A national evaluation of transportation management associations (TMAs) was performed. Of 110 TMAs contacted, 64 responded (58 percent). Over two-thirds of all responding TMAs were formed as recently as 1988 or thereafter and almost half were located in the state of California. Most TMAs are organized as private, not-for-profit corporations. TMAs typically experience difficulty in recruiting private-sector representatives to serve on their boards, to become full-fledged corporate members, or even to contribute cash or in-kind services to the TMA. TMA goals and objectives typically include a strong emphasis on the implementation of travel demand management (TDM) strategies, almost equal emphasis on reducing traffic congestion and air pollution, much less interest in economic development issues, and very weak support for the promotion or financing of transportation infrastructure improvements. Guaranteed-ride-home programs are common among TMAs, but telecommuting and child care facilities have not caughton to quite the same extent. In spite of mounting evidence about the effectiveness of parking management strategies, they have been avoided by most TMAs. It might thus seem that TMAs would not be very successful in changing travel behavior on a large scale. TMA evaluations are undertaken infrequently. Even when TMA assessments are complete, the results often are not granted wide circulation. This suggests that measured changes in travel behavior associated with TMAs probably are slight. On the basis of these findings, it is suggested that TMAs must gain far greater support and acceptance from the private sector and may need to pursue more aggressive TDM strategies if they are to become more successful in any quantifiable sense.
Abstract