A. “Affected employee” means a full-time employee who begins their regular workday at a major employer work site between six a.m. and nine a.m. (inclusive) on two or more weekdays for at least twelve continuous months. For the purpose of defining affected employees the following apply:

B. “Affected urban growth area” means:

C. “Alternative mode” means any means of commute transportation other than that in which the single-occupant motor vehicle is the dominant mode, including teleworking and compressed work weeks if they result in reducing commute trips.

D. “Alternative work schedules” means work schedules that allow employees to work their required hours outside of the traditional Monday to Friday, eight a.m. to five p.m. schedule. Programs such as compressed workweeks that eliminate work trips for affected employees are an example.

E. “Base year” means the twelve-month period that commences when the city of Monroe determines an employer is required to comply with the CTR law.

F. “Base year survey” or “baseline measurement” means the survey, during the base year, of employees at a major employer work site to determine the drive-alone rate and vehicle miles traveled per employee at the work site. The jurisdiction uses this measurement to develop commute trip reduction goals for the major employer. The baseline measurements must be implemented in a manner that meets the requirements specified by the city.

G. “Baseline data collection” means the collection of employee trip data at a major worksite to determine the non-drive-alone trips and greenhouse gas emissions per employee at the worksite. The jurisdiction uses these measurements to develop commute trip reduction targets for the major employer. The baseline measurements must be implemented in a manner that meets the requirements and time frame specified by the city.

H. “Carpool” means a motor vehicle occupied by at least two people traveling together for their commute trip that results in the reduction of a minimum of one motor vehicle commute trip.

I. “City” means the city of Monroe.

J. “Commute trip reduction (CTR) plan” means the city of Monroe’s plan and ordinance to regulate and administer the CTR programs of major employers within its jurisdiction.

K. “Commute trip vehicle miles traveled per employee (VMT)” means the sum of the individual commute trip lengths in miles over a set period divided by the number of full-time employees.

L. “Commute trips” means trips made from a worker’s home to a work site during the peak period of six a.m. to nine a.m. (inclusive) on weekdays.

M. “Commuter” means a resident or employee in an affected urban growth area who is participating in the city’s commute trip reduction program, including any growth and transportation and efficiency center programs, implemented to meet Monroe’s established targets.

N. “Commuter matching service” means a system that assists in matching commuters for the purpose of commuting together.

O. “Compressed work week” means an alternative work schedule, in accordance with employer policy, that regularly allows a full-time employee to eliminate at least one workday every two weeks by working longer hours during the remaining days, resulting in fewer commute trips by the employee. This definition is primarily intended to include weekly and biweekly arrangements, the most typical being four ten-hour days or eighty hours in nine days, but may also include other arrangements.

P. “CTR law” means the Commute Trip Reduction Law passed by the Washington State legislature in 1991 (Chapter 202, Laws of 1991) and codified in RCW 70A.15.4000 through 70A.15.4110, and amended in 1997, 2006 and 2020, requiring each county containing an urban growth area, designated pursuant to RCW 36.70A.110, and each city within an urban growth area with a state highway segment exceeding the one hundred person hours of delay threshold calculated by the Department of Transportation, as well as those counties and cities located in any contiguous urban growth areas to adopt a commute trip reduction plan and ordinance for major employers in the affected urban growth area.

Q. “CTR program” means an employer’s strategies to reduce affected employees’ SOV use, VMT per employee, and greenhouse gas emissions.

R. “Custom bus/bus pool” means a commuter bus service arranged specifically to transport employees to work.

S. “Drive-alone commute trip” means commute trips made by employees in single occupant vehicles.

T. “Employer” means a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, unincorporated association, cooperative, joint venture, agency, department, district, or other individual or entity, whether public, nonprofit, or private, that employs workers.

U. “ETC” means employer transportation coordinator as required pursuant to RCW 70A.15.4040(3).

V. “Flex-time” is an employer policy allowing individual employees some flexibility in choosing the time, but not the number, of their working hours to facilitate the use of alternative modes.

W. “Full-time employee” means a person, other than an independent contractor, scheduled to be employed on a continuous basis for fifty-two weeks for an average of at least thirty-five hours per week on two or more weekdays per week.

X. “Goals” means the established criteria for measuring effectiveness of employer programs as outlined in the city of Monroe’s CTR plan.

Y. “Good faith effort” means that an employer has met the minimum requirements identified in RCW 70A.15.4050 and this chapter, and is working collaboratively with the city/county to continue its existing CTR program or is developing and implementing program modifications likely to result in improvements to its CTR program over an agreed-upon length of time.

Z. “Growth and transportation efficiency center (GTEC)” means a defined, compact, mixed use urban center that contains jobs or housing and supports multiple modes of transportation. For the purpose of funding, a GTEC must meet minimum criteria established by the CTR Board under RCW 70A.15.4010, and must be certified by a regional transportation planning organization as established in RCW 47.80.020.

