Celebrating TDM Week
RideFinders News
More Ways to Move. More Ways to Make a Difference: Celebrating TDM Week
When people have more ways to get around, everyone benefits. From working families and businesses to neighborhoods and communities across our region that’s what Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Week is all about.
Created by the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT), TDM Week raises awareness about the value of transportation choices and the importance of expanding access to those options as communities make decisions about transportation and land use.
ACT is the premier organization and leading advocate for commuter transportation and Transportation Demand Management professionals. Through TDM Week, ACT brings greater attention to the work happening across the country to improve mobility, reduce congestion, expand access and create better journeys for everyone.
At RideFinders, that work is at the heart of what we do every day.
So, What Exactly Is TDM?
Transportation Demand Management may sound technical, but its purpose is practical. TDM uses strategies to inform and encourage travelers to make choices that help maximize the efficiency of our transportation system which leads to improved mobility, reduced congestion and lower emissions.
Those strategies are put into action by public- and private-sector organizations working to make transportation more accessible, efficient and responsive to the needs of the people who use it.
In everyday life, TDM can look like carpooling with a coworker, joining a vanpool, taking transit, biking, walking or teleworking instead of driving alone. It can also mean combining options, such as biking to a transit stop or sharing a ride to connect with another mode.
TDM isn’t about asking everyone to give up their cars. It’s about giving people practical choices and the information and resources they need to use them.
Fewer Solo Trips. Lower Emissions. Cleaner Air.
One of the most important benefits of TDM is its impact on our environment. Every time a drive-alone trip is replaced by a carpool, vanpool, transit ride, bike trip, walk or telework day, there is an opportunity to reduce vehicle miles traveled.
Fewer vehicle miles can mean less fuel consumed and fewer transportation related emissions released into the air. Multiply those individual decisions across hundreds or thousands of commuters, and everyday travel choices can contribute to better air quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and progress toward regional sustainability goals.
Through ConnectingVA, commuters can record their greener trips and see how those choices add up over time including miles reduced, fuel saved, estimated commuter savings and emissions avoided.
A single trip may feel small. Collectively, those trips can make a measurable difference.
Making Better Use of the Transportation System We Already Have
TDM also helps communities get more out of existing transportation investments. Instead of looking only to additional roadway capacity as the answer to growing transportation needs, TDM focuses on using our existing system more efficiently. When more people share rides, take transit, shift when or where they work, or use active transportation, fewer vehicles are competing for the same roadway and parking space.
That can help reduce congestion, improve mobility and make transportation systems work better for everyone including people who still need to drive.
Transportation Choices Can Help Household Budgets
There’s also a very personal side to TDM: what transportation costs each month.
Driving alone comes with expenses beyond the price at the pump. Maintenance, parking and everyday wear and tear all add to the cost of putting more miles on a vehicle. Carpooling, vanpooling, transit, biking, walking or teleworking when possible can help reduce some of those expenses. For working families, having more than one reliable way to get around can provide valuable flexibility when budgets are tight or transportation circumstances change.
Transportation choices also matter for people who do not have consistent access to a personal vehicle. Better connections can help open doors to jobs, education, healthcare and other essential destinations.
TDM Helps Connect People and Jobs
Transportation and workforce access are closely connected. A job opportunity only works when someone has a practical and reliable way to get there.
By connecting commuters with carpool, vanpool, transit and other options, TDM can help expand access to employment while giving organizations another way to support recruitment, retention, employee well-being and reliable workforce transportation.
It’s one reason TDM requires collaboration. Transportation providers, local and state agencies, businesses, planning organizations, community partners and commuters all have a role in creating a transportation network that offers meaningful choices. When those pieces work together, the benefit reaches beyond a single commute.
Transit Is TDM in Action
This year, TDM Week and Try Transit Week come together, giving commuters an easy way to put transportation choice into practice.
Try Transit Week runs September 14–18, 2026. During the challenge, commuters who ride transit and record eligible trips in ConnectingVA will receive entries for opportunities to win prizes, including Amtrak and Virginia Breeze tickets.
And there’s an extra reason to keep riding: the more eligible transit trips you record during the challenge, the more chances you have to win.
Already use transit? Make those trips count.
Never tried transit as part of your commute? This is a great week to see where it can take you.
One Different Trip Is a Good Place to Start
You don’t have to change every trip to make a difference. Carpool one day. Take transit another. Join a vanpool. Bike or walk for a shorter trip. Telework when your job allows it.
Each time someone chooses an alternative to driving alone, there is an opportunity to reduce miles traveled, save fuel, lower emissions, ease congestion and spend a little less getting around.
That’s the bigger story behind TDM Week. It’s not simply about how we travel. It’s about creating a transportation system that gives people more choices, better connections and greater access to opportunity while supporting cleaner air and stronger communities. More ways to move. More ways to save. More ways to connect. More ways to make a difference.