5.50.020 Definitions.

For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:

“Affected employee” means a full-time employee who begins his or her regular work day at a single worksite covered by the commute trip reduction plan between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. (inclusive) on two (2) or more weekdays for at least twelve (12) continuous months who is not an independent contractor. Seasonal agricultural employees, including seasonal employees of processors of agricultural products, are excluded from the count of affected employees.

“Affected employer” means an employer that employs one hundred (100) or more full-time employees at a single worksite covered by the commute trip reduction plan who are scheduled to begin their regular work day between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. (inclusive) on two (2) or more weekdays for at least twelve (12) continuous months. Construction worksites, when the expected duration of the construction is less than two (2) years, are excluded from this definition. (Also see definition of “employer.”)

“Alternative mode” means any means of commute transportation other than in which the single-occupant vehicle is the dominant mode. Including telecommuting and compressed work week schedules if they result in reducing commute trips.

“Alternative work schedules” means programs such as compressed work week schedules that eliminate work trips for affected employees.

“Base year” means the twelve (12) month period which commences when a major employer is determined by the jurisdiction to be participating within the CTR program. The county uses this twelve (12) month period as the basis upon which it develops commute trip reduction goals.

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

“Carpool” means a motor vehicle, including a motorcycle, occupied by two (2) to six (6) people of at least sixteen (16) years of age traveling together for their commute trip, resulting in the reduction of a minimum of one (1) motor vehicle commute trip.

“Commute trip reduction (CTR) plan” means Clark County’s plan which is designed to achieve reductions in the proportion of single-occupant vehicle commute trips and the commute trip vehicle miles traveled per affected employees of affected public and private sector employees within the county.

“Commute trips” means a trip made from a worker’s home to a worksite on weekdays.

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

“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 (1) work day every two (2) 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 bi-weekly arrangements, the most typical being four (4) ten (10) hour days or eighty (80) hours in nine (9) days, but may also include other arrangements.

“County” means Clark County.

“CTR” is the abbreviation of commute trip reduction.

“CTR program” means an employer’s strategies to reduce employees’ drive alone commutes and average VMT per employee.

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

“Director” means director of the Clark County public works department.

“Dominant mode” means the mode of travel used for the greatest distance of a commute trip.

“Drive alone” means a motor vehicle occupied by one (1) employee for commute purposes, including a motorcycle.

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

“Emergency ride home program” means a program offered to employees by either the regional CTR program administrator or the employer that provides an emergency ride home to an employee if they use an alternative mode of transportation.

“Employee transportation coordinator (ETC)” means a person who is designated as responsible for the development, implementation and monitoring of an employer’s CTR program.

“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.

“Exemption” means a waiver from any or all CTR program requirements granted to an employer by the county based on unique conditions that apply to the employer or employment site.

“Flex-time” is an employer policy that provides work schedules allowing individual employees flexibility in choosing the start and end times but not the number of their working hours.

“Full-time employee” means a person, other than an independent contractor, whose position is scheduled on a continuous basis for fifty-two (52) weeks for an average of at least thirty-five (35) hours per week.

“Good faith effort” means that an employer has met the minimum requirements identified in RCW 70.94.531 and this chapter, and is working collaboratively with the county to continue its existing commute trip reduction program or is developing and implementing program modifications likely to result in improvements to its CTR program over an agreed-upon length of time.

“Implementation” means active pursuit by an employer of the CTR goals of RCW 70.94.521 through 70.94.555 and this chapter as evidenced by appointment of an employee transportation coordinator (ETC), distribution of information to employees regarding alternatives to drive alone commuting, and commencement of other measures according to its approved CTR program and schedule.

Major Employer. A “major employer” means a private or public employer, including state agencies, that employs one hundred (100) or more full-time employees at a single worksite who are scheduled to begin their regular work day between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on weekdays for at least twelve (12) continuous months.

“Major employer worksite” or “affected worksite” or “worksite” means the physical location occupied by a major employer, as determined by the local jurisdiction.

“Major employment installation” means a military base or federal reservation, excluding tribal reservations, or other locations as designated by the county, at which there are one hundred (100) or more affected employees.

“Mode” means the means of transportation used by employees, such as single-occupant motor vehicle, ride-share vehicle (carpool or vanpool), transit, bicycle, walking, compressed work week schedule and telecommuting.

“Notice” means written communication delivered via the United States Postal Service with receipt deemed accepted three (3) 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.

“Peak period” means the hours from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. (inclusive), Monday through Friday, except legal holidays.

“Peak period trip” means any commute trip that delivers the employee to begin his or her regular workday between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. (inclusive), Monday through Friday, except legal holidays.

“Proportion of drive alone trips” or “drive alone rate” means the number of commute trips over a set period made by employees in single-occupancy vehicles divided by the number of potential trips taken by employees working during that period.

“Regional CTR program administrator” means the agency or jurisdiction responsible for administering the Clark County CTR program.

“Ride-matching service” means a system which assists in matching commuters for the purpose of commuting together.

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

“Transit” means a multiple-occupant vehicle operated on a for-hire, shared-ride basis, including bus, rail, shared-ride taxi, shuttle bus or vanpool.

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

“Transportation management association (TMA)” means a group of employers or an association representing a group of employers in a defined geographic area. A TMA may represent employers within a specific jurisdiction, or may have a sphere of influence that extends beyond a jurisdiction.

“Vanpool” means a vehicle occupied by five (5) to (15) people traveling together for their commute trip, resulting in the reduction of a minimum of one (1) motor vehicle trip. “Vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per employee” means the sum of the individual vehicle commute trip lengths in miles made by employees over a set period divided by the number of employees during that period.

“Week” means a seven (7) day calendar period, starting on Monday and continuing through Sunday.

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

“Writing,” “written” or “in writing” means original signed and dated documents. Facsimile (fax) transmissions are a temporary notice of action that must be followed via mail or delivery of the original signed and dated document. (Sec. 2 of Ord. 1993-01-21; amended by Sec. 1 of Ord. 1998-02-08; amended by Sec. 3 of Ord. 2010-01-07)