Transportation Planning

Growth and Transportation Efficiency Center (GTEC)

In 2006 the Washington State Legislature passed the Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Efficiency Act to improve the efficiency of the state’s transportation system. This law was an update to the original CTR law that was passed in 1991. Clark County is required to participate in the state’s CTR program due to the amount of congestion on the I-5 corridor.

The CTR Efficiency Act required affected, local jurisdictions to develop local and regional CTR plans, and provides them the opportunity to create Growth and Transportation Efficiency Centers (GTEC). GTEC’s are intended to be developed in a jurisdiction’s densest employment or residential areas. A GTEC can utilize customized transportation demand management (TDM) programs and efficient land-use policies to improve transportation system performance.

The City of Vancouver developed and approved two GTEC plans, one for downtown Vancouver and one for the Columbia Tech Center on the east side of Vancouver. In the fall of 2007, the City applied for and was successful in obtaining a $180,000 state grant for the implementation of a GTEC in the downtown. The downtown GTEC program is focused on adopting goals and policies, facility and service improvements and marketing strategies to increase progress towards the reduction of drive-alone trips and vehicle miles traveled.

Washington State Department of Transportation GTEC Program

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Downtown Vancouver GTEC Plan

The downtown GTEC plan was developed through the involvement of employers, organizations, and individuals who helped identify strategies and ways for successful achievement of the goals. The plan is also based on WSDOT guidance, lessons learned from Transportation Management Associations (TMA) within the Vancouver/ Portland metropolitan area and from recognized experts. This plan helps to support the achievement of the jurisdiction’s overall CTR, comprehensive and other plans.

Download the Downtown GTEC Plan.

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Development of Downtown GTEC
Starting in June of 2008, work will begin on the formalization of the GTEC in the downtown area. This work will be kicked-off by a commute survey that the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will be administering. They have hired Opinion Research Northwest to complete a random sample survey of employers in the downtown area to find out how their employees are currently commuting to work.  In order to show progress once the downtown GTEC is formed, a baseline survey will need to be completed, which this survey will do.

Access the electronic survey form at http://www.ctrsurvey.org/gtec/

One of the primary goals for the downtown GTEC is to develop a Transportation Management Association (TMA) in the downtown. TMA’s are non-profit, member-controlled organizations that help to manage transportation services in a particular area like the downtown and are generally public-private partnerships, consisting primarily of area businesses with local government support. City of Vancouver is in process of hiring a consultant to help with development of this process, and the City is working in partnership with the Vancouver Downtown Association with this effort as well.