PURPOSE:

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a Federal agency that studies renewable energy and energy efficiency, has worked with the Burbank Transportation Management Organization (BTMO) to study the efficiency and effectiveness of the City�s trip reduction program, as specified in the Media District Specific Plan and Burbank Center Plan.  Representatives from NREL have asked for an opportunity to present their findings directly to Council.  This report provides some background to the trip reduction program and BTMO, and includes a copy of the NREL report.    

BACKGROUND

The Media District Specific Plan (MDSP) was adopted in 1991 to address concerns over continuing commercial development in the area, and to ensure that Media District companies would be able to meet their future facility needs.  The MDSP�s Transportation Demand Management program (BMC Sec. 31-2132) was created to reduce the impact upon the local circulation system of continuing development by reducing the number of commute trips generated by the larger MD companies.  The program required companies located within the MDSP area with 25 or more employees to form a transportation management organization and to achieve 38% reductions in expected trip generation levels over a 20-year planning period.    

Shortly after the adoption of the MDSP, the area companies formed the Media District Transportation Management Organization, which was subsequently renamed the Burbank Transportation Management Organization.  Ms. Judith Johnston-Weston was selected as the Executive Director of the non-profit entity, and she continues in that capacity today.  One of the TMO�s primary responsibilities is to oversee the member�s annual survey of their employee driving patterns during a one-week period in May, and to report whether the cumulative and individual mandated trip-reduction goals for that year have been achieved.  While individual companies have in some cases had year-to-year difficulties in meeting their individual goals, the overall goal for the Media District has been met in each of the fifteen years that that program has been in operation. 

In 1998, the City adopted the Burbank Center Plan (BCP) as a growth plan for the Downtown area.  That plan includes a trip reduction requirement and TMO membership requirement nearly identical to the MDSP program; the only difference being that the 38% reduction in expected trips is required to be achieved in a shorter period of time.  The then-MDTMO was asked to take on the responsibility of the BCP trip reduction program as well, and was renamed the Burbank TMO.  In each of the years since the 1998 program implementation, the BCP companies have collectively met the BCP trip reduction goal for that year. 

The Burbank TMO works with its member companies to achieve required trip reduction levels by providing information on incentive measures and strategies, disseminating transit information, and by keeping them current on the applicable regulatory programs.  The Burbank TMO also advocates for clean air programs and works with other agencies to acquire grant funding for local pollution reduction programs.    

NREL REPORT

The National Energy Renewable Laboratory is the nation's primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development.  Established in 1974, NREL began operating in 1977 as the Solar Energy Research Institute.  It was designated a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in September 1991, and consequently changed its name to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.  NREL develops renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices, advances related science and engineering, and transfers knowledge and innovations to address the nation's energy and environmental goals.  Their major program concentrations are Advanced Vehicle Technology and Fuels, Basic Energy Science, Biomass, Building Technologies, Electronic Infrastructure Systems, Energy Analysis, Geothermal Energy, Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, Solar Energy and Wind Energy.

NREL learned about the City�s Trip Reduction program and the Burbank Transportation Management Organization two years ago.  Since then, it has been working with the TMO to study the program structure and how the TMO works with its member companies to ensure that the mandated goals are met.  NREL has been primarily interested in the potential transferability of the program to other metropolitan areas of the county with congestion and air quality problems.  NREL has now concluded its study and has prepared a report of its findings (Exhibit A).  NREL has presented the report to the Transportation Commission and requests that they be permitted to discuss their findings with the City Council.     

This study can also be accessed via internet at www.nrel.gov.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends that the Council note and file the report and provide input as desired.

LIST OF EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT A:  Burbank Transportation Management Organization: An Analysis of Impacts�, by J. Aabakken and E. Brown  of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 

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