Subsidizing an employee