Way Transit Center,
the demand for this route is likely to increase significantly.
The Lea Hill area of Auburn, which is a predominantly residential community, has two transit
routes that primarily serve Green River College, leaving a large portion of the residents unable to
walk or bike to a transit route. In 2014, a license plate survey of the Auburn Station garage
indicated that a substantial number of Lea Hill residents utilize transit service at Auburn Station.
This suggests that a commuter -oriented shuttle serving Lea Hill, similar to Route 497 in Lakeland
Hills, could be successful.
The Plateau is currently served by KC Metro Route 915 and MTT. With both of these routes
running, headway time ranges from 30 to 60 minutes. This provides an opportunity for KC Metro
and MTT to work together to shorten headways along Auburn Way South.
Future of Transit Service
Sounder Commuter Train
Due to shifts in Sounder commuter train ridership since the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in
many commuters' work schedules, particularly the increase in telework, Sound Transit is re -
PAGE 17
Resolution 5831, Exhibit A
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN CITY OF AUBURN
examining the priorities from the 2020 Sounder South Strategic Plan. Prior to the pandemic, near
capacity ridership growth was expected during the peak periods, resulting in the plan prioritizing
longer trains (from second cars to ten cars) during the peak periods. However, since the pandemic,
peak ridership has lowered, leading Sound Transit to consider prioritizing new trips, including
more trips during off-peak hours, over longer trains. Any new trips, however, will require approval
from BNSF Railway, which owns most of the tracks the Sounder runs on.
As part of its re-examination of its priorities, Sound Transit conducted public engagement around
the question of longer trains during peak hours versus more trips. The survey results showed that
approximately 90% of respondents preferred adding new trips over longer trains. Sound Transit
will use the feedback from its public engagement, along with other research, to inform Sound
Transit Board discussions regarding its Sounder S Line operations.
Sound Transit Link Light Rail
Approved by voters in 2016, Link Light Rail Line 1 will be extended down to Federal Way, with a
planned opening in 2026. When it opens, this will add nearly eight miles to the regional light rail
system, connecting Federal Way to Seattle via light rail and will include stops at Kent Des Moines
Station, Star Lake Station, and Federal Way Transit Center. As noted in the Transit Needs and Gaps
section above, when this light rail extension opens, demand for a frequent and efficient
connection between the Federal Way Transit Center and Auburn Station is anticipated.
South Link Connection Project
KC Metro, in collaboration with Sound Transit and other partners, is undertaking the South Link
Connections Project that will prepare a study that identifies and evaluates potential service
changes to better connect its system with the upcoming Federal Way light rail extension. In
Auburn, the project has identified potential changes to Route 165, increased frequency in Route
181, and inclusion of Auburn in Metro Flex service areas.
Route 165 currently connects Green River College to Kent Station, Kent -Des Moines Station, and
the Burien Transit Center. The proposed change to this route would split Route 165 at Kent -Des
Moines Station to create a new Frequent Route 164, with 15-minute weekday headways, and new
Local Route 166.
The South Link Connections Project is also proposing creation of two new Metro Flex service areas
that would serve Auburn residents and employees. Metro Flex is an on -demand neighborhood
ride share service, allowing transit users to ride anywhere within its service area at the same cost
as a KC Metro bus trip. Metro Flex provides service in places that are not near frequent bus or rail
service, helping to fill transit gaps in the areas that it serves. To provide service to West Hill, which
currently has no transit service at all, KC Metro is proposing a Federal Way Metro Flex service
area, which would connect West Hill residents to the Federal Way Transit Center. This service
area, however, would not connect West Hill to Auburn Station. KC Metro is also proposing a South
Auburn service area. This service area will provide Metro Flex service to the south valley area and
a portion of the plateau, connecting them to Auburn Station.
PAGE 18
Resolution 5831, Exhibit A
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN
CITY OF AUBURN
c) Describe whether and how commuting patterns have changed in the
past few years.
As of 2020, 5,359 Auburn residents both live and work in the city, while 31,778 residents worked
outside of the city. Additionally, 40,445 people commuted from outside the city to work in
Auburn. Figure 14 shows these figures, demonstrating that more people work in Auburn and live
elsewhere than those who live in Auburn and work elsewhere. This results in an increased pool of
residents and employees who engage with City services and businesses.
Figure 14: Auburn Daily Commuting Patterns (2020)8
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While the above data predates the COVID-19 pandemic, the large share of jobs in the city that
tend to be in -person — health care, retail, manufacturing, construction, transportation and
warehousing, and hospitality and food — suggests that the commuting patterns may have been
less affected by the pandemic in Auburn compared with other areas in the region that have a
higher share of jobs suitable for telework.
Transit
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, monthly boardings of the S Line Sounder commuter train at
Auburn Station tended to be between 25,000 to 35,000 passengers. In 2020, however, this
dropped to between 2,500 and 4,800. While ridership has been increasing since 2020, and
particularly since 2021, total ridership is still well below 2019 levels. Individual station ridership
numbers are not currently available for the S Line, but the total line ridership numbers show that
2024 ridership is at roughly half of what it was in 2019. For January through August of 2024,
8 US Census on the Map, 2020.
PAGE 19
Resolution 5831, Exhibit A
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN CITY OF AUBURN
ridership totaled 1,222,827 for the S Line. In 2019, the January to August ridership totaled
2,234,184, putting 2024 ridership at 54.7% of the 2019 ridership.9
On the other hand, while total ridership on KC Metro routes dropped significantly during the
COVID-19 pandemic and has not yet caught back up with pre -pandemic levels, boardings in
Auburn have actually increased slightly from pre -pandemic numbers. For the system as a whole,
weekly ridership for January to July 2019 averaged 400,473 weekly boardings. In 2024, January to
July ridership averaged 257,565 weekly boardings, only 64.3% of the 2019 levels.10 However, in
the fall of 2019, daily boardings in Auburn averaged 3,678.2, while daily boardings in the spring
of 2024 averaged 3,821.9, a 4% increase." This demonstrates a greater reliance and need for
transit within Auburn compared to other parts of King County.
