CPRC Is An Accredited TDM Organization

Central Pines Regional Council has been recognized as an Accredited TDM Organization by the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT). This newly minted distinction, in Feb 2025, recognizes organizations meeting industry-wide criteria for commitment to administrative excellence, the field of TDM, and continuous improvement. 

These high-performing organizations have proven they possess the governance, structure, and integration with the broader field required to deliver effective programs and services. They are the first to achieve accreditation, which will last for three years. At that time, they must provide documentation of their continued excellence and improvement to renew their status.

For more information on ACT accreditation, see here.

Triangle Transportation Choices Program 2024 Excellence Awardee

CPRC received a 2024 Excellence Award from the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) in the MPO/RPC category for leadership and innovation in TDM. 

From ACT: "Central Pines has implemented forward-thinking strategies that address regional transportation challenges by promoting sustainable commuting options and reducing single-occupancy vehicle trips. These efforts have not only alleviated traffic congestion but also contributed to lower emissions and improved air quality, supporting broader environmental goals throughout the Central Pines region."

For more information on the award, see here.

About The Triangle Transportation Choices Program 

Triangle Transportation Choices, a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program, is a marketing and outreach effort to promote alternative transportation modes within a seven-county region of North Carolina including the Triangle. This seven-county region includes all of Wake and Durham counties and specific areas of five other counties - Orange, Chatham, Franklin, Johnston, and Granville.  The exact geographic boundaries for the program can be found in the image below on the left hand side.

There are numerous well documented benefits associated with using the alternative transportation modes that encompass Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies. Using transit, carpooling, vanpooling, biking, walking or even telecommuting all utilize existing transportation infrastructure, reduce traffic congestion, and improve air quality.  Modes such as biking and walking have also been linked with improvements in an individual’s physical and mental health.

The Triangle Transportation Choices program was established in 2007. Since then, its key goal has been to reduce the annual growth in Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) by 25%. The program has successfully surpassed this goal every single year.  Through the program CPRC also hopes to reduce commuter reliance on single-occupancy vehicles, encourage residents/families to be healthier, reduce transportation costs and be economically resilient. The program historically has been an annual grant aimed at the municipalities, universities, and colleges in the region.

The Triangle Transportation Choices program collaborates with and receives funding from 3 different organizations. Two of the program’s funders are regional Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs). These are the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) and the Triangle West Transportation Planning Organization (TWTPO). The third funder of the program is the North Carolina Department of Transportation- Integrated Mobility Division (NCDOT-IMD). The graphic on right hand side illustrates the funding and administrative structure of the  program. A representative from each of these three funding organizations serves as a voting member in the program’s Oversight Committee (OC). 

The OC has two additional members in advisory roles. These represent the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) and Central Pines Regional Council (CPRC). The OC provides overall policy direction and guidance to the grant program, reviews all the grant applications, and makes the final decisions regarding grant awards.  All five members of the OC can be found in the graphic on the left. 

Thanks in part to the guidance of the OC, a pilot Community-Based and Nonprofit Organizations RFP was released for FY23 for the first time in the history of the program. For FY25-26, a two year RFP was released for the first time ever too. This multi-year RFP is expected to alleviate the administrative burden of annual application on the grantees and provide them with higher level of stability and continuity around grant work.