United States Air and Radiation ,..„.-. EPA420-S-01-004
Environmental Protection Transportation and A!r Quality September 2001
Agency
Implementing Commuter
Benefits Under the
Commuter Choice
Leadership initiative
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COMMUTER CHOICE LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE
The National Standard of Excellence for Commuter Benefits
Carpool Incentive Programs
Implementing Commuter Benefits under the
Commuter Choice Leadership Initiative
• Carpools consist of two or more persons driving together in a privately owned vehicle.
At a workplace, employees may choose to carpool without any assistance or
involvement from the employer; however, carpool incentive programs are a way for
employers to encourage employees to carpool.
• Carpool incentive programs may incorporate a variety of means to encourage employees
to carpool. Possible incentives include reduced cost or free parking, preferred parking,
or reward programs (such as prize drawings).
• Employers can help employees form carpools through rideshare matching. Rideshare
matching helps potential carpoolers locate others nearby with similar schedules.
Regional rideshare organizations in most areas allow interested employees to register
directly for no cost. Employers can direct their employees to these free services.
• Employee benefits from carpooling include cost-sharing, less wear and tear on vehicles,
time savings in regions with HOV lanes, and the ability to talk, eat, sleep, or read while
commuting. The primary employer advantage is the need for fewer parking spaces;
other advantages include less employee stress and improved productivity.
• Programs to encourage carpooling, such as rideshare matching services, preferred parking
for carpools, reduced parking costs for carpools, and commute awards programs qualify
as additional commuter benefits under the Commuter Choice Leadership Initiative.
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COMMUTER CHOICE LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE
The National Standard of Excellence for Commuter Benefits
This document is one in a series of Commuter Choice Leadership Initiative briefing papers designed to help
employers implement commuter benefits.
The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT) have
established a voluntary National Standard of Excellence for employer-provided commuter benefits.
Commuter benefits help American workers get to and from work in ways that cut air pollution and global
warming pollution, improve public health, improve employee recruiting and retention, improve employee
job satisfaction, and reduce expenses and taxes for employers and employees. Participants in the Commuter
Choice Leadership Initiative (CCLI) agree to meet the National Standard of Excellence, and qualify as
Commuter ChoiceSM Employers. CCLI participants agree to:
• Centralize commute options information so that it is easy for employees to access and use;
• Promote the availability of commuter benefits to employees;
• Provide access to a guaranteed ride home program;
• Provide one or more of the following primary commuter benefits:
/ Vanpool or transit benefits of at least $32.50 per month
/ Parking cash out of at least $32.50 per month
/ Telecommuting program that averages six percent of daily work force
/ Other option proposed by employer and agreed to by EPA
• Provide three or more of the following additional commuter benefits:
/ Ridesharing/carpool matching
/ Pre-tax transit/vanpool benefits
/ Shuttles from transit station
/ Parking at park-and-ride lots
/ Provision of real-time transit information
/ Preferred parking for ridesharers
/" Reduced parking costs for ridesharers
/ Employer-sponsored vanpool or subscription bus
programs
/ Employer assisted vanpools
/ Secured bicycle parking, showers, and lockers
/ Electric bicycle recharging stations
/ Employee commuting awards programs
/ Discounts/coupons for bicycles and walking shoes
S Compressed work schedules
/ Telecommuting
S Lunchtime shuttle
•/ Proximate commute (working closer to home)
S Incentives to encourage employees to live closer to work
S On-site amenities (dry cleaning, etc.)
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COMMUTER CHOICE LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE
The National Standard of Excellence for Commuter Benefits
Disclaimer
EPA provides this briefing as a service to employers participating in the CCLI. Information about private
service providers is intended for informational purposes and does not imply endorsement by EPA or the
federal government.
The information presented here does not constitute official tax guidance or a ruling by the U.S. Government.
Taxpayers are urged to consult with the Internal Revenue Service of the U.S. Department of Treasury or a tax
professional for specific guidance related to the Federal tax law.
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CCLI: Carpool Incentive Programs
Pliable of Contents
CARPOOL INCENTIVE PROGRAMS: A
SUMMARY 1
EMPLOYER BENEFITS 1
REDUCED NEED FOR PARKING 1
INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY AND MORALE 1
TAX CONSIDERATIONS.
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS...