Working at Home
The COVID-19 pandemic also resulted in a significant change in how many workers have been
given the opportunity to work from home at least one day a week. In 2023, PSRC conducted its
Household Travel Survey (HTS) throughout the Central Puget Sound region, which includes
Snohomish, King, Pierce, and Kitsap Counties. This survey showed that throughout the region,
12% of workers work entirely at home, 25% work part of the time at home and part of the time
at a worksite (hybrid), and 63% of workers work fully in -person at a worksite. The survey results
also showed a strong correlation between industry and working at home rates. As seen in Figure
15, some of the industries with the lowest working from home rates include healthcare and
education, and construction and manufacturing. In Auburn, health care is the largest industry,
and manufacturing and construction are the third and fourth largest industries, respectively. This
indicates that while working from home rates have likely increased in Auburn, the increase is likely
less than the region overall.
Figure 1S: Working at Home Rates by Industry in the Central Puget Sound1z
Professional & Business Services 75%
Arts & Media
Government & Military
Other 34%
I I
Construction 8 Manufacturing 29%
Healthcare & Education
9 https://www.soundtransit.org/ride-with-us/system-performance-tracker/ridership
10 httPs:Hkingcounty.gov/en/dept/metro/about/data-and-reports/performance-reports
11 King County Metro Ridership by Area Report, accessed November 27, 2024.
12 PSRC 2023 Household Travel Surrey
PAGE 20
Resolution 5831, Exhibit A
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN CITY OF AUBURN
d) List the most important land use and transportation objectives from
Auburn's plans that CTR most directly affects.
Land Use Objectives
Throughout the 2024 Comprehensive Plan, reference to the City's values are made. Within the
Land Use Element, the values of Wellness and Sustainability are particularly linked to CTR. In
reference to Industrial Land Uses, the City values properties and businesses to be connected to
nonmotorized corridors that offer alternative means to commute, contributing to both wellness
and sustainability.
Policies in the Land Use Element pertaining to Industrial designations propose development
incentives to encourage the creation of electric car charging stations, use of sustainable building
practices, development of nonmotorized infrastructure, and proximity and connection to public
transit. Additionally, landscaping, sidewalks, and bike paths should be integral parts of site design
for industrial developments, if it is located in an impression corridor or located within or adjacent
to an identified nonmotorized corridor. Overall, the policies emphasize the need for industrial
sites to accommodate multimodal travel, tying in with the goals of CTR.
Furthermore, the Land Use Element focuses denser residential areas closer to multimodal
transportation options. In the description of the Neighborhood Residential Three designation,
which encourages a mix of Middle Housing residential, apartment buildings, and mixed -use
development, the Land Use Element notes that these communities should be served by high -
capacity transit and have nonmotorized connections to surrounding amenities and services or
have access to on -site amenities. Additionally, density bonuses should be available to incentivize
nonmotorized connectivityto parks and commercial areas and proximityto transit service, among
other characteristics. Live -work units are also encouraged in this residential designation, lending
itself to increased working from home rates.
Similarly, the Mixed -Use designation, which encourages higher densities and proximity between
housing and commercial uses, is primarily located within designated Growth Centers or other
areas where walkable communities is desired. This land use designation is not intended to be
auto -oriented, and should encourage sustainable transportation options by creating viable
options for non -drive -alone transportation.
These values and policies, along with an overall theme of increased density and sustainability,
work hand -in -hand with the objectives and goals of CTR.
Transportation Objectives
The 2024 CTP provides 11 transportation goals for the City of Auburn. While all transportation
goal, policies, and actions are connected to CTR since transportation in the City is an
interconnected system, the goals that are most directly linked to CTR include:
Planning: Plan, expand, and improve the transportation system in cooperation and coordination
with adjacent and regional jurisdictions to ensure concurrency compliance with the Growth
Management Act, and to improve safety and efficiency of the multimodal system to meet the
community needs, facilitate the land use plan, and reduce vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse
gas emissions.
PAGE 21
Resolution 5831, Exhibit
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN CITY OF AUBURN
Environmental: Comply with environmental laws and regulations.
Multimodal Accessible Network: Ensure Auburn's transportation system is designed to be
comprehensive, integrated, accessible for users of all abilities, and facilitates different types of
traffic flows, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, transit riders and operators, truck
operators, and aviation users.
Multimodal Level of Service (MMLOS) Standards: Establish MMLOS for all City streets, active
transportation facilities, and access to transit service to serve as a gauge to judge performance of
the system and success in helping achieve the comprehensive plan goals consistent with
environmental justice.
Multimodal Concurrency: Ensure that those transportation system facilities and services
necessary to support development shall be adequate to serve the development at the time the
development is available for occupancy without decreasing current service levels below
established minimum standards.
Demand and System Management: Use Transportation Demand Management (TDM) and
Transportation System Management (TSM) strategies to reduce capacity demand on the
transportation system.
Using TDM strategies, the City will continue to encourage drivers of single occupancy vehicles to
consider alternate modes of travel such as carpools, vanpools, transit, active transportation
travel, and alternative work schedules, and has identified mode split goals for the Auburn Regional
Growth Center. The existing and 2035 mode split goals are summarized in Figure 16. These goals
reflect the desire to significantly reduce automobile travel as a share of work trips, with the most
significant increase in transit trips. The reduction in the vehicle mode split will be the result of the
right mix of land use changes, transportation investments, and roadway pricing tools.
Additionally, factors such as shifting demographic trends, preferences, and technology may
contribute to mode shifts above and beyond the identified goals.
Figure 16: Regional Center Mode Split Goals
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Parking: Ensure a balance between on -street and off-street parking provided to meet the needs
of existing land use, development, and other community needs and as allowed by law.
PAGE 22
Resolution 5831, Exhibit
2025-2029 COMMUTE TRIP REDUCTION PLAN CITY OF AUBURN
e) Describe critical aspects of land use and transportation that should be
sustained and key changes that should be considered to improve CTR's
contribution to the land use and transportation objective referenced.
In past discussions with CTR-affected worksites, some themes that have stood out regarding how
to improve non -drive -along trip rates include better connections to transit and bicycle and
pedestrian infrastructure. Many of the policies and goals described above in both the Land Use
Element and the CTP support improvements in these areas.
