Commute Programs

ORCA Passport – An employer-provided, comprehensive, annual transit pass program that provides all employees at a worksite unlimited access to ride transit, ride in a vanpool  or VanShare, and receive taxi rides home in case of an emergency.

 

ORCA Business Choice – An employer-provided transportation pass program that allows a company to offer multiple transit product options (monthly passes, e-voucher and more) on a single card. 

 

Incentive – A reward an employer provides employees who use alternative commute modes. Incentives can be cash, gift cards, prizes, time off, lunches, etc.

 

Subsidy – An employer helps encourage alternative modes by providing a monetary contribution to an employee’s commute. A subsidy can be in the form of a transit pass, vanpool fare, mileage reimbursement for carpoolers, or covering bicycle commute costs. (This could be offered instead of or in addition to free or subsidized parking that may be currently provided.)

 

Telework – A work arrangement where an employee works from home or a work place closer to home in order to eliminate or reduce the distance of a commute trip. Teleworking also offers other benefits such as work/life balance, reduced overhead costs and business continuity in case of emergency or severe weather conditions.

 

Compressed Work Week – A work schedule where an employee works fewer but longer days, such as four 10-hour days each week, or 9-hour days with one day off every two weeks eliminating a commute trip.

 

Preferential Parking - Reward those who carpool and vanpool by reserving parking spaces near the front door or close to an elevator.

 

Parking Cash Out - An employer provides commuters who use alternative commute modes with the cash equivalent to the cost of a subsidized parking spot. 

 

Home Free Guarantee - Give your employees peace of mind when using alternative modes by providing a low cost ride home in case of emergencies. Home Free Guarantee is available to any business.

 

Pre-Tax Commuter Program – A free program for employers to offer that allows employees to save money on transit and vanpools by purchasing fares with a pre-tax payroll deduction.

 

RideshareOnline.com Employer Toolkit – Help facilitate your commute program with resources such as ridematching, trip calendars and incentive distribution through RideshareOnline.com’s new employer toolkit.

 

Zipcar - Offer employees who use alternative commute modes access to a car during the day for meetings and errands with a Zipcar business account. Zipcar is a membership-based car sharing company that provides car rental to members and companies, billable by the hour or day.

Raise awareness and reward employees for using non-drive alone commute options throughout the year with these great regional promotions:

Your employees can win fabulous trips and rewards through Wheel Options! This campaign rewards commuters who are currently using an alternative to drive-alone commuting, and entices other commuters to establish non-drive alone habits. Sometimes employees need encouragement to start using an alternative to drive-alone commuting, as well as reinforcement that their use of a high-occupancy or non-motorized commute makes a difference. Wheel Options is here to do both! 

Encourage your employees to improve their health by biking to work. The Bike to Work Challenge and Bike to Work Day are area-wide events where employees are encouraged to ride to work. During the Bike to Work Challenge teams of employees ride to work to encourage one another and become eligible for prizes during the month of May. Bike to Work Day is a national celebration in May that encourages riders with support stations, prizes, and often free breakfast!

RideshareOnline.com provides occasional region-wide promotions to encourage more employees to sign up for their host of services. Promotions often include drawings for vacations to exciting locations, such as San Francisco, Sun Valley, and Costa Rica! They may also give away free gift cards, ranging anywhere from $25 to $500 in value!

Through the Commute Advantage program, TransManage (a service of the Bellevue Downtown Association) works primarily with downtown employers with fewer than 100 employees, as well as those in the retail and hospitality industries. If your company falls within one of these categories, contact TransManage at (425) 453-0644 or by email.

King County Metro offers employer services and innovative partnerships to improve commuting programs. Metro's Commute Trip Reduction Services offers a Commute Solutions web site with resources for employers, including those affected by the Commute Trip Reduction law. The site contains information about employee transportation benefits for worksites large and small. Contact Metro's Employer Commute Services at (206) 684-4444 for more information.