WHEN CARPOOL INCENTIVE PROGRAMS
MAKE SENSE 2
REGIONS WITH CARPOOL LANES 2
EMPLOYERS WITH LIMITED PARKING 2
EMPLOYERS WITH LARGE NUMBERS OF
EMPLOYEES 2
EMPLOYERS IN URBAN SETTINGS 2
IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES AND COSTS 2
RIDESHARE MATCHING 2
PREFERRED PARKING 3
REDUCED COST PARKING 3
EMPLOYEE SCHEDULES 3
POTENTIAL FOR FRAUD 3
OTHER INCENTIVES 3
GUIDE TO IMPLEMENTATION 3
EMPLOYER QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 6
QUESTION: HOW DIFFICULT - AND COSTLY - IS IT TO
ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM? 6
QUESTION: DOES THE EMPLOYER DECIDE WHO PAYS
FOR GAS AND INSURANCE, OR HOW FREQUENTLY EACH
CARPOOLER HAS TO DRIVE? 6
QUESTION: WHILE ITS ONE THING FOR MY EMPLOYEES
TO SHARE RIDES, I WORRY THAT THERE MAY BE SAFE-
TY CONCERNS IN ENCOURAGING MY EMPLOYEES TO
SHARE RIDES WITH STRANGERS. ARE RIDESHARE
PARTNERS SCREENED? 6
QUESTION: HOW OFTEN MUST SOMEBODY CARPOOL
BEFORE THEY BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS? 7
EMPLOYER CASE STUDIES 7
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - EMORY UNIVERSITY 7
BEAVERTON, OREGON - NIKE 8
SERVICES THAT SUPPORT
IMPLEMENTATION 9
RIDESHARE ORGANIZATIONS 9
PARKING CASH OUT 9
GUARANTEED RIDE HOME PROGRAMS 9
PARK-AND-RIDE LOTS 9
ASSOCIATIONS AND CONTACTS ..9
INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSES 9
RIDESHARE ORGANIZATIONS 10
EMISSIONS AND TRANSPORTATION
BENEFITS 10
REFERENCES AND PUBLICATIONS 10
APPENDIX A: COMMUTER RDDESHARE
PROGRAMS 12
APPENDIX B: SAMPLE CARPOOLING
GUIDELINES 14
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CCLI: Carpool Incentive Programs
|
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CCLI: Carpool Incentive Programs
Increased personal time. Carpool passengers
can read, sleep, or converse with other car-
poolers, instead of driving.
In regions with carpool lanes, reduced com-
mute time and costs. These lanes provide not
only speed, but often more important, reliabili-
ty) by bypassing congestion. Toll routes and
bridges often give carpool discounts, and even
when they do not, the cost is split.
Decreased stress. Many drivers find solo
commutes in heavy traffic stressful.
Carpooling lets them arrive at work fresh and
productive.
; WHEN CARPOOL INCENTIVE
PROGRAMS MAKE SENSE
Although any employer can encourage carpool-
ing, carpooling is more likely to be successful in
certain cases. These include the following:
Regions with HOVLanes
Some metropolitan regions have extensive car-
pool lane networks. Carpool lanes-also commonly
known as high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes
are reserved for vehicles with more than one
occupant. HOV lanes can save drivers substantial
time over congested regular lanes. In some areas,
where carpool lanes are used at toll areas, drivers
and passengers enjoy not only time savings but
financial savings as well.
Carpool programs are likely to be more successful
where carpool lanes exist, because they reward
commuters with time and sometimes money.
Depending on the length of the commute and the
amount of congestion bypassed, using the HOV
lanes may save 15 to 30 minutes each way.
Employers with Limited Parking
Many employers with carpool incentive programs
have implemented them because of parking short-
ages. Encouraging carpooling among employees
can effectively reduce parking demand while still
meeting employees' transportation needs. In
extreme cases, employers impose mandatory car-
pooling.
Employers with Large Numbers of Employees
Regional rideshare organizations will match
employees from different employers. But the
more employees at the same site, the more likely
a convenient match can be found. In particular,
universities and hospitals often have hundreds or
even thousands of personnel in a relatively com-
pact setting, and many have very successful car-
pool incentive programs.
Employers in Urban Settings
Even a small employer can find potential car-
pooling partners for employees, perhaps through
a ridesharing organization, if it is located in a
downtown or other urban setting. Carpooling
depends on having either a single destination or
close destinations, so the higher density the
employment setting, the more likely a carpool
program is to succeed.
[MPLEMENTATION ISSUES AND COSTS
1
An employer considering a carpool incentive pro-
gram should consider the following issues.
Rideshare Matching
One of the most important needs in setting up a
carpool program is matching potential carpool
partners. Outside some obvious situations (a married
couple who both work for the same employer),
potential carpoolers may not know anybody with
whom to carpool.
Many regions have rideshare programs whose
main function is to match potential car- and van-
poolers with rideshare partners. See Appendix A
for a list of regional rideshare programs.
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CCLI: Carpool Incentive Programs
Some rideshare matching organizations have
moved to doing online rideshare matching. For
example, the Greater Redmond TMA, in the
Seattle region, uses a software product called
Ridequest.com. Users can log in and receive an
instant list of potential ridesharers (both car- and
vanpool) showing their locations on a map.
Users can then immediately send e-mails to people
on the list.
Preferred Parking
One workplace incentive for carpoolers is pre-
ferred parking. Spaces can be designated for
either individual carpools or rideshares in general.
To be effective, designated spaces should be
located in desirable locations: near building
entrances, covered, and/or attended.
Although designating preferred parking areas is
most effective where parking demand meets or
exceeds supply, even employees with abundant
parking enjoy parking closer to the building.
Reduced Cost Parking
Where employers charge for parking, reducing the
parking cost for carpools encourages carpooling.
Although carpools will effectively receive
reduced cost parking in any case because the cost
will be shared, employers may wish to reduce
costs even further, or allow carpools to park free.