The focus in the CTP on growing the multimodal network lends itself to better connecting CTR
worksites with bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. Additionally, focusing active transportation
projects in areas with higher levels of transit service will help better connect workers to existing
transit service. Continuing to coordinate with transit agencies that serve Auburn, which is included
in the policies of the CTP, will help to encourage connection of transit service and major worksites
in Auburn.
The focus of the Land Use Element on concentrating both housing and job growth near frequent
transit also supports future potential CTR-affected sites. Having housing and jobs near frequent
transit would make it easier for Employee Transportation Coordinators (ETCs) to encourage
workers to use transit as an alternate mode of transportation. The additional emphasis in the
Land Use Element on ensuring future developments include multimodal connections in their sites
plans also goes hand -in -hand with CTR objectives.
Because both land use and transportation objectives emphasize multimodal transportation and
focusing housing and job density near transit and nonmotorized connections, very little about
either should be changed to improve CTR's contribution the objectives. Future iterations of the
Land Use Element and CTP should continue its emphasis on multimodal transportation options.
2) Describe how the CTR program will help achieve Auburn's land use and
transportation objectives.
a) Describe how and to what extent Auburn's CTR program will help
Auburn achieve the land use and transportation objectives referenced
in Question 1.
Auburn's CTR Plan and the City's focus on increasing housing density and completing the
multimodal networks are mutually reinforcing. By encouraging people to commute via non -drive -
alone modes, the CTR Plan supports the market for higher density housing close to transit and the
demand for multimodal networks. In turn, the higher density housing near transit and the
multimodal networks offer more opportunities for people to commute via non -drive -alone
modes.
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CITY OF AUBURN
3) Describe how the CTR program will help achieve Auburn's environmental
objectives.
a) Describe how the CTR program will support Auburn's greenhouse gas
emission reduction efforts.
The City's State and County partners have adopted ambitious emissions reductions timelines.
Table 2 provides these greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reduction targets.
Table 2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions Targets13
Figure 17 depicts Auburn's emissions forecast and reduction goals. This indicates that while
Auburn has found modest success in its approach to emissions reduction in the past, the City will
have to take on a more aggressive stance of curbing its emissions sources in order to meet its
reduction targets on time.
Figure 17. Auburn Community Emissions Forecast and Reduction Goals14
1,000,000 --- - —
O 800,000 — — —
U
600,000
0-o-nby2030
W-- ----- ---- ----- - - - - - -
----- --- --e
-dd_uu-
400,000 mc0 70%-
n by2040
N targ
200,000 -- ------ ---
E 9596rte ion by205O
11Q - -----
1 2 3 4 5
Year
The source of GHG emissions in the City can be broken down into five categories: solid waste,
residential energy use, commercial energy use, industrial energy use, and transportation. Of those
five categories, transportation is responsible for the largest share of GHG emissions, at 33% (see
Figure 18). This makes CTR directly relevant to the City of Auburn meeting its GHG emissions
reduction goals. By reducing the drive alone rate at the major employers in Auburn, GHG
emissions will, too, be reduced. Since transportation is the largest contributor to GHG emissions,
13 Pierce County and Statewide targets are based on 1990 GHG emission levels. PSRC and King
County targets area based on 2007 levels.
74 Greenhouse Gas Inventory for the City of Auburn, Washington (2018)
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it stands to reason that reductions in transportation emissions will have significant impacts on
overall emissions reductions.
Figure 18: Auburn Emissions Inventory by Sector (MTCOze) in 20151s
Solid Waste
A.
Transportation ,
33% r
9
1
Ind
Energy use
22%.
tential
gy Use
a%
Commercial
Energy Use
23%
b) Describe how the CTR program will support Auburn's environmental
objectives in addition to greenhouse gas emission reductions.
As drive -alone trips shift to transit, rideshare, and nonmotorized trips, the demand for new
roadways decreases and more land area can be left in a natural, unbuilt state which also improves
air quality.
4) Describe how Auburn's CTR program will help achieve regional and state
objectives.
a) Summarize the local, regional, and state benefits that would be gained
if you achieve your CTR targets.
Regional Objectives
In its 2022-2050 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), PSRC notes the following as objectives
regarding TDM:
Improving TDM Integration in Planning: TDM and CTR should be considered and addressed at
the planning, programming, and implementation stages of regional and local comprehensive
plans.
Measuring Program Effectiveness and Efficiency: Define program goals, identify the best TDM
strategies to support those goals, and measure how effectively the strategies achieve the goals.
11 Climate Action Plan of the City of Auburn
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Evaluating and Addressing Equity in TDM: Evaluate the equitable distribution and benefits of
TDM programs and, if there are deficiencies, identify opportunities to improve equity.
Modernize the CTR Law: The goals and priorities of the CTR law should be evaluated in
coordination with WSDOT, including an exploration of expanding its scope.
More broadly, the RTP also speaks to working towards an integrated multimodal transportation
system that serves diverse demands. Adequate sidewalks and paths should provide safe walking
routes to local destinations. High -quality infrastructure should provide convenient routes for
those who want to bicycle. Well -maintained roads, highways, and bridges provide routes for cars,
buses, freight haulers, and delivery trucks, as well as cyclists, pedestrians, and people riding
scooters, and other new emerging modes of transportation. Fast and frequent high -capacity and
local transit should be connected to these other modes of transportation and link important
concentrations of jobs and housing and other amenities.
The RTP also addresses environmental concerns and objectives, with climate change being a
primary focus of VISION 2050, PSRC's plan for growth. VISION 2050 has a goal for the region to
substantially reduce GHGs that contribute to climate change in accordance with the goals of the
Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. These goals are 50% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80%-below
1990 levels by 2050.
State Objectives
In its Draft 2023-2025 State Commute Trip Reduction Plan, WSDOT has an overarching goal of
increasing the use of high -efficiency transportation options for commuters. To reach this goal, it
lists the following objectives:
Improve Delivery of CTR Programs: Pursue programmatic changes to benefit performance,
advance customer experience, streamline program administration, and address resource
constraints.
Expand the CTR Market to Address Equity: Provide TDM services in more places, to more people,
with a focus on vulnerable populations in overburdened communities and tribes.
