Chapter 7, Part 1, ACCS Strategic Plan

This text-only version is offered as a more accessible alternative to this PDF document: Arlington County Commuter Services Transportation Demand Management Plan (PDF, 3.85 MB).

Text-Only Table of Contents

Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

This chapter presents performance measures for Arlington County’s Commuter Services program. The primary objective of monitoring ACCS’s programs is to illustrate their impact and alignment with this Strategic Plan’s four goals, identified in Chapter 3. ACCS, along with its transit partners and contractors, already gathers extensive data on the various TDM programs and services the County offers. The performance measures outlined in this chapter comprise a selection of established metrics and data already collected by ACCS and its partners, supplemented by new measures, to create a comprehensive monitoring tool for ACCS. These measures will be used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of ACCS programs over the life of this strategic plan. The chapter is divided into three sections: first it outlines the recommended performance measures, then it explains how these measures will be tracked and reported, and then it describes current measurements.

Performance Measures

This section provides an overview of the recommended performance measures. Table 27 lists each measure – each aligned to a goal of this Strategic Plan. Per DRPT requirements, ACCS must report on metrics marked with an asterisk (*) and highlighted in a darker teal colored row. Other details included in the table include:

Indicates which of ACCS’s six service areas the metric relates to.

─ Business-to-Business Outreach, Education, and Incentives

─ Marketing, Promotion, and Incentives

─ Commuter and Traveler Support

─ Innovation, Planning, Research, and Reporting

─ TDM for Site Plans

─ Support for ART and Capital Bikeshare
Metric: Identifies the name of the metric.
Metric Description: Provides a brief definition of the metric calculation.
Disaggregation: Explains how the results of the measure should be broken down for further detail. For example, total engagements at events can be disaggregated into engagements in English or Spanish.
Reporting Frequency: Indicates how often the metric is reported or updated on a dashboard. Metrics collected as a requirement by DRPT are marked with an asterisk.
Source: Specifies the current source of the performance metric, if already collected or reported by ACCS.

The goals into which the metrics are organized, as shown in Chapter 3, are:
1. Education and Outreach: Provide education, outreach, and encouragement about non-single occupancy vehicle travel modes to all audiences using a wide range of media and messaging styles that results in travelers choosing a trip mode other than driving alone.
2. Changing Behavior: Increase the share of all Arlington trips taken by transit, walking, biking, and carpooling/vanpooling through actions that facilitate and encourage behavior change and reduce vehicular emissions.
3. Organizational Health: Optimize the organizational and operational effectiveness of ACCS and identify and apply for additional funding sources to diversify ACCS’s funding structure while leveraging partnerships to expand ACCS’s reach.
4. Reporting: Leverage data and performance metrics to evaluate the performance and impact of ACCS services and communicate program success to stakeholders and funding partners.

Reporting and Using Performance Results

A crucial aspect of ACCS’s operational strategy moving forward involves aggregating all data into a single database and utilizing a reporting tool (dashboard) for enhanced communication and performance tracking. This will entail the establishment of an ongoing dashboard featuring automated monthly updates, incorporating targets outlined in the annual work plan.

While the performance metrics are organized by goal in Table 27, ACCS may choose to organize this reporting by program area for easier understanding and to quickly relay updates for ongoing performance improvement. ACCS will monitor and assess monthly metrics to gauge short-term success and promptly identify and implement improvements. Some of the monthly performance metrics will also be submitted to DRPT to meet grant reporting obligations.

In the context of developing this centralized reporting program, ACCS will evaluate past metrics and set minimum thresholds/targets that they will aim for to provide a guide as to current performance. ACCS understands that sometimes situations where the target is not being met can be remedied, and sometimes it is beyond their control. Metrics and targets can be regularly evaluated and modified as needed.

Additionally, ACCS hopes to develop an Annual Report summarizing performance metrics for the entire year, in addition to the existing annual Impact Report that calculates metrics such as reductions in vehicle miles traveled and associated reductions in greenhouse gas emissions based on the programs implemented by ACCS. Milestones for implementing coordinated data collection, the dashboard, and the Annual Report would be included to ensure timely progress and accountability. As with the monthly reporting, the annual numbers will be evaluated by program leadership to identify potential changes and improvements to maximize the impact and effectiveness of the program.