Employee Schedules
A lack of matching schedules among employees
can be a major barrier to carpooling. Employees
who carpool together must generally arrive and
depart at the same time, or the carpool will prove
inconvenient. (An exception could be if an
employee carpools one way and takes transit the
other way.) Senior management can encourage
carpooling by requesting that supervisors take
carpoolers' needs into account. This includes pre-
dictable schedules and infrequent requests to
work overtime. If employees cannot be sure they
will be off work at a predictable time every day,
they will be much less likely to carpool.
Potential for Fraud
Employers with carpool programs report that
employees sometimes commit carpool fraud.
There are several sources of potential fraud,
including registration of carpool partners who do
not actually carpool, self-reporting of carpool
trips when the driver actually drove alone, and
color photocopying of carpool passes or tags.
Unless parking areas have attended stations, it
may be difficult to know if employees who say
they carpool are actually carpooling. Some meas-
ures that employers can take to prevent fraud are
annual re-registration of carpoolers, checking car-
pool registrations against lists of employees who
have left, and implementing carpool parking in
gated or attended parking areas only. Generally,
however, employers do not report that such fraud
is a substantial problem.
Other Incentives
In areas where parking is free and plentiful,
employers can encourage carpooling through
prize drawings or other rewards. Prize amounts
could range from $10 to $25 to $500 depending
on the size of the company and budget. Other
commuter rewards could include discounts at
local merchants or free merchandise (travel mugs,
T-shirts, and other inexpensive items). One pro-
gram in southern California has coupon books for
local restaurants and entertainment specially
made to distribute to ridesharers.
.GUIDE TO IMPLEMENTATION
j 7* •* $ __ __ _ __ ___)*
An employer would go through several steps to
implement a carpool incentive program. Although
these would vary from employer to employer, the
main ones are outlined below.
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CCLI: Carpool Incentive Programs
I) Determine the potential for cat-pooling
The first step an employer takes should be to deter-
mine whether carpooling will fit employee loca-
tions and schedules. The Association for Commuter
Transportation (ACT) recommends that employers
conduct a Commute Mode Survey to determine
employees' current transportation patterns and
interest in carpooling. The survey should ask about
employees' interest in carpooling, their residential
location (the ACT sample survey asks for the zip
code) as well as whether their schedules are regular
enough to permit them to carpool.
For employees who currently drive alone to work,
the survey should ask what incentives would
encourage them to carpool. ACT also points out
that more employees will respond positively to the
idea of carpooling than will actually carpool. See
ACTs Transportation Demand Tool Kit for a
description of their Commute Mode Survey. The
Tool Kit can be ordered at www.actweb.org
Also, in deciding whether to implement a carpooling
program, employers should consider enforcement
issues. It is easier to enforce carpool regulations in
areas with gated or attended parking.
2) Determine possible carpooling incentives
If the employee survey reveals sufficient interest
and potential among employees, an employer
should next determine what incentives should be
used to encourage carpooling. As discussed
above in Implementation Issues and Costs, incen-
tives can include reduced cost or free parking,
preferred parking, and prizes or discounts.
Incentives should be based on particular circum-
stances at the location; for example, an employer
located in a downtown location with expensive
parking might give reduced cost or free parking
as an incentive, while a suburban employer might
rely on prize drawing to motivate carpoolers. In
addition, employers with paid parking may use
parking tax benefits (see Tax Considerations,
above).
If an employer is considering implementing paid
parking in response to a parking shortage, it
might work well to implement a carpooling
incentive program at the same time. For example,
previously free parking might remain free to car-
poolers, but cost $50 per month for those driving
alone. This allows employees to retain the ability
to park free, if they carpool.
Acknowledging that carpoolers may occasionally
need to drive alone to run errands or attend to other
personal business during the day, some employers
allow registered carpoolers to drive alone from
time to time without incurring a penalty.
3) Investigate rideshare options
Many regions have rideshare organizations that
help potential car- and vanpoolers locate rideshare
partners. These services are usually either non-
profit agencies or publicly funded, and matching
services are generally free to riders. Unlike many
Transportation Management Associations (TMA),
where employers must become members before
their employees can take advantage of their services,
rideshare organizations seldom require employers
to become involved.
Using a rideshare organization relieves the
employer of having to match potential carpoolers.
Because of the complexity of matching potential
carpoolers, and maintaining a database of persons
interested in carpooling, there are specialized
software programs available (see the list at
www.nctr.usf.edu/clearinghouse/
ridematching.htm). Unless the employer is rela-
tively large, and there is no regional rideshare
service available, it is probably easiest to encourage
employees to find carpool partners through a
rideshare organization. A list of rideshare organi-
zations can be found in Appendix A.
Employers may wish to contact the rideshare
organization to learn more about its operations,
so that they can have answers to employees'
questions about how rideshare matching works,
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CCLI: Carpool Incentive Programs
and to reassure employees that their personal
information will not be used for other purposes.
Because many rideshare organizations have
online registration, a company with an internal
web site may wish to provide a direct link.
Employers can also discuss with a rideshare
organization whether they wish have their
employees matched only with employees at the
same employer, or with employees at other near-
by employers.