Produce More Useful Transportation Behavior Data: Monitor, evaluate, and improve data
collection.
Expand Investment and Service to Advance Equity and Environmental Justice: Research,
evaluate, and implement strategies that address environmental justice in alignment with the
Climate Commitment Act (CCA).
Respond to Shifting Mobility Patterns: The CTR program must adapt to changing conditions
regarding shifts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and employer shifts in expectations for
employees to physically report to the office.
Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The State CTR Program encourages use of TDM across the
state, which reduces GHG emissions by encouraging use of non -drive -alone modes.
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How CTR in Auburn Contributes
As with local land use and
transportation objectives, many
of the regional objectives and
goals go hand -in -hand with CTR
success. Through encouraging
workers to commute by non -
drive -alone modes, the CTR
program supports the demand for
the integrated multimodal
network PSRC calls for. Likewise,
building out the regional
multimodal network will
encourage workers to commute
via non -drive -alone modes.
Similarly, as drive -alone trips shift
to transit, rideshare, and
nonmotorized trips, GHG <1% 1%
emissions will lower. As with the City's GHG emissions, transportation — and particularly on -road
vehicles — accounts for the greatest share of GHG emissions (see Figure 19).16 Thus, success in CTR
will contribute to the shift from drive -alone trips to alternative modes and toward the region's
GHG emissions goals.
Figure 19: Regional Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Inventory, 2015
Additionally, successfully implementing CTR, including all of the regulatory requirements, will help
toward data- and CTR-related regional and state objectives. Ensuring that all CTR-affected
worksites complete their CTR surveys and program reports will provide the City, region, and state
with relevant data to assist with evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of local, regional, and
state CTR and TDM strategies. Additionally, continued coordination through various regional and
state meetings and workshops moves the CTR program forward, benefiting the regional objective
of modernizing the CTR law and the state objective of improving delivery of the CTR program.
b) List adjacent CTR-affected cities and counties.
The City of Auburn lies mostly within King County, with a portion of the southern part of the City
within Pierce County. In King County, Auburn is bordered to the City of Kent to the north and the
City of Federal Way to the west. The City of Pacific and Algona are west and south of Auburn, but
are not CTR-affected. Unincorporated King County lies to the east and northwest of Auburn. In
Pierce County, Auburn is bordered by the City of Sumer and unincorporated Pierce County.
c) Describe the top few cross -border and regional transportation issues
that affect Auburn.
Being in two counties places the City of Auburn in a unique position and can provide its own
challenges. Because it crosses the county border, Pierce Transit Route 497, which provides the
16 Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, 2018.
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only transit service in the Lakeland Hills area, operates through an interagency agreement
between Pierce Transit, King County Metro, and the City of Auburn. Decreases in ridership and
budget constraints has put the future of this route into question.
An additional cross -border challenge that arises is linked to the geographical constraints of the
City. As discussed in the land use section of this plan, Auburn consists of a valley, a plateau, and
hills — West Hill, Lea Hill, and Lakeland Hill. These geographical constraints can, at times, isolate
the hills, particularly Leah Hill and West Hill, or push residents towards other jurisdictions. The
geography also lends itself to making east -west transit, bicycle, and pedestrian connections more
difficult than north -south connections. Looking toward the future Link Light Rail 1 Line Federal
Way extension, ensuring an efficient and effective connection between the light rail, West Hill,
Auburn, and Lea Hill is important but challenging connection that must be addressed.
Additionally, the Central Puget Sound region is a diverse area regarding city sizes, transit access,
and densities. It contains dense, urban cities such as Seattle and Tacoma, more suburban areas,
such as Auburn, and also rural areas such as Sultan and Graham. Transit service also varies widely
throughout the region, with more densely populated areas like Seattle or Bellevue having many
transit options available and less dense areas having little to no transit access. This not only affects
Auburn in that we must ensure we are'advocating for the needs of Auburn residents, but also
because workers who commute into Auburn are coming from a wide variety of environments.
This affects the strategies that will be effective for different worksites and different workers.
d) Describe the strategies Auburn, adjacent cities and counties, and the
Central Puget Sound have agreed to use to address the top issues
described in the previous bullet.
A primary strategy for addressing regional and cross -border issues is maintaining effective
coordination between the City and its regional partners. This includes coordination with the
transit agencies that service Auburn, PSRC, WSDOT, and neighboring jurisdictions. Auburn meets
with nearby CTR-affected jurisdictions monthly to discuss issues that affect us and coordinate
implementation efforts, as well as participating regional and state meetings and workshops.
Attending various regional and state meetings and workshops ensures that Auburn has a voice in
any regional and state changes that may take place.
Coordination with Sound Transit, King County Metro, Pierce Transit, and Muckleshoot Tribal
Transit —the transit agencies that provide service in Auburn — is also important for addressing the
regional and cross -border issues. The South Link Connections Project is an example of interagency
coordination in which such cross -border issues as the east -west connection and West Hill and
Leah Hill connections have been discussed. Coordination between Pierce Transit, Metro, and
Auburn are working to address the future of Route 497 and transit access for Lakeland Hills.
Regional coordination amongst the CTR-affected jurisdictions will assist with addressing the
diversity of the region and how to best serve workers who are commuting from so many different
areas. Sharing CTR and TDM strategies that have been proven to be effective and collaborating
on future solutions is an important way to make sure we serve all workers in the region, and not
just those in urban areas. Sharing data, such as geospatial data for transportation infrastructure
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like park -and -rides in other jurisdictions, can also be helpful when discussing workers' needs with
CTR-affected employers.
Performance Targets
5) List Auburn's CTR performance target.
a) List performance targets that reflect only CTR-affected worksites.
The City of Auburn is using the weighted average drive alone rate (DAR) of 15.5% below, or less,
of Auburn's census performance in 2019 for CTR-affected worksites at the jurisdictional level. For
the City of Auburn, this comes out to a DAR performance target of 67% for CTR-affected
worksites.l'
b) List any additional performance targets.
The City of Auburn will not have any additional performance targets.
6) List the base value Auburn will use for each performance target.
a) For each performance target, provide the number Auburn will use as the
baseline.
