Don’t overlook the company parking lot when considering how to reduce energy use and climate-change impact.  The amount of fossil fuels consumed by staff getting to and from work can exceed the amount used by all employees at work during the day.

There are many ways to reduce the number of car trips needed to get your employees to work.  Employers can offer free or subsidized transit passes to employees, provide facilities to encourage biking and walking, offer flexible work schedules, help coordinate car or vanpools, and more! These options are a valuable benefit for your employees; workers can save money on gas and parking, spend less time driving in traffic, and get more exercise.  Of course these benefits are also good for your business too – happier employees are more productive and less likely to seek other employment.

The BEST Business Center can help you and your employees drive less and save more.  Contact us for more information.

The following resources also provide important information on this topic.

• Best Workplaces for Commuters

  Best Workplaces for Commuters is an innovative program that provides qualified employers with national recognition and an elite designation for offering outstanding commuter benefits, such as free or low cost bus passes, strong telework programs, carpool matching and vanpool subsidies. The program offers public recognition and promotion, technical assistance, training, Web-based tools, and forums for information exchange.

  www.bestworkplaces.org

• CarpoolMatchNW

  Over 8,000 commuters use CarpoolMatchNW.org as an easy way to find someone to share a ride in Oregon and SW Washington. Personal information, such as home and work addresses, is secure, confidential and cannot be seen by rideshare matches. 

  www.carpoolmatchnw.org

• Federal Highway Administration: Commuter Choice

  Commuter Choice is a nationwide initiative encouraging employers to offer a broad range of commuting options to their employees.  This means expanding the choices available for employees to get to work through options such as public transportation, bicycles, carpools, modified work schedules, or technology options such as telecommuting. The site also provides an Interactive Guidance Tool to help businesses determine what types of commuter choice options might be most appropriate for its worksite.  The Commuter Choice Primer provides detailed information and guidance about these options.

  ops.fhwa.dot.gov/PrimerDSS

• Oregon Department of Energy: Business Energy Tax Credits

  The Oregon Department of Energy offers the Business Energy Tax Credit to those who invest in energy conservation, recycling, renewable energy resources and less-polluting transportation fuels.

  www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/CONS/BUS/BETC.shtml

• Portland Transportation

  The Transportation Options division of the Portland Office of Transportation provides information, resources, and tools to help Portland residents, employers, and employees make good choices about how to get around.  The SmartTrips program offers a coordinated menu of tools, encouragement, and activities to promote walking, biking, transit use, carpooling, and carsharing. 

  www.portlandonline.com/transportation

• Tri-Met: Employer Programs

  TriMet offers three transit pass programs for employers: Universal, Select and Direct. These programs help create transportation plans to meet the needs of individual businesses – they do not offer discounts, but incentives are available through the Universal Pass Program.

  www.trimet.org/employers