Vanpooling: best for commutes 15 miles or more/one way
Riding the Bus: appropriate when a bus service is within walking distance of a worksite
Walking: best for employees living within 2 miles
Bicycling: best for employees living within 7 miles
Teleworking: best for employees who "manage information"
Compressed Work Week: best when work functions allow you to extend the regular work day.
Supporting Strategies
There are a variety of strategies that can be implemented at a worksite to help employees reduce drive alone commute trips:
Incentives and Subsidies: Paying for a portion of an employee's bus pass or vanpool fee are positive strategies, and increasingly common at Thurston County worksites. Rewards for using a mode other than driving alone, whether its prizes, gifts or a regular financial incentive are successful strategies for maintaining on-going participation in a program.
On site amenities: Amenities that reduce the need to have a car at work are simple but important, and can benefit the entire workforce. These amenities might include a cafeteria or food delivery service, direct payroll deposit, an ATM, and dry cleaning delivery services.
Facilities: Secure bicycle parking, in the form of covered racks or bike lockers are critical for promoting bicycling. Showers, lockers can make bicycle commuting much more convenient.
Guaranteed Ride Home: This program provides a free ride home to an employee who arrived at work by a method other than driving alone, but must return home unexpectedly. In Thurston County, all state employees are eligible for a guaranteed ride home program. Contact the ETC at your worksite or General Administration at 902-7318 for more information. Many employers including state agencies allow the use of fleet vehicles for this purpose.
Ridematching: Helping employees find a carpool partner is most successful when done by an ETC or a regional ridematch service.
Flex-time: Allows employees to carpool, vanpool or ride the bus while still working a full day.
Fleet vehicles: Access to a fleet vehicle eliminates having to use a personal car for work purposes.
Low Cost Program Ideas
It is important that employees have access to information and that your organization maintains an awareness of CTR. Here are a few ideas that help keep people informed and aware of your CTR program.
- Bulletin Boards displays of different modes
- Email messages about your program
- Crosswords and word games
- Photo displays of commuters
- Poetry contests
- Letters from management encouraging trip reduction
- Management reminders in staff meetings
- Success stories about commuters in newsletters or emails
- Designating bicycle parking space beneath stairwells or in other under-utilized areas
- Installing clothing hooks in restrooms for bicyclists and walkers
- Allowing employees who have arrived at work by mode other than driving alone to use fleet vehicles in emergencies and posting this policy on a CTR bulletin board
Resources
In Thurston County, TRPC is here to help develop and implement programs. Here are some of the resources you can access on line or though contact with the Shea Group.
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Networking in Thurston County
Since many worksite programs are similar, it's helpful to learn about other employer's programs. In Thurston County, ETCs get together quarterly to discuss their programs and learn about new strategies and services. For more information about ETC Networking in Thurston County contact TRPC.
For more information on other worksites in Thurston County, check out this chart.
Programs > Transportation > Commutes > Tools for Worksites