Performance targets will be tied to the CTR survey. We will establish a base value during the 2023-
2025 survey cycle and measure progress using the 2025-2027 and 2027-2029 survey results.
7) Describe the method Auburn used to determine the base value for each
target.
a) Provide the source for each base value listed.
Performance targets will be tied to the CTR survey. We will establish a base value during the 2023-
2025 survey cycle and measure progress using the 2025-2027 and 2027-2029 survey results.
8) Describe how Auburn will measure progress toward each target.
a) List the method Auburn will use to measure progress for each target.
The City of Auburn will measure progress using the 2025-2027 and 2027-2029 survey results.
" Guidance for 2025-2029 City, County, Regional Commute Trip Reduction Plan, Transportation
Demand Management Technical Committee, Washington State Department of Transportation.
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9) List Auburn's CTR-affected worksites.
a) List all Auburn's CTR-affected worksites.
The current CTR-affected worksites, as of September 2024 in the City of Auburn include:
• City of Auburn — City Hall/Annex
• City of Auburn — Auburn Justice Center
• Costco Optical Lab
• Doxon Toyota of Auburn
• Green River College
• Hospital Central Services
• Leonard's Metal, Inc.
• MultiCare Auburn Medical Center
• Orion Industries
• ProAmpac
• Safeway Stores, Inc. (distribution center)
• Skills, Inc.
• The Boeing Company
• United Postal Service
• Zones
10) List a performance target for each CTR-affected worksite.
a) For any performance targets tied to the CTR survey, indicate that
Auburn will establish performance targets during the 2023-2025 survey
cycle.
Base year performance targets for each CTR-affected worksite will be established during the 2023-
2025 survey cycle.
11) List the base value Auburn will use for each site.
a) For any performance targets tied to the CTR survey, indicate that
Auburn will establish a base value during the 2023-2025 survey cycle.
The City will establish a base value during the 2023-2025 survey cycle.
Services and Strategies
12) Describe the services and strategies Auburn will use to achieve CTR
targets.
Transportation Demand Management (TDM)
TDM is an important toolset that Auburn will use to achieve CTR targets. Figure 20 summarizes
the various TDM strategies that Auburn will utilize in its CTR efforts.
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Figure 20: TDM Strategies
I I
Through van Is 6 For high -occupancy
and carpools vehicles
To discourage single
occupancy vehicle(SOV) travel
.a � //�
Mode Shift Through Infrastructure
I
CITY OF AUBURN
i ; ! I Encouraging non -motorized
To compress the work week or r travel through design features
i shift the commute outside the i t
itypical commute hours 1
I�IT ___ N SNI?!1! l
it —
___Ji
In addition to TDM strategies, changes to infrastructure can help to shift residents' and workers'
modes of travel. Through the 2024 CTP update process, the City has identified bicycle
infrastructure projects to further build out the bike network, with particular focus on bike
infrastructure that would provide a connection to transit. This focus will ensure that residents and
workers can access transit to best utilize transit in their daily commutes.
Mode Shift and Land Use
Concentrating new housing and jobs near frequent transit, as is a focus of the Land Use Element
in the Comprehensive Plan, will encourage the residents and employees at these new
developments to use transit rather than driving alone. Additionally, ensuring nonmotorized
connections with new developments will encourage shifts to those travel modes.
Engagement
Engagement with CTR-affected worksites, other employers in Auburn, and the general public is
an important component to shifting commute modes. Working towards consistent and
meaningful engagement with CTR-affected worksites will assist the worksites in better promoting
non -drive -along trips to their employees and influencing mode shifts. Additionally, promoting
TDM events and promotions to not only the worksites but also with the general public can help
spread awareness of other travel mode opportunities and provide some incentives for changing
how people travel. Some TDM related events or promotions include Bike Everywhere Month,
Transit Month, and Switch Your Trips Washington, among others.
Interagency Coordination and Advocacy
Transit service in Auburn is provided and operated by Sound Transit, King County Metro, Pierce
Transit, and Muckleshoot Tribal Transit. Thus, the City does not have direct control over transit
service within Auburn. Therefore, it is essential that the City continues to cultivate good working
relationships with the transit agencies and coordinate with them during service discussions.
Continued lines of open communication is how the City can advocate for and influence transit
service in Auburn, and ensure that the transit agencies know the priorities for the Auburn
community.
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13) Describe how Auburn's services and strategies will support CTR-affected
employers.
Auburn's services and strategies aim to improve transit access, bike infrastructure, pedestrian
infrastructure, and general multimodal connectivity throughout the City. This lends itself to
encouraging more people to switch from drive -alone trips to multimodal trips, supporting CTR-
affected employers. Additionally, continuing to engage with CTR-affected worksites provide
support and education to the employers, allowing them to better serve their workers.
14) Describe barriers Auburn must address to achieve CTR targets.
a) Describe how Auburn will address these barriers.
Some CTR worksites are not located close to transit stops, which makes the first mile / last mile
connection difficult, which, in turn, makes using transit to commute to the worksite difficult.
Additionally, even if the worksite is located near transit service, many of the CTR-affected
worksites offer schedules that do not line up well with transit schedules. Furthermore, some
worksites require flexibility that fixed -route transit cannot provide. For example, MultiCare
Auburn Medical Center, noted that many of their employees will end up working double shifts,
but they do not know this until they arrive at work for the day. Thus, transportation flexibility is
highly desired to allow them to take on the second shift, making transit less attractive.
To address these barriers, the City will work with CTR-affected worksites to better educate them
on non -drive -alone options that are not fixed -route transit. This may take the form of vanpooling,
carpooling, or, in the future, Metro Flex. Discussions with CTR-affected worksites regarding what
active transportation infrastructure is available near their worksite is also important in providing
non -fixed route transit. Additionally, bringing CTR-affected worksite feedback to the transit
agencies is important to ensure they are aware of the needs of Auburn worksites.
To encourage active transportation, the City needs to also focus on expanding its nonmotorized
infrastructure. This is addressed in the 2024 CTP, which presents a bicycle network and
multimodal levels of service.