4) Determine registration and eligibility
requirements
Employees generally have to register with the
employer to qualify for carpool incentives. The
human resources department or employee trans-
portation coordinator should determine proce-
dures, and what information an employee must
submit. To prevent fraud, most employers ask
employees to re-register once per year.
Registration can be done by written form or
online at a company web site.
If there are designated spaces for carpoolers, an
employer should probably issue some type of
identification for those vehicles. Employers gen-
erally use hangtags (tags that hang from the rear
view mirror) for this purpose, as decals cannot be
moved easily from vehicle to vehicle.
An employer may want to consider whether all
employees will be eligible to register as carpoolers,
or only certain categories. For example, an
employer with multiple worksites may allow only
employees at certain worksites to register as car-
poolers. Some employers who have high num-
bers of temporary workers or telecommuters
allow only employees who work on-site a certain
number of hours per week to register.
Some employers differentiate between carpools
by employee status and number of passengers.
Emory University, for example, has three cate-
gories of carpools based on these criteria. (See
Employer Case Studies.) This allows employers
to give higher incentives to full-time employees
and larger carpools.
5) Announce and implement the carpooling
program
Once incentives have been determined, employ-
ers should take the necessary steps to implement
the carpooling program. Depending on the nature
of the program, steps may include the following:
• Designating and marking carpool spaces in
parking areas;
• Introducing or changing parking fees;
• Implementing a system for carpoolers to
register;
• Obtaining and distributing hangtags or other
vehicle identification; and
• Writing a carpool policy that covers eligibility,
incentives, and penalties for non-compliance.
Once guidelines and policies are in place, the
employer should make a formal announcement
and encourage employees to register as carpools.
The employer should use whatever means of
internal publicity it normally uses to communicate
changes in benefits policies to its employees.
These may include the following:
• Company orientation for new employees;
• Advertisements in places seen frequently by
employees (cafeteria, garage, elevators, etc);
• Distribution of program brochures;
• Company newsletters;
• Voicemail or e-mail broadcast;
• Special promotional days (example: a "Pool
Day" to encourage car/vanpooling);
• Awards or prize drawings to recognize
employees using transit or carpools;
• Inserts to paychecks;
• Company web site or intranet;
• "Kick-off event (which could include repre-
sentatives from rideshare organization).
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CCLI: Carpool Incentive Programs
6) Monitor and maintain carpool incentive
program
Once implemented, carpool incentive programs
should be monitored and changed as circum-
stances require. Recommendations for ongoing
monitoring include:
• Annual re-registration of carpoolers to pre-
vent fraud and checking carpoolers' names
against employment records to ensure that all
registered employees are still working at the
worksite claimed.
• Enforcement of preferred parking and ensur-
ing that there is sufficient preferred parking
for all registered carpoolers.
• Frequent updating of the rideshare list, if
maintained by the employer.
• Continued marketing of the incentive pro-
gram. Carpooling is not a "one-time pur-
chase," but requires continued promotion for
maximum participation.
EMPLOYER QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
The following questions might commonly be
asked by an employer (e.g., a human resources
benefits specialist or employee transportation
coordinator) interested in implementing a carpool
incentive program.
Question: How difficult - and costly - is it to
administer the program?
It depends on the scope of the program, the number
of employees, and the type of incentive. A regis-
tration-based program updated annually would
not take much staff time; however, maintaining a
rideshare database for a large company might be
very time-intensive. The cost of financial incen-
tives would be based on current parking costs
(i.e., if the incentive involves reduced cost or free
parking for carpools, the company would forego
some revenue) or the size of prizes or awards. As
an example, Nike spends $23,000 annually on
prizes, with 250 to 300 employees eligible for
prize drawings each month. This works out to
approximately $75 to $100 annually per partici-
pant. (See Employer Case Studies.)
Question: Does the employer decide who pays
for gas and insurance, or how frequently each
carpooler has to drive?
Generally cost sharing and driving duties are left
up to the discretion of the carpoolers. Different
arrangements work for different carpools; for
example, some carpoolers may always need their
car during the day, so they are responsible for all
the driving, while other carpools rotate drivers.
Some carpools are composed of family members,
so cost sharing is not a major issue. The employer
should make clear in the carpool guidelines that
carpoolers must reach their own arrangements, and
that the employer is not responsible for resolving
disputes. Guidelines should also urge employees to
review their car insurance policies to ensure that
they are adequately covered.
Nike has a carpool program with written guide-
lines; these guidelines are provided in Appendix
B as a potential model.
Question: Are there safety concerns in encour-
aging my employees to share rides with
strangers? Are rideshare partners screened?
According to a Transportation Consultant at
RIDES for Bay Area Commuters, a San
Francisco area rideshare organization that has
been operating since 1977, rideshare matches are
not screened. Registrants are provided with the
neighborhood and phone number of potential
rideshare partners. RIDES encourages potential
rideshare matches to speak on the phone and/or
meet in person to establish both rideshare com-
patibility and to ensure that they feel comfortable
with each other. RIDES informs registrants that
they have not screened applicants with a dis-
claimer on the registration form. However, they
have not learned of any problems between
ridesharers more serious than
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CCLI: Carpool Incentive Programs
smoker/non-smoker, differing tastes in music, or
fragrance tolerance.
