Description
Collaborate with the hotels, casinos, event venues, and event planners to provide free shuttles, information, and other resources to visitors to reduce single occupancy vehicle trips.
Implementation Details
- Establish partnerships between major hotels and event venues to fund and operate shared visitor shuttle services connecting major tourist destinations.
- Coordinate with Marin Transit to align shuttle services with local transit schedules and stops.
- Require large event organizers to submit transportation demand management plans that include provisions for free or subsidized shuttle access, carpooling platforms, bike valet, and real-time transit information.
- Create a regional TDM checklist for event permit applications.
- Partner with Marin Convention and Visitors Bureau and local chambers of commerce to distribute sustainable travel guides through hotel concierge desks and tourism websites.
Mitigation Potential
Offering information and shuttles as an alternative option to visitors makes driving less attractive and reduces VMT. While there is less research on quantifying this VMT reduction strategy, traveler and guest surveys can help quantify the effectiveness of this strategy locally.
Linked Strategies
Equity Considerations
Shuttle routes and schedules should accommodate guest travel patterns. Messaging and wayfinding materials should be multilingual, reflecting all guests.
Funding Sources
Unlikely to require significant additional funding, but will require staff time.
Implemented in TAM Area
Current TDM Implementation
Marin County is a major tourist destination, attracting visitors to natural areas like Point Reyes National Seashore and special events like the Marin County Fair. Hotels and event venues situated near SMART stations, ferry terminals, and transit lines provide information to guests to promote transit use. Private shuttle services like Marin Airport Transportation and North Bay Shuttle provide shared and private transportation services between SFO, OAK, and hotels and destinations in Marin.
TDM Benefit Locations
Hotels and event venues share information with guests directly, but this TDM measure would be better implemented as a collaboration between municipalities, transit agencies, and the hospitality industry. Offering more shared shuttle options for special events and creating consistent messaging to promote transit use for visitors can reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips and congestion.