Finally, a key element to helping CTR-affected worksites achieve their targets is for the City to
build open communication and rapport with the worksites and, specifically, the ETCs. The City will
ensure that it maintains contact information and provide consistent communication with
worksites.
15) Describe the transportation demand management technologies Auburn
plans to use to deliver CTR services and strategies.
The City of Auburn and the ETCs plan to use the RidesharOnline.com platform to for car and
vanpools, to track their use, and to promote and incentivize non -drive -alone modes. They also
use the state's CTR tool to conduct CTR surveys and gather program reports.
16) Transcribe or link to Auburn's local CTR ordinance.
The current CTR ordinance, Ordinance No. 6981, can be found in Appendix A.
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17) Describe Auburn's financial plan.
a) Describe the estimated average annual costs of Auburn's plan.
Table 3 breaks down the estimated annual cost to implement Auburn's CTR Plan. The estimate
annual costs are based upon the assumption that Auburn's biennial CTR Grant will remain at the
same level as the 2023-2025 biennium.
Table 3: Auburn's CTR Annual Cost
EstimatedActivity average annual cost
Employer engagement* $13,500
CTR 4-year plan
$5,950
Performance reporting**
$7,500
Administration***
$13,500
Total
$40,450
* Includes identifvine worksites and
ETCs. conductine trainines.
providing technical assistance, and reviewing employer CTR plans.
** Includes worksite surveys and program reports.
*** Includes financial and program management and interagency
coordination
b) Describe likely funding sources, public and private, to implement
Auburn's plan.
The City of Auburn's funding for its CTR program comes from the WSDOT CTR Grant, at $40,450
per year.
18) Describe Auburn's implementation structure.
a) Describe who will conduct the activities listed in Auburn's plan.
The City of Auburn Public Works Department will implement and administer the City's CTR Plan.
b) Indicate who will monitor progress on Auburn's plan. List job title,
department, and name.
Veronica Bean, the Transportation Planner in the Public Works Department, will monitor progress
of Auburn's CTR Plan.
19) List Auburn's implementation schedule.
a) Provide the timeline for anticipated projects.
Table 4 provides the CTR implementation schedule for 2025 — 2029.
Table 4:
Schedule
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a. Identify worksites and ETCs.
• Identify prospect worksites.
• Notify employers of legally
required activities.
• Verify and maintain list of
worksites and ETCs in survey and
program report system.
b. Engage and train ETCs.
• Conduct training sessions.
• Provide outreach and
consultation.
• Provide technical assistance for
worksite commute programs and
employee surveys.
• Send encouragement and
reminder emails.
c. Support distribution of information
about transportation options to
commuters.
• Develop promotions calendar.
• Provide information, materials,
and support for ETCs to promote
commute options at wellness fairs,
sustainability fairs, and other
employee engagement events.
• Convene colleagues from nearby
jurisdictions to create regional
promotions and share materials.
d. Enable incentives, subsidies, and
disincentives.
• Promote the CTR business -and -
occupation tax/public-utilities-tax
credit.
• Provide information and promote
ORCA business choice and
business passport to employers.
• Organize promotional events and
provide funds for individuals and
campaigns.
CITY OF AUBURN
a. Identify worksites and ETCs.
• Identify prospect worksites.
• Notify employers of legally
required activities.
• Verify and maintain list of
worksites and ETCs in survey and
program report system.
b. Engage and train ETCs.
• Conduct training sessions.
• Provide outreach and
consultation.
• Provide technical assistance for
worksite commute programs and
employee surveys.
• Send encouragement and
reminder emails.
c. Support distribution of information
about transportation options to
commuters.
• Develop promotions calendar.
• Provide information, materials,
and support for ETCs to promote
commute options at wellness fairs,
sustainability fairs, and other
employee engagement events.
• Convene colleagues from nearby
jurisdictions to create regional
promotions and share materials.
d. Enable incentives, subsidies, and
disincentives.
• Promote the CTR business -and -
occupation tax/public-utilities-tax
credit.
• Provide information and promote
ORCA business choice and
business passport to employers.
• Organize promotional events and
provide funds for individuals and
campaigns.
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Performance Reporting
a. Worksite surveys.
• Review revised policies and
tutorials.
• Attend WSDOT trainings and
workshops.
• Survey worksites..
• Provide training and technical
assistance to ETCs.
• Monitor online dashboards and
help employers interpret and use
dashboards to guide their
programs.
• Analyze survey results and identify
trends.
b. Program reports.
• Review revised policies and
tutorials.
• Attend WSDOT trainings and
workshops.
• Provide training and technical
assistance to ETCs.
• Analyze program reports and
----identify trends. _
Program Administration
a. Financial management.
• Complete quarterly billing to
WSDOT.
• Maintain financial records. .
b. Program management.
• Provide quarterly reports to
WSDOT.
• Maintain employer information.
• Maintain plan and ordinance.
• Provide feedback to WSDOT to
improve processes and program
performance.
• Develop a two-year program
schedule.
c. Policymaker engagement.
• Provide updates to executive
management, City Council, and
CITY OF AUBURN
Performance Reporting
a. Worksite surveys.
• Review revised policies and
tutorials.
• Attend WSDOT trainings and
workshops.
• Survey worksites.
• Provide training and technical
assistance to ETCs.
• Monitor online dashboards and
help employers interpret and use
dashboards to guide their
programs.
• Analyze survey results and identify
trends.
b. Program reports.
• Review revised policies and
tutorials.
• Attend WSDOT trainings and
workshops.
• Provide training and technical
assistance to ETCs.
• Analyze , program reports and
identify trends.
Program Administration
a. Financial management.
• Complete quarterly billing to
WSDOT.
• Maintain financial records.
b. Program management.
• Provide quarterly reports to
WSDOT.
• Maintain employer information.
• Maintain plan and ordinance.
• Provide feedback to WSDOT to
improve processes and program
performance.
• Develop a two-year program
schedule.
c. Policymaker engagement.
• Provide updates to executive
management, City Council, and
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Transportation Advisory Board, as
applicable.
d. Community of practice.
• Attend regional and state TDM
forums, committees, boards, and
working groups.
• Review and comment on the State
CTR Plan, State CTR Report, and
regional and local transportation
plans.