Question: How often must somebody carpool
before they become eligible for benefits?
Some employers request that only people who
carpool two or more days per week register, but
benefits to employer and employee increase with
frequency, and many employers feel that higher
frequencies are worth higher benefits.
EMPLOYER CASE STUDIES
Employers around the country have implemented
carpool incentive programs. The following cases
describe several employer programs.
Atlanta, Georgia - Emory University
Emory University, with approximately 10,000
students and 14,000 faculty and staff, is located
on the outskirts of Atlanta. Emory's carpool pro-
gram is administered by the Division of
Community Services, which includes an
Alternative Transportation office. The university
contains a major hospital and clinic.
Emory provides incentives to carpoolers in the
form of reduced parking rates and in some cases
reserved spaces. Emory recognizes three categories
of carpools, which are based on the number of
full-time employees registered in the carpool.
(See table below.) All carpools must register
with the Parking Office to receive hangtags for
the rear view mirror. Both university and hospital
/clinic employees are eligible to participate in
carpool programs. Students are not eligible.
Carpool Incentive Program
Requirements at Emory University
Number/Type
of Employees
2PT
1 FT 1 PT
2 FT
2 FT 1 PT
3 FT
3 FT 1 PT
Carpool
Category
1
2
3
Parking
Cost
$100/year
$100/year
Free
Reserved
Space?
No
Yes
Yes
Annual parking rates range from under $200 (for
hospital and clinic employees) to $900 for 24-
hour reserved faculty spaces. Most university
employees pay $219 per year. Reserved spaces
are reserved exclusively for individual vehicles;
there are no "carpool only" parking areas in the
lots (i.e., carpools with non-reserved spaces com-
pete for spaces with solo drivers).
All carpool participants also receive a "Value
Pass" hangtag to be used in cases where they
need to occasionally drive to work alone. The
Value Pass allows 12 entries per year; additional
passes may be purchased for $36.
Emory advises potential carpoolers to register
with the regional Commute Connections service,
a rideshare organization run by the Atlanta
Regional Commission.
Emory's program has been in place approximately
eight years. It was begun to alleviate parking con-
gestion on the main campus (employees at other
locations do not have carpool incentives). There
are currently almost 400 carpoolers registered in
170 carpools (an average vehicle occupancy of
2.08 persons).
The program is publicized through commuter
fairs, which are often held as components of larger
events such as Staff Day. There is also an e-mail
listserv with 11,000 participants.
According to Wanda Teichert, Program
Development Coordinator with the Alternative
Transportation Office, there are recurring but
mostly minor problems with attempted cheating.
She mentioned that the best safeguard is a gated
parking lot; the hangtags issued to carpoolers are
barcoded to allow entry. She said that another
problem is invalid registrations (generally persons
who work at other facilities). To help prevent this,
they require all carpools to re-register annually, so
they can check carpoolers' names against current
employment records. Several people caught cheat-
ing have been banned from the carpool program.
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CCLI: Carpool Incentive Programs
Emory has in the past terminated employees for
transit benefits program fraud, but so far that has
not occurred in the carpool program.
Beaverton, Oregon - Nike
Nike, a footwear manufacturer headquartered in
suburban Portland, has an extensive commuting
program that includes two types of carpooling
incentives. First, carpools have reserved parking
areas until 10 AM. Second, carpoolers are eligi-
ble, along with all other non-single occupant
vehicle commuters, for monthly and quarterly
prize drawings.
According to Linda Odekirk, Nike's Employee
Transportation Coordinator, carpoolers previously
received "Nike Bucks," vouchers that could be
used to purchase food, merchandise, or other on-
site services, every time they arrived in a carpool
at the main campus. However, this program
proved to be too expensive, so three years ago it
was replaced with the prize drawings. Under the
Nike Bucks program, Nike spent approximately
$250,000 a year on commuter incentives; currently,
they spend $41,000. (Of that $41,000, $23,000 is
spent in the Portland area; the rest is used for
commute incentives hi other locations.) Prizes
range from gift certificates in Increments of $25,
$50, of $100 for company store or local retailers
to $400 for mountain bike purchase or "get-
away" weekends.
Carpoolers do not register with the company in
advance. Rather, carpoolers receive a hangtag
from the security guard at the main gate to place
in their car for the day that allows them to park in
the reserved carpool areas. (The Nike campus
consists of a number of buildings, and there are
approximately 30 to 40 spaces reserved for car-
pools scattered throughout the campus at different
buildings.)
Carpoolers can find matches through in-house
computerized matching. Ms. Odekirk described
maintaining the rideshare list as an "administra-
tive nightmare," because of the difficulty of keeping
the list updated. Portland is in the process of
implementing a regional rideshare program and
she hopes to transfer the matching function to
that program once it is implemented. Ms. Odekirk
said that most carpools form via word of mouth,
not through the rideshare list.
Because there is no registration, Ms. Odekirk
tracks participation through registration for prize
drawings. Anyone who uses a non-single occu-
pant vehicle commute mode during a given week
is eligible to register for the prize drawings.