Table 27: Recommended Performance Measures

Goal 1: Education and Outreach
Service Area	Metric	Metric Description	Disaggregation	Reporting Frequency	Source
Business-to- Business	Sales engagements (geared toward specific organizations)*	Number of engagements (sales calls, meetings, and tabling), including total and by program (employer, residential, commercial)	Program, event type	Monthly	DS&MG CRM System
	Sales engagement participation	Number of participants/engagements at sales engagements geared toward a specific organization	Program, event type, language	Monthly	DS&MG CRM System
	Events (geared toward multiple organizations)	Number of events (tabling, webinars, trainings) that are geared toward multiple organizations	Total, by program (Employer, Multifamily Residential [MFR], commercial), by event type	Monthly	DS&MG CRM System
	Event engagements	Number of participants/engagements at events geared toward multiple organizations	Program, event type, language	Monthly	DS&MG CRM System
Marketing, Promotion, and Incentives	Community outreach events	Number of events	Event type, location	Monthly	NeoNiche database
	Residents assisted at community outreach events	Total number of residents participating/assisted at Street Teams/Community outreach events	Event type, location	Monthly	NeoNiche database
	Website use	Number of website visits, total and by high level page	Hits, unique visitors	Monthly	Website Host Data Analytics
	Downloads	Downloads of research reports, guides, and collateral	By report and collateral item	Monthly	New (Website Host Data Analytics)
	Brochures distributed	Number of different types of brochures distributed	By unique item and by distribution location (event, by mail, etc.)	Monthly	The Convention Store database

* Per DRPT requirements, ACCS must report on metrics marked with an asterisk (*) and highlighted in a darker teal colored row.

Goal 2: Changing Behavior
Service Area	Metric	Metric Description	Disaggregation	Reporting Frequency	Source
Business-to-Business	Transit benefits*	Employer partners (including hotels and schools) offering transit benefits	Total, new, direct, pre-tax	Monthly	DS&MG CRM System
Commuter and Traveler Support	Vanpool benefits*	Employer partners (including hotels and schools) offering vanpool benefits (same number as offer transit benefits)	Total, new, direct, pre-tax	Monthly	DS&MG CRM System
	Ridematches attempted*	Number of people assisted with finding a carpool or vanpool partner.	By county/city of origin	Monthly	MWCOG database
	Hybrid/telework schedule*	Number of employer partners offering hybrid or complete telework.	Number of companies with formal policies, informal policies, or both	Monthly	DS&MG CRM System
Marketing, Promotion, and Incentives	Campaigns and participation	Number of campaigns, number of pledges, and participation for campaigns	By campaign, by language (if applicable)	Monthly	New (CRM System)
Marketing, Promotion, and Incentives	Newsletter distribution	Number of newsletters distributed (for employers, schools, hotels, multifamily residential, and commercial properties separately)	Subscribers, open rate, click through rate by newsletter type	Monthly	Newsletter Program Data Analytics
Innovation, Planning, Research, and Reporting	Partner employees	Number of employees at partner employers	Total, by level, new vs. preexisting	Annual	DS&MG CRM System
Support for ART and Capital Bikeshare	Employer partners with corporate CaBi accounts	Employer partners with corporate Capital Bikeshare accounts	Total, by level, new vs. Preexisting	Annual	New (from Capital Bikeshare and CRM)
Support for ART and Capital Bikeshare	Number of CaBi members through corporate CaBi accounts	Capital Bikeshare members through employer partner Capital Bikeshare accounts	Total, new vs. preexisting	Annual	New (from Capital Bikeshare)
Business-to- Business	Residential property partner units	Number of residential units in the multifamily residential program	Total, by level, by MFR type	Annual	ACCS Impact Reports CRM System
Business-to- Business	Commercial property partners on-site employees	Number of employees in commercial building client partner buildings	Total, by level	Annual	DS&MG CRM System