CITY OF AUBURN
Transportation Advisory Board, as
applicable.
d. Community of practice.
• Attend regional and state TDM
forums, committees, boards, and
working groups.
• Review and comment on the State
CTR Plan, State CTR Report, and
regional and local transportation
plans.
CTR Plan _ Y-
Develop the 4-year CTR Plan.
20) Describe the CTR plan for Auburn employees.
a) Describe the services, programs, information, and other actions Auburn
put in place to help its employees reduce their drive alone commute
trips.
The City of Auburn has two CTR-affected worksites: Auburn City Hall/Annex and the Auburn
Justice Center. For these two worksites, and for all City employees regardless of their work
location, the City provides a CTR program, which is administered by the City's Human Resources
Department. The City administers the required program elements, including:
• Designation of an employee transportation coordinator (ETC).
• Regular distribution of information to employees about alternatives to single -occupant
vehicle commuting. This information is distributed to, each new employee during
orientation, as well as during the City's annual benefits fair.
• A regular review of employee commuting and reporting of progress toward meeting the
worksites' CTR goals. This is accomplished through administering the CTR survey every
other year.
• A regular review of the City's CTR program through the completion of the CTR Program
Report every other year.
• Implementation of the following measures design to achieve the City's CTR goals:
o Provide subsidized ORCA transit cards to all full-time, regular employees who are
eligible to participate. The City loads $75 per month on each employee ORCA card
through the ORCA Business Choice Program.
o Permit teleworking through a formal City teleworking policy. Employees are
permitted to telework one or two days per week, depending upon their job
responsibilities, work schedule, and departmental needs.
o Permit compressed work weeks. Employees are permitted to work a 9-80 work
week, in which they work 80 hours over 9 days, having one day off every other
week, depending on their work duties and departmental needs.
o Provide a City -owned fleet vehicles for employees to use for work -related trips.
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o Promote and advertise TDM related events or promotions, such as Bike
Everywhere Month and Switch Your Trips Washington.
21) Describe how the CTR plan for Auburn employees contributes to the
success of the overall plan.
a) Describe how the plan for Auburn employees contributes to the success
reinforces the success of the Auburn plan.
The actions included in the City's CTR Program indicate the City's commitment and are similar to
those included in all the CTR-affected worksite programs. Thus, they create a mutually reinforcing
community focused on CTR. Employers know that the City is involved and committed to CTR along
with them. This strengthens the program at all affected worksites in the City.
Alignment with Plans
22) List the transit agencies that provide services in Auburn.
The following transit agencies provide services in Auburn:
• Sound Transit
• King County Metro
• Pierce Transit
• Muckleshoot Tribal Transit
23) List the transit plans Auburn reviewed while developing this plan.
While developing this plan, Auburn reviewed:
• Sound Transit Transit Development Plan 2024-2029
• King County Metro Long -Range Plan: Metro Connects
• Pierce Transit Long Range Plan Update: Destination 2040
24) Describe how this CTR plan supports the transit plans.
The City's CTR Plan supports the above transit plan through a variety of ways:
Employer engagement and promotion: Through engaging with CTR-affected worksites and
promoting transit services, use of transit will increase through awareness and increased
availability of subsidized transit passes.
Incentive: Promoting incentive -based TDM events, such as Switch Your Trips Washington, will
encourage more workers to change drive -alone trips to transit or other alternative modes.
Marketing: Increased marketing will make workers more aware of the transit options that are
available.
Engagement with the planning process: This increases awareness of and support for transit and
other travel modes.
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25) Describe any comprehensive plan updates that are needed and when they
will be made.
This 2025-2029 CTR Plan is aligned with the 2024 Comprehensive Plan and the 2024 CTP. Updates
to either plan is not needed for the implementation of this CTR Plant.
Engagement
26) Describe stakeholder engagement.
a) Who did you talk to? When did you talk to them? What did they have
to say?
CTR-Affected Worksite Feedback
The City engages with the ETCs at CTR-affected worksites when reviewing CTR survey results and
throughout the year. Additionally, whenever a new ETC starts at a worksite, the City provides
training to that ETC and their manager, which includes additional conversations about the
worksite and their programs. Through this ongoing engagement, conversations with the ETCs
revealed some common themes regarding challenges CTR-worksites face in meeting their goals.
Some CTR worksites are not located close to transit stops, which makes the first mile / last mile
connection difficult, which, in turn, makes using transit to commute to the worksite difficult.
Additionally, even if the worksite is located near transit service, many of the CTR-affected
worksites offer schedules that do not line up well with transit schedules. Furthermore, some
worksites require flexibility that fixed -route transit cannot provide. For example, MultiCare
Auburn Medical Center, noted that many of their employees will end up working double shifts,
but not know this until they arrive at work for the day. Thus, transportation flexibility is highly
desired to allow them to take on the second shift, making transit less attractive.
Additionally, many of the CTR-affected worksites are industries that do not lend themselves to
teleworking. Of the 15 CTR-affected worksites, 9 are industrial (manufacturing and
warehousing/distribution). Two more are health care. As evidenced by the PSRC Household Travel
Survey, the industries that saw the lowest work from home share were healthcare and education,
and construction and manufacturing (see Question 1).
Business Community Survey
To directly inform Auburn's CTR Plan, the City sent a short online survey to all businesses with an
Auburn business license with more than 5 employees, regardless of their CTR status. Because CTR
affects more than just CTR-affected employers, it was important to gather feedback from a variety
of businesses throughout the City. This survey asked businesses the same questions as the CTR-
affected worksites.
While this survey was emailed out to over 800 businesses, the City received only 9 responses.
These responses, however, did reveal some trends. Of the 9 responses, 7 noted that better bus
routes and schedules would make it easier for employees or customers to commute to their
workplace via a non -drive -alone mode. Four respondents also noted that they need better
information about how to take transit or how to find a transit route. Additionally, five respondents
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replied that kids or family obligations make non -drive -alone trips difficult, and that it feels unsafe
to take transit, carpool, or bike.
The survey also asked a few demographic questions to better understand who was responding.