When they register online for the prize drawing,
commuters list the number of times they used a
particular mode during the week. These figures
form the basis for reporting mode splits under
Oregon's trip reduction mandate. Ms. Odekirk
said that in an average week there are 400 trips
made by carpool, meaning that at least 800 people
carpooled. The campus has 4,000 employees;
there are another 1,100 employees in the metro-
politan area. (Although employees at any facility
can register for the prize drawing if they carpool,
only one other facility has reserved parking.)
Ms. Odekirk thought there was more potential for
fraud under the Nike Bucks program. Under that
program, commuters received Nike Bucks vouchers
from the security guard when they arrived at
work. However, off-campus employees did not
have to pass a security guard, so they requested
vouchers from a receptionist, who could not verify
if they had carpooled. Although there may be
some fraud under the current program, because
commuting behavior is self-reported and not veri-
fied, she thinks the fact that participants are only
registering for a chance to win, not receiving
guaranteed benefits, mitigates against fraud.
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CCLI: Carpool Incentive Programs
SRVICES THAT SUPPORT
f IMPLEMENTATION
«K * ' ~ '
Rideshare Organizations
Many regions have rideshare organizations whose
primary function is to maintain databases of
potential carpoolers. Because of both the diffi-
culty of keeping this type of database updated,
and the fact that many employers do not have
sufficiently high numbers of employees to make
many carpool matches, a regional rideshare service
is an excellent way to find carpool partners for
employees. Appendix A lists major regional pro-
grams.
Parking Cash Out
Parking cash out is an arrangement in which an
employer offers employees cash in lieu of a parking
space. One study of parking cash out (Shoup,
1997) showed that carpooling at eight companies
increased from 14 to 23 percent when parking
cash out was implemented. Unless other incen-
tives are implemented, it is difficult to convince
employees not to drive alone when parking is free
and plentiful.
Guaranteed Ride Home Programs
A barrier preventing some employees from car-
pooling is the fear that they will not be able to get
home quickly in the event of an emergency, such
as picking up a sick child from school, or working
unscheduled overtime. Guaranteed ride home
(GRH) programs provide commuters who regu-
larly carpool, vanpool, bike, walk or take transit
to work with a reliable ride home when an unex-
pected emergency arises. GRH programs are
designed to rescue commuters who are worried
about how they'll get home in the event of an
emergency. Knowing there is a guaranteed ride
home gives many people the security to carpool.
GRH programs may be established by individual
employers. Usually the employer will pay for a
taxi home in the case that an employee who is a
carpool passenger has to leave in the middle of
the day, or the carpool driver is for some reason
unavailable. Some MPOs and local governments
have also established regional or county-wide
GRH programs for employees that register for the
program. GRH tends to be a low-cost way to
encourage carpool use, especially if a company
only fills in coverage for areas not covered under
a broader regional program. For example, a
regional transit agency may provide a guaranteed
ride home for monthly passholders, so a company
would have to provide GRH only for carpoolers.
Provision of GRH is a requirement of participa-
tion in CCLI. See the separate GRH briefing
paper for further information.
Park-and-Ride Lots
For potential carpool partners who do not live in
immediate proximity, a park-and-ride lot may be
a good meeting place. The availability of park-
and-ride lots may encourage carpool drivers who
would otherwise be inconvenienced by picking
up and dropping off passengers at their homes.
ASSOCIATIONS AND CONTACTS
This section provides information on contacts
that EPA and regional, state, and local govern-
ments might wish to utilize for expertise in
understanding, promoting, or providing technical
information on carpool incentive programs.
Information Clearinghouses
Association for Commuter Transportation
P.O. Box 15542
Washington, DC 20003
Tel: 202-393-3497
Fax: 202-546-2196
Act@act-hq.com
www.ACTweb.org
The Association for Commuter Transportation
(ACT) is a membership organization that promotes
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CCLI: Carpool Incentive Programs
commuter choice and transportation demand
management. It sponsors annual conferences on
commuting, and publishes educational materials
for employers.
National Transportation Demand Management
(TDM) and Telework Clearinghouse
National Center for Transit Research
University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Avenue
CUT100
Tampa, FL 33620-5375
Tel: 813-974-3120
www.nctr.usf.edu/clearinghouse
The National TDM and Telework Clearinghouse
is a compendium of research and information on
transportation demand management (TDM).
TDM refers to a set of programs and policies
designed to make the best use of existing trans-
portation resources without additional infrastruc-
ture investment. Much of the Clearinghouse
information is available electronically. The web
site contains information for employers interested
in establishing trip reduction programs.
Rides/tare Organizations
As discussed above, there are rideshare organiza-
tions in many regions. If an area is not listed in
Appendix A, the MPO for the region may offer
more assistance on locating rideshare programs.
The appropriate MPO can be located through the
Association for Metropolitan Planning
Organizations (202-457-0710 x!9); a list of
MPOs with web pages is available at
www.ampo.org/mposnet_old.html.
Commuter Choice Leadership Initiative
For more information on the Commuter Choice
Leadership Initiative, contact the Commuter
Choice Hotline at 888-856-3131, or see
www.commuterchoice.gov
IEMISSIONS AND TRANSPORTATION
^BENEFITS
Carpooling reduces travel and emissions com-
pared to driving alone. Employees get to work
with fewer separate vehicle trips, thereby reducing
traffic congestion and air pollution.
