Commuting - Did you know that employers are SUPPOSED to encourage alternative transportation?

Look at the attached very interesting Executive Summary from the EPA entitled "LOOKING BEYOND ECO: ALTERNATIVES TO EMPLOYER-BASED TRIP REDUCTION"

According to this, the Employee Commute Options requirements of the Clean Air Act, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) states that employers with 100 employees "must increase their "average passenger occupancy (same as AVR, as mentioned above) per vehicle in commuting trips between home and the work place... to a level not less than 25 percent above" the average for that region."

I don't know about where you work, but I am afraid my employer didn't get the memo.

Have a gander. This is interesting reading:

http://www.rppi.org/environment/ps185.html#02

Sounds like it encourages car pooling, which is better than nothing; but leaves cycling alone....

Also I'd be willing to be this would never be enforced. But then, I'm pretty cynical.

I may have to re-read this, again.

It seems to speak of 9 bad-air cities, but it's unclear what only applies to them. Then, it goes on to say it won't penalize anyone for not complying.

I'm so confused. I need a beignet.

Jonathan

Originally posted by jramsey

I'm so confused. I need a beignet.


Make that a Krispy Krême beignet. Better yet, make it two.

My employer posts the schedule for the local bus route. Does that count? Judging from the 1000+ cars in the parking lot, I don't think anyone has seen it.

Out here in Portland, city ordinances require larger employers to have bicycle racks and the like. My employer even has a locker room with showers. We also get a $25 gift certificate (taxable income though) each month if we walk or bike to work at least 80% of the time.

You'd still be surprised how many cars there are in the parking garage.

Harumph.
:rolleyes:

But at least they're making some effort to encourage bike travel. That has to be good! And there will always be millions of cars parked all around and polluting the air, till gas prices rise sufficiently to put a stop to all the waste.

Kansas City - the whole area, both states - needs some better incentives for employers.

Some companies here do cover part of the bus pass. Not many have showers. Some Sprint buildings have them, although none that I ever worked in.

Urban sprawl, white flight, mall mania, interstate freeways, and suburban superstores have helped erode the infrastructure that once worked in a car-free city. People really like to work 20-30 miles from home.

Jonathan

Originally posted by jramsey
People really like to work 20-30 miles from home.


And I for one have never understood why. I mean, it's all well and good to talk about the lifestyle of living miles from where you work, but that doesn't mean much if you spend hours each day stuck in traffic trying to commute.

Personally I can find better things to do with that time.

Chris