The 9 businesses that responded represented employees who spoke Arabic, Chinese, English,
Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Swahili, Twi (Akan), and Burmese. The
employers also represented a range of wage levels, from $17/hour - $24/hour ($25,001 -
$50,000/year) bracket to $48/hour — $72/hour ($100,001/year - $150,000/year). These
businesses also represent a mix of 9 to 5 shifts and multi -shift schedules.
Comprehensive Transportation Plan Outreach
Public outreach was a critical component of the comprehensive planning process, which also
greatly informed the drafting of this CTR Plan. Throughout the years of 2023 and 2024, City staff
attended several public events and provided a webpage with a survey for public participation in
the CTP. The information provided on the webpage was available in English, Spanish, Ukrainian,
Russian, and Tagalog, where are prevalent languages in Auburn.
As part of the adoption process, the CTP was also reviewed by the Transportation Advisory Board
(TAB), which is comprised of members of the public representing various groups, such as transit
users, bicyclists, pedestrians, the disabled community, seniors, youth, and the business
community, among others. The CTP was also reviewed by the Planning Commission.
The first online survey conducted for the CTP asked Auburn residents:
• Do you have any suggestions on how we can encourage more people to walk, ride a bike,
or take a bus instead of driving a car?
• Do you have any suggestions on how we make sure we are providing transportation
facilities in an equitable way and that we are considering the needs of the entire
community, including typically underserved and disadvantaged groups?
• Do you have any suggestions on how we should prioritize limited funding for the wide
range of transportation needs throughout the City?
• Do you have any other comments about transportation in Auburn?
Responses to these questions brought out themes of expanding the nonmotorized network,
safety, and education/marketing. The responses also emphasized that focusing funding and
projects on multimodal infrastructure would serve the entire community, including those of
underserved communities.
In -person events were also held to garner public feedback about the CTP. An open house was held
on April 25, 2023. Bike Everywhere Day Celebration Stations in both 2023 and 2024 presented
information and asked for feedback. Staff displayed information at the Kid's Day even on June 23,
2023, to let the community know about the plan and ask for feedback. A booth was set up at the
Auburn Farmer's Market on July 23, 2023, and also at the Church of Nazarene resource fair on
August 5, 2023. The City also gave a presentation to the Senior Center Advisory Committee and
tabled in the Senior Center lobby on May 21, 2024.
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The feedback received from these in -person events informed the CTP, which has also informed
this CTR Plan. Themes of a desire for improved bicycle facilities, safety, expanded transit service,
and comfort of bicycle, pedestrian, and transit facilities came through in these in -person events.
A detailed description of the public involvement and comments received can be found in the 2024
Comprehensive Transportation Plan.
b) How did what they said influence the plan?
Previous sections of this plan detail the importance of plans to expand the multimodal network,
particularly bike infrastructure and sidewalks, in Auburn. This reflects common threads heard in
engagement with CTR-affected businesses, the general Auburn business community, and the
Auburn community as a whole. Additionally, the feedback from engagement with the general
Auburn business community regarding the need for greater education and awareness of non -
drive -alone commute options goes hand -in -hand with this CTR Plan.
27) Describe vulnerable populations considered.
When considering this CTR Plan and public engagement, as well as outreach during the CTP
planning process, the City wanted to ensure that all residents and workers in Auburn had
opportunities to be heard, regardless of their background or circumstances. Auburn is a diverse
community, and therefore the City made sure to provide outreach opportunities in different
formats, with both online and in -person outreach events. Information was also made available in
different languages. Presenting information at the City's Transportation Advisory Board (TAB),
which consists of members of the public representing various groups, also ensures we heard
feedback from a wide variety of populations in Auburn.
28) Describe engagement focused on vulnerable populations.
a) Who did you talk to? When did you talk to them? What did they have
to say? How did what they said influence the plan?
In addition to the online open houses and surveys, which were available in multiple languages,
the City also spoke directly to Auburn's senior community. The City gave a presentation to the
Senior Center Advisory Committee and also tabled in the Senior Center lobby. This gave seniors
the opportunity to discuss various transportation topics, concerns, and issues with the City. These
discussions touched on themes of safety when walking and transit access. As with other feedback
we heard from the general public, these themes reflect the need for expanded pedestrian
infrastructure and transit service, which is addressed in this plan.
29) List employers' suggestions to make CTR more effective.
Engagement with CTR-affected worksites revealed some common themes. Some CTR worksites
are not located close to transit stops, which makes the first mile / last mile connection difficult,
which, in turn, makes using transit to commute to the worksite difficult. Additionally, even if the
worksite is located near transit service, many of the CTR-affected worksites offer schedules that
do not line up well with transit schedules. Furthermore, some worksites require flexibility that
fixed -route transit cannot provide. For example, MultiCare Auburn Medical Center, noted that
many of their employees will end up working double shifts, but not know this until they arrive at
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work for the day. Thus, transportation flexibility is highly desired to allow them to take on the
second shift, making transit less attractive.
Additionally, many of the CTR-affected worksites are industries that do not lend themselves to
teleworking. Of the 15 CTR-affected worksites, 9 are industrial (manufacturing and
warehousing/distribution). Two more are health care. As evidenced by the PSRC Household Travel
Survey, the industries that saw the lowest work from home share were healthcare and education,
and construction and manufacturing (see Question 1).
Increased education and awareness of non -drive -alone commute options that are not fixed route
transit was mentioned by several ETCs. This includes helping the businesses and workers
understand vanpool and potentially Metro Flex in the future. Another suggestion was to help
employers understand where their workers are commuting from. This, in turn, will help them
better understand how to assist workers in their commute options.
30) Describe results of engagement focused on vulnerable populations that
will be provided for use in comprehensive and transit plan updates.
All engagement that has influenced Auburn's CTR Plan has also been influential in 2024 CTP and
Comprehensive Plan Update. These plans and the CTR Plan have been updated and drafted
alongside one another, with open communication between the departments writing all plans.
Regional Transportation Planning Organization CTR
Plan Review
31) RTPO Comments
The City of Auburn CTR Plan was reviewed by PSRC and is consistent with the regional CTR Plan.
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Appendix A
Ordinance No. 6981(to be attached upon adoption)
CITY OF AUBURN