Nationally, about 11 percent of employees com-
muted to work in carpools, according to the
Journey to Work survey in the 1990 census; these
are the most recent national figures available.
Companies that implement programs to support
ridesharing can expect increases in the portion of
employees who choose to carpool. According to
EPA's Commuter Model, which draws relation-
ships from actual case studies of employer-based
programs, companies that implement in-house
carpool matching services along with carpool
information activities, and a part-time transporta-
tion coordinator, can expect about a four to ten
percent increase in the number of employees car-
pooling. Employers that also provide preferential
parking for carpoolers, flexible work schedules
(to accommodate carpools), and a full-time trans-
portation coordinator might expect an increase of
up to 20 percent in the number of employees car-
pooling. Employers who institute financial incen-
tives for carpooling (such as greatly reduced
parking rates) may find even greater increases in
the number of carpoolers.
^REFERENCES AND PUBLICATIONS
Federal Transit Administration. No date. Parking
Supply Management. Available at
www.fta.dot.gov/library/planning/tdmstatus/FTAP
RKSP.HTM
Odekirk, L. 2001. Personal communication.
Telephone conversations between Linda Odekirk,
Employee Transportation Coordinator, Nike, and
Liisa Ecola, ICF Consulting, April 6, 2001.
10
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CCLI: Carpool Incentive Programs
Shoup, D. 1997. Evaluating the Effects of
Parking Cash Out: Eight Case Studies,
Sacramento: California Environmental Protection
Agency.
Teichert, W. 2001. Personal communication.
Telephone conversation between Wanda Teichert,
Program Development Coordinator, Alternative
Transportation Office, Emory University, and
Liisa Ecola of ICF Consulting, April 4, 2001.
11
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CCLI: Carpool Incentive Programs
i APPENDIX A: COMMUTER RIDESHARE PROGRAMS
The table below lists some of the third-parly commuter rideshare programs in the country. Employers
located in areas not listed below should contact the MPO for their region to determine if others exist.
Location
Atlanta, GA
Albany, NY
Augusta, ME
Birmingham, AL
Boston and Massachusetts
Contra Costa County, CA
Denver, CO
Detroit, MI
Houston, TX
Kansas City, MO
Las Vegas, NV
Long Island, NY
Miami, PL
Minncapolis/St. Paul, MN
Morris County, NJ
Nashville, TN
New Hampshire
New Haven, CT
New York, NY
Phoenix, AZ
Portland, ME
Rhode Island
Sponsoring Agency
Commuter Connections
Capital District Commuter
Register
Go Augusta
CommuteSmart Rideshare
CARAVAN for Commuters
Contra Costa County
Commute Alternative
Network
Ride Arrangers
Southeast Michigan
Council of Governments
METROVan
Mid-America Regional
Council
Regional Transportation
Commission
Long Island RideSharing
South Florida Commuter
Services
Metro Council
TransOptions
Regional Transportation
Authority
NewHampshire DOT
Rideworks
Commuter Link
Valley Metro
RideShare
Rhode Island Public
Transit Authority
Type of Agency
Rideshare sponsored by
Atlanta Regional
Commission
Rideshare
Rideshare
Rideshare
Rideshare
Public consortium
Rideshare sponsored by
Denver Regional Council
of Governments
Council of Governments
Rideshare
Rideshare
MPO
Rideshare
Rideshare
MPO/ Transit Agency
Rideshare
MPO/ Transit Agency
State Department of
Transportation
Rideshare
Rideshare
Transit Agency
Rideshare
Transit Agency
Contact Info
87-RIDEFIND
518-458-2164
800-280-RIDE
800-826-RIDE
888-4-COMMUTE
510-215-3035
303-455-1000
313-961-4266
713-224-RIDE
816/842-RIDE
702-228-RIDE
631-737-CARS
800-234-RIDE
651-602-1602
973-267-7600
615-862-8833
800-462-8707
800-ALL-RIDE
718-886-1343
602-262-7242
800-280-RIDE
888-88-RIPTA
Website?
www.commuteconnections.com
www.commuter-register.org
www.goaugusta.org
www.commutesmartrideshare.com
www.commute.com
www.traks.org/incentive/guar-
antee/incentive.html
www.drcog.org/ridearrangers
www.semcog.org/index.html
www.hou-metro.harris.tx.us/
METVAN.HTM
rideshare.mai-c.org
www.catride.com/catmatch/
www.737cars.com
www.commuterservices.com/sfi'
www.metrocommuterservices.o
rg/index.asp
www.transoptions.org
www.rta-ride.org/ridehome/
ridepolicy.htm
www.state.nh.us/dot/rideshare
www.rideworks.com
www.commuterlink.com
www.valleymetro.maricopa.gov
www.ridesharemaine.org
www.ripta.com
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CCLI: Carpool Incentive Programs
Location
San Diego, CA
San Francisco Bay Area,
CA
San Mateo County, CA
Seattle, WA
Stamford, CT
Tallahassee, FL
Tampa, FL
Vermont
Vermont and New
Hampshire
Washington, DC
Windsor, CT
Sponsoring Agency
San Diego Commute
RIDES for Bay Area
Commuters
Peninsula Traffic
Congestion Relief
Alliance
Metro Rideshare
Operations
Metropool
Commuter Services of
North Florida
Bay Area Commuter
Services
Vermont Public Transit
Authority
Upper Valley Rideshare
Commuter Connections
The RideShare Company
Type of Agency
Rideshare sponsored by
San Diego Association of
Governments
Rideshare
Public/non-profit Joint
Powers Association
County
Rideshare
Rideshare
Rideshare
Transit Agency
Rideshare
MPO
Rideshare
Contact Info
800-COMMUTE
800-755-POOL
650-994-7924
206-625-4500
800-346-3743
888-454-RIDE
813.282.8200
800-685-RIDE
802-295-1824
800-745-RTDE
800-972-3279
Website?
