Establishment of commuter programs. Advice and assistance to employers. Traffic management programs.

(b) Any traffic management plan shall be created in conjunction with business firms and community and commuter groups and each plan shall be designed to alleviate traffic congestion by encouraging the use of mass transportation and promoting the establishment of programs as described in subsection (c) of this section. Any municipality, transit district or regional ride-sharing entity which is developing or creating a traffic management plan, either individually or in conjunction with other such entities may submit an application for a grant in accordance with the provisions of this section. The amount of such grant to any participating entity for any year may not exceed seventy per cent of the total amount expended by any such entity with respect to such year for the purposes of developing and administering such plan. Any application for a grant under the provisions of this section shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) The population of the municipality or the population of the regions covered by the transit district or regional ride-sharing entity; (2) a description of all aspects of the manner in which the proposed plan will alleviate traffic congestion; (3) the name of and manner in which each business firm is participating in the plan; (4) the name of and manner in which each community group and commuter group is participating in the plan; (5) the total proposed expenditures for the development and administration of the plan in the year in which such application is submitted and a certification that not less than thirty per cent of the plan's funding will be provided by the grantee. Grants made for the purposes of this section shall not be expended for any other purpose. (c) Any traffic management plan established in a municipality, transit district or regional ride-sharing entity shall be designed to encourage implementation of the following programs, to the extent that such program is a part of any such plan: (1) A ride-sharing incentive program, in which a business firm encourages employees through fiscal or other incentives to make their commute to work by any means other than a single occupant vehicle, including rail, bus or van sharing; (2) a vanpool or company shuttle program, in which a business firm purchases or assists in the purchase of a vanpool to be used by employees for ride-sharing or provides a company shuttle van for its employees; (3) preferential parking programs for ride-sharing employees; (4) employee transportation coordinating programs, in which an employer designates an employee as an employee transportation coordinator who shall assist in ride-sharing matching, publicizing and promoting alternate means of commuting, analyzing and advocating for company-provided commutation incentives or managing, implementing and monitoring existing company commutation incentives; (5) commuter allowance programs, in which an employer provides an employee with a commuter allowance based on the amount an employer expends to provide such employee with free parking; (6) flexible work hours for employees, allowing employees to work flexible hours to alleviate rush hour traffic congestion; and (7) satellite parking, in which a business firm provides shuttle bus service from commuter parking lots outside urban areas. See Sec. 13b-38o et seq. re state-wide traffic management program to meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act.