Transportation Management Plans (TMPs) — Special Use Permit

Transportation Management Plans (TMPs) are part of the City of Alexandria Zoning Ordinance, Article XI, Division B, Development Approvals, Section 11-700 – Transportation Management Special Use Permits. This ordinance was enacted by City Council on May 16, 1987 to offset the traffic impact of new developments.

The ordinance requires that projects of the sizes indicated below submit a special use permit application which must include a traffic impact analysis and a transportation management plan:

Office	50,000 or more square feet of usable space.
Retail	40,000 or more square feet of usable retail sales space.
Industrial	150,000 or more square feet of usable industrial space.
Residential	250 or more dwelling units.
Mixed-use	Any combination of space including one or more of the foregoing uses, at the threshold size applicable to that use. If the threshold is satisfied in any of the uses, the TMP must be prepared for all uses present in the project.

A TMP fund is established to finance the transportation strategies to induce people to use modes other than the single occupancy vehicle. Some of these strategies are discounted fare media, shuttle bus service, registration fees for car sharing, bus shelter maintenance, bicycle lockers and parking facilities, and some administrative costs of the plan. The fund stays in an account belonging to the TMP holder but the City can claim this money if no approved transportation activities are conducted.

As of July 2011, 80 transportation management plans have been prepared. Among these 57 are active; 3 were prepared but the projects developed in a manner that did not require a TMP or were not developed, and 20 have been prepared and are in the approval process.

In the Transportation and Environmental Services Department (T&ES), the Transportation Planning Division administers the TMPs. City staff verifies compliance with the conditions of TMPs through the following documents:

• Semi-annual Fund Report — This form is used to record the TMP financial contributions made by a TMP holder to support the transportation activities. It also records the expenses incurred and gives a summary of the contribution, the expenses and the balance to carry over, if any. Deficits are shown as additional contributions by the TMP holder to avoid carrying negative balances.

Semi-Annual TMP Fund Report

• Resident and Employee Surveys — The objective of the surveys is to find out the transportation behavior used by residents and employees of developments with a TMP. The survey measures the effectiveness of the transportation strategies carried out by TMP holders, as these strategies are intended to stimulate single occupant vehicle (SOV) drivers to switch to transit, join a carpool, ride a bike, and use any other means of transportation.

TMP Annual Report — This report is a narrative of the activities carried out during each year.  It gives a summary of the survey, and indicates what activities are planned for the coming year.

Sample Annual Report Narrative   

All TMPs are conveyed in perpetuity with the land.

Permanence of the TMP Ordinance — Prior to the signing of any lease/purchase agreements, the applicant/developer shall prepare appropriate language to inform tenants/owners of the transportation management plan special use permit and conditions therein. The City Attorney’s office reviews and approves such language.

The Director of T&ES may approve modifications to agreed TMP activities, if the changes are consistent with the goals of the TMP.

2008 Program Review Report: Transportation Management Plan, Special Use Permit Program Review