www.sdcommute.com/van_poo
Lhtml
www.rides.org
www.commute.org
transit.rnetrokc.gov/van-car/van-
car.html
www.metropool.com
tmi.cob.feu.edu/commute/#
www.tampabayrideshare.org
www.vpta.net
www.uppervalleyrideshare.com/
/uvrs.grh.html
www.mwcog.org/commuter
www.rideshare.com
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CCLI: Carpool Incentive Programs
| APPENDIX B: SAMPLE CARPOOLING GUIDELINES /
The following guidelines are provided by Linda Odekirk, Employee Transportation Coordinator
for Nike.
GUIDELINES FOR CARPOOLING
It is important for prospective carpoolers to meet under comfortable conditions to determine the feasibility
of ridesharing. As you make contact with potential rideshare partners, suggest a meeting on common
ground to discuss compatibility. Invite several people to the meeting. If all the schedulers and pickup
points do not mesh, perhaps more than one pool is a possibility.
When a compatible group is formed, the following should be discussed and all members should agree to:
• Select the route or routes the carpool will take to and from work and designate pickup points
which may be at each member's home or at a common meeting point such as a park-and-ride lot.
• Determine the morning arrival and afternoon departure times based on compatible work sched-
ules. Allow extra time for the occasional traffic tie-up or other unforeseen events.
• Choose the departure locations at work where carpool members will gather for the drive home.
• Determine who is going to drive. Will some or all of the carpool members share driving responsi-
bilities by alternating on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis? Or will they select a designated driver?
• Calculate commuting costs to determine the amount non-drivers will pay to cover the expenses of
the driver(s). This normally can be determined by multiplying the daily round-trip miles by the
drivers cost per mile and dividing the total by the number of carpool members. Some carpools sim-
ply cover gas expenses. Set regular payment dates.
• Determine which days of the week each person will carpool. While many carpools are five days a
week, many other carpools operate quite well on a part time basis. To accommodate individual
needs some full time carpools include a part time member(s). Be creative.
• Create communication lines between pool members so that an agreed upon alternative plan can be
rapidly implemented in case of illness or other problems. Make certain that all members of the pool
have exchanged phone numbers. Also appoint a Carpool Captain responsible for maintaining these
communications.
Once these logistical details have been arranged, it is important that a frank and friendly discussion take
place regarding the "rules of the road." By establishing these understandings ahead of time, a carpool is
far less likely to experience social friction. Issues to be covered and recommended rules to establish
include the following:
• The first rule is to agree to have rules.
• Agree to be on time. Depending on the length of the commute, most carpools allow two to five
minutes for a late passenger, but some reach an understanding not to wait.
• Detours for personal errands, such a picking up a carton of milk on the way home, should be avoided.
• Establish a smoking policy. Smoking should not be allowed unless everyone in the carpool is a
smoker or everyone agrees that smoking is OK.
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CCLI: Carpool Incentive Programs
• Take a vote about the radio. On or off? Music or news? Classical, top 40, rock, progressive rock,
country, or whatever?
• Agree on do's and don'ts concerning personal habits, such as reading, talking, and eating in the car.
• Driver responsibilities include keeping the vehicle clean, in good working condition, and ade-
quately fueled for the round-trip commute. Naturally he or she is also responsible for driv-
ing safely and for mamtaining adequate auto insurance.
Once these initial arrangements have been made, the carpool should be ready for a trial period.
Make sure all the members of the fledgling carpool agree to give it time to work. A four-week
shakedown cruise is normally necessary to get it all running smoothly.
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ORDERING
This publication may be ordered from the National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP) at:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
NSCEP
P.O. Box42419
Cincinnati, OH 45242-2419
Phone: (800)490-9198, Fax: (513)489-8695
FOR MORE INFORMATION
This guidance document and other information about the Commuter Choice Leadership Initiative are available |
atwww.commuterchoice.gov or by calling the Commuter Choice voicemail request line at (888) 856-3131.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This document was prepared for EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality under contract 68-W6-0029,
by Michael Grant and Liisa Ecola of ICF Consulting, 9300 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22031, (703) 934-3000.
We would like to thank the various reviewers who provided comments and feedback on the document.
RecscteWtecyclable. Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on Recycled Paper (Minimum 50% Postconsumer) Process Chlorine Free
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