TDM Accredited Organization (TDM-AO)

Accreditation serves as a mark of excellence, affirming that an organization has the necessary administrative infrastructure, governance practices, and professional integration to successfully develop and deliver high-quality Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs and services.

This designation is more than just a credential—it’s a testament to an organization’s leadership in advancing sustainable, people-focused mobility options. It recognizes those that go beyond the basics, implementing innovative strategies that expand access to transportation options, reduce reliance on single-occupancy vehicles, and support more livable, connected communities.

Accredited organizations demonstrate a deep, ongoing commitment to improving how people move by aligning their efforts with the highest standards of the profession. They are actively shaping transportation within their community—helping to alleviate congestion, enhance economic opportunities, and foster a multimodal transportation system that meets the evolving needs of all the people they serve.

Learn more about accreditation

Areas of evaluation 

The accreditation structure evaluates organizations in the following three areas: 

1. Administrative/governance
   • Does the organization have the structure and processes in place to be successful?
2. Contribution to the profession 
   • Is the organization actively helping the profession improve?
3. Collection, reporting, and sharing of standardized performance data
   • What do the most successful TDM programs have in common?

Accreditation requirements

Accreditation Process

Step 1 - Determine Eligibility: Accreditation is open to current ACT member organizations including government agencies (i.e. DOTs, MPOs, COGs), transit authorities,TMA/TMOs, higher education institutions, or non-profit commuter service organizations. The total cost of accreditation is $900. Please see Step 2 and 3 for further direction regarding the payment schedule.

Step 2 - Complete the Accredited TDM Organization Intake Form:  This form notifies the Accreditation Committee of your interest.  Upon review and approval, the committee will authorize you to move forward with submitting the Application Fee of $100.  Completing the intake form does not require you to move forward with the accreditation process. Payment of your Application Fee will provide you with access to the official Accredited TDM Organization Application Form. 

Submit ATDMO Intake Form

Step 3 - Complete your Application Form: Applicants will have 12 months to complete and submit the application.  Filling out the application for accreditation requires time, effort and the possible participation of several staff members.  For some candidates, new policies and procedures may need to be established to comply with all requirements.  The objective of accreditation is not only to achieve recognition for your leadership in the field but to guide your organization in various processes that will help support the quality of your program.  An Application Review fee of $800 is due with your completed application form.

Application Form Example

Step 4 - Peer Review: Upon submission of your completed Application Form, the Accreditation Committee will conduct a thorough peer review of the information provided.  During this review period, the committee may request additional information or clarification on materials provided within the Application Form.

Step 5 - Celebrate Your Accreditation: Upon approval of your Accredited TDM Organization status, ACT will provide you with an electronic and physical copy of your Accredited TDM Organization certificate, a digital badge noting your years of recognition, social media tiles, and other promotional materials to celebrate this great achievement.

Preparing for Accreditation Application

Establish Your Timeline: Applicant preparations can start at any time and take as long as needed, although once you have submitted your application to apply for accreditation, you will have 12 months to complete the application.  

Familiarize Yourself with the Application Form: To ensure you’re fully prepared to provide thorough, accurate responses and avoid delays during the submission process we encourage you to review the sample Application Form.  

Gather All Documents: Reviewing the application form and application requirements will allow you to gather and organize all required documents prior to starting your application form.  This will ensure you are ready to go and speed up your application process.  

Provide complete answers: Ensure all questions are answered thoroughly. Partial responses are unlikely to be approved. When in doubt, include more detail rather than less.  Please note several responses required dates of approvals and by whom.

Help the Committee locate information: Make it easy for the Accreditation Committee reviewers to find the required information with the documents you attach by utilizing the text box next to each answer to guide the reviewer to the appropriate page or section within the document.  For example, avoid requiring the Committee to search through a 100-page employee handbook to find the Equal Employment Opportunity statement.

Complete all narratives for Section 4.1: The narrative portions of Section 4.1 must be completed for every program listed. The Committee is particularly interested in understanding the reasons behind your choices and practices—explain why you do or do not take specific actions.

Surveys: Begin the two required surveys early to allow enough time to achieve the necessary response rates.

• • Applicant MUST apply the ACT Accreditation definitions of “Individuals” and “Stakeholders.”  If you have questions about these definitions, please ask for assistance before starting.
  • Clearly specify who you surveyed and how you calculated the number of individuals and stakeholders who received the survey.
  • Submit a copy of each survey and note the date it was distributed.

Achieving the required response rates is by far the easiest way to meet this requirement. If, however, after extensive effort, the organization has found it impossible to achieve the necessary response, the Accreditation Committee may still consider the organization’s application.  At minimum, those not meeting the rate will have to document their failed approach in detail and provide a logical convincing explanation as to why their efforts were unsuccessful. 

Ask for help if needed: If you have any questions or need assistance, reach out to ACT staff and Committee leadership—they are ready to help.  There may still be some bumps along the way, as this offering is still new.  If you are missing required documents, ACT may have templates you can use to get started.  Past applicants have used AI to generate quality documents quickly, however application content should be unique to your organization.

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