ARRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

I am so frustrated!

We rent a small office, only 2 people work out of our main office. Our landlords last year started this new thing... at the end of last year...no employees can park on campus.
I just found out why! The CRT! What is the CRT you might ask????


About the Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Law

The state Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Law was introduced as part of the Washington State Clean Air Act in 1991. The intent of the CTR Law is to reduce air pollution, traffic congestion and fuel consumption by encouraging commuters to use alternatives to drive-alone commuting. Alternatives include riding the bus or train, carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, walking, working a compressed work week or teleworking.



The Washington State Legislature passed the CTR Efficiency Act (123kb PDF)in 2006 and revised the goals for trip reduction; each city and county must reduce drive alone trips at major worksites by 10% by 2011. Local jurisdictions are awaiting approval for their plans and will be revising their CTR ordinances. These will be finalized by July 2008 and at that time cities will have publish new CTR goals for employers.

The law requires major employers to develop and implement an employee commute program to reduce the number and length of drive-alone commute trips made to the worksite. Local jurisdictions (cities and counties) implemented ordinances to define how the law would apply to worksites in their area. Local jurisdictions are required to provide training and technical assistance for employers.

Perspective from our landlord:

Washington State has strict guidelines for employers, in relation to the Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) laws that were adopted in 1991. Some of those program guidelines require that employers charge for parking, that they encourage employees by offering incentives to use mass transit, or better yet carpool/vanpool. The Beacon Hill Clinic operates in a very congested area, made up of schools, businesses, parks and many multi-unit condos/apartments. It is also an area which has a wide variety of parking space types and rules, which are all strictly enforced. Our onsite parking is very limited and currently 75% of the spaces are reserved for our patients. We need to maintain this level of reserved parking for our current patient volumes, and to be prepared as we grow the business at this location.


OK, I can understand this noble idea. I like the environment. In fact I love it and I believe that God calls us to be the best stewards of the environment that we can possibly be (He has put us in charge of it). But seriously! My 2 employees have to move their cars every 4 hours while parking on the street or they will get ticketed. (One of which DOES carpool!) Not only do they have to leave thier current parking spot, they have to FIND another one which is no small feat. These programs REQUIRE that employers charge for parking???? Yes, but to entice employees to work for us we have to then pay for it in the form of increased salaries!!

I feel frustrated! I have to find a new place to rent, which is going to be at least 50% more expensive than where we are now. Or I get to live with 2 unhappy employees and 30-60 minutes a day where they aren't working, instead out searching for parking spots because of this law.
Honestly, Washington State is such a bad state to run a small business in. Small business is good for the economy! Our company is working to reduce medical insurance costs, help people, raise the standard for medical imaging. We are trying to help... we are the good guys! if this were the only thing it wouldn't be such a huge big deal but it is one thing on top of another. It's like they just want us to give up and go to get a job.