Sec. 20A-202. Purpose

The purpose of Transportation Demand Management (TDM) is to reduce vehicle trip generation of existing and proposed developments during peak periods and, indirectly, on a daily basis. Reduction of peak-period and daily vehicle trips will reduce hydrocarbon, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon dioxide emissions created by motor vehicle use. Reduction in vehicle-generated emissions is a requirement of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. It is imposed on the Metropolitan Washington Region. Maryland is part of that region, and must adopt a State Implementation Plan which is developed by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments in coordination with the State Air Agency (Maryland Department of the Environment, Air Management Division) and the local governments within the Nonattainment Area. This State Implementation Plan must demonstrate how these emissions will be reduced to a point within the acceptable range. TDM programs must be a combined effort of both the public and private sectors, must be considered as early as possible during the land use planning stage of master plan development, must be funded by various sources, must be visible and identifiable with marketable strategies and advocates within both the public and private sectors, and must be evaluated on a periodic basis to determine the level of success.