AA. “Implementation” means active pursuit by an employer of the CTR goals of RCW 70A.15.4000 through 70A.15.4110 and this chapter, as evidenced by appointment of a transportation coordinator, distribution of information to employees regarding alternatives to SOV commuting, and commencement of other measures according to its approved CTR program and schedule.

BB. “Jurisdiction’s base year measurement” means the proportion of single-occupant vehicle commute trips by CTR commuters and commute trip vehicle miles traveled per CTR commuter on which commute trip reduction targets for the local jurisdiction shall be based. The jurisdiction’s base year measurement, for those jurisdictions with an affected urban growth area as of March 1, 2017, shall be determined based on employee surveys administered in the 2016-2017 survey cycle. If complete employee survey data from the 2016-2017 survey cycle is not available, then the base year measurement shall be calculated from the most recent and available set of complete employee survey data.

CC. “Major employer” means a private or public employer, including state agencies, that employs one hundred or more full-time employees at a single work site who begin their regular workday between six a.m. and nine a.m. on at least two weekdays for at least twelve continuous months.

DD. “Major work site” (or “worksite”) means a building or group of buildings that is/are on physically contiguous parcels of land or on parcels of land separated solely by private or public roadways or rights-of-way, and at which there are one hundred or more full-time employees.

EE. “Mode” means the means of transportation used by employees, such as single-occupant motor vehicle, rideshare vehicle (carpool, vanpool), transit, ferry, bicycle, walking, compressed work schedule and teleworking.

FF. “Notice” means written communication delivered via the United States Postal Service with receipt deemed accepted three days following the day on which the notice was deposited with the postal service unless the third day falls on a weekend or legal holiday in which case the notice is deemed accepted the day after the weekend or legal holiday. Emails and facsimile (fax) transmissions are temporary notices of action that must be followed by the original document via mail or delivery.

GG. “Peak period” means the hours from six a.m. to nine a.m. (inclusive), Monday through Friday, except legal holidays.

HH. “Peak period trip” means any employee trip that delivers the employee to begin his or her regular workday between six a.m. and nine a.m. (inclusive), Monday through Friday, except legal holidays.

II. “Person hours of delay” means the daily person hours of delay per mile in the peak period of six a.m. to nine a.m. (inclusive), as calculated using the best available methodology by the Washington State Department of Transportation.

JJ. “Proportion of single-occupant vehicle trips” or “SOV rate” means the number of commute trips made by single-occupant automobiles divided by the number of full-time employees.

KK. “Single-occupant vehicle (SOV)” means a motor vehicle occupied by one employee for commute purposes, including a motorcycle. If there are other passengers occupying the motor vehicle, but the ages of these passengers are sixteen or under, the motor vehicle is still considered a “single-occupant vehicle” for measurement purposes.

LL. “Single-occupant vehicle (SOV) trips” means commute trips made by affected employees in SOVs.

MM. “Target” means a quantifiable or measurable value that is expressed as a desired level of performance, against which actual achievement can be compared in order to assess progress, such as increase in non-drive-alone trips and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

NN. “Teleworking” means the use of telephones, computers, or other similar technology to permit an employee to work anywhere at any time, eliminating a commute trip, or to work from a work place closer to home, reducing the distance traveled in a commute trip by at least half.

OO. “Transit” means a multiple-occupant vehicle operated on a for-hire, shared-ride basis, including bus, ferry, rail, shared-ride taxi, shuttle bus, or vanpool. A transit trip counts as zero vehicle trips.

PP. “Transportation demand management (TDM)” means a broad range of strategies that are primarily intended to reduce and reshape demand on the transportation system.

QQ. “Transportation management organization (TMO)” means a group of employers or an association representing a group of employers in a defined geographic area. A TMO may represent employers within specific city limits or may have a sphere of influence that extends beyond city limits.

RR. “Vanpool” means a vehicle occupied by five to fifteen people traveling together for their commute trip that results in the reduction of a minimum of one motor vehicle trip. A vanpool trip counts as zero vehicle trips.

SS. “Voluntary employer worksite” means the physical location occupied by an employer that is voluntarily implementing a CTR program.

TT. “Week” means a seven-day calendar period starting on Monday and continuing through Sunday.

UU. “Weekday” means any day of the week except Saturday or Sunday.

VV. “Writing,” “written,” or “in writing” means original signed and dated documents. Emails and facsimile (fax) transmissions are temporary notices of action that must be followed by the original signed and dated document via mail or delivery. (Ord. 016/2025 § 2 (Exh. A); Ord. 001/2025 § 3 (Exh. B); Ord. 005/2019 § 10 (Exh. B))

A. Notification of Applicability.

B. New Major Employers and Voluntary Work Sites.

C. Change in Status as a Major Employer. Any of the following changes in an employer’s status will change the employer’s CTR program requirements:

A. CTR Program Description Requirements. The CTR program description presents the strategies to be undertaken by an employer to achieve the program goals and targets stated in the city’s CTR plan. Employers are encouraged to consider innovative strategies and combine program elements in a manner that will best suit their location, site characteristics, business type, and employees’ commuting needs. Employers are further encouraged to cooperate with each other and to form or use transportation management organizations in developing and implementing CTR programs. At a minimum, the employer’s description must include:

B. Mandatory Program Elements. Each employer’s CTR program shall include the following mandatory elements:

A. CTR Program. Not more than ninety days after the adoption of the ordinance codified in this chapter, or within ninety days after an employer qualifies under the provisions of this chapter, the employer will be given ninety days to complete baseline data collection, and an additional ninety days to submit a CTR program once the baseline data results are given to the employer. The CTR program will be developed in consultation with the city and implemented not more than ninety days after the program’s approval by the city. Employers who do not implement an approved CTR program according to this section are in violation of this chapter.

B. Document Review. Monroe shall provide the employer with written notification if a CTR program is deemed unacceptable. The notification must give cause for any rejection. The employer shall have thirty days to resubmit a modified program. If the employer receives no written notification of extension of the review period of its CTR program or comments on the CTR program or annual report within ninety days of submission, the employer’s program or annual report is deemed accepted. The city may extend the review period up to ninety days. The implementation date for the employer’s CTR program will be extended an equivalent number of days.

C. Schedule. Upon review of an employer’s initial CTR program, Monroe shall establish the employer’s annual reporting date, which shall not be less than twelve months from the day the program is submitted. Each year, on the employer’s reporting date, the employer shall submit to Monroe its annual CTR report.

D. Modification of CTR Program Elements. Any major employer may submit a request to the city to allow for the modification of CTR program elements, other than the mandatory elements specified in this chapter, including record keeping requirements. Such request may be granted if one of the following conditions exists:

The city of Monroe may ask the employer to substitute a program element of similar trip reduction potential rather than grant the employer’s request.

E. Extensions. An employer may request additional time to submit a CTR program or CTR annual progress report, or to implement or modify a program. Such requests shall be made in writing at least thirty days before the due date for which the extension is being requested. Extensions not to exceed ninety days shall be considered for reasonable causes. The city shall grant or deny the employer’s extension request in writing within ten working days of receipt of the extension request. If there is no response issued to the employer, an extension is automatically granted for thirty days. Extensions shall not exempt an employer from any responsibility in meeting program goals and targets. Extensions granted due to delays or difficulties with any program element(s) shall not be cause for discontinuing or failing to implement other program elements.

An employer’s annual reporting date shall not be adjusted permanently as a result of these extensions. An employer’s annual reporting date may be extended at the discretion of the zoning administrator.

F. Implementation of Employer’s CTR Program. Unless extensions are granted, the employer shall implement its approved CTR program not more than ninety days after receiving written notice from the city that the program has been approved or with the expiration of the program review period without receiving notice from the city. (Ord. 016/2025 § 2 (Exh. A); Ord. 005/2019 § 10 (Exh. B))

A. Compliance. For purposes of this section, “compliance” shall mean fully implementing in good faith all provisions in an approved CTR program.

B. Program Modification Criteria. The following criteria for achieving goals and targets for non-drive-alone trips and greenhouse gas emissions per employee shall be applied in determining requirements for employer CTR program modifications:

C. Violations. The following constitute violations if the deadlines established in this chapter are not met:

D. Penalties.

A. Work Site Exemptions. A major employer may request the city to grant an exemption from all CTR program requirements or penalties for a particular work site. The employer must demonstrate that it would experience undue hardship in complying with the requirements of this chapter as a result of the characteristics of its business, its work force, or its location(s). An exemption may be granted if and only if the major employer demonstrates that it faces extraordinary circumstances, such as bankruptcy, and is unable to implement any measures of the approved CTR plan. Exemptions may be granted by the city at any time based on written notice provided by the major employer. The notice should clearly explain the conditions for which the major employer is seeking an exemption from the requirements of the CTR program. The city shall review annually all employers receiving exemptions, and shall determine whether the exemption will be in effect during the following program year.

B. Employee Exemptions. Specific employees or groups of employees who are required to drive alone to work as a condition of employment may be exempted from a work site’s CTR program. Exemptions may also be granted for employees who work variable shifts throughout the year and who do not rotate as a group to identical shifts. The city will use the criteria identified in the CTR Board Guidelines to assess the validity of employee exemption requests. The city shall review annually all employee exemption requests, and shall determine whether the exemption will be in effect during the following program year. (Ord. 016/2025 § 2 (Exh. A); Ord. 005/2019 § 10 (Exh. B))