Start a Commute Program

• Conduct
• Review
• Design
• Promote

Once you’ve surveyed employees and reviewed responses, you’re ready to start putting together a commute program tailored for your organization.

The program may include:

• Information – Share transit and shuttle schedules, resources for finding carpools and vanpools, details on HOV and express lanes and other infrastructure supports, tips for successful bicycle commuting, or even policies to allow remote work.
• Assistance – Help with hands-on trip planning with an employee to review their commute options and encourage them to try an alternative. If you don’t have time to do this one-on-one, consider offering group commute consultation sessions on a regular basis.
• Support – Provide infrastructure support, such as lockers, bike racks and showers for bike commuters, or programmatic support, such as finding a carpool partner or helping a commuter get home in an emergency through a guaranteed ride home program.
• Incentives – Offer ongoing benefits and one-time rewards. Ongoing incentives could include a pre-tax transit benefit program or vanpool subsidies, or possibly preferential parking for carpools and vanpools. A one-off incentive could be a reward that program participants earn or win. Rewards can be financial, but some employers may find it easier to offer perks, such as extra vacation time.

Note: Employees with alternative fuel vehicles often believe they’ve already done their part by not using a “gas guzzler.” While this effort definitely helps reduce their carbon footprint, it does not reduce congestion, which also contributes to air pollution. Alternative fuel vehicles in traffic still increase idling time for conventional vehicles. Encourage these employees to consider carpooling – eliminating more conventional fuel vehicles from the road while also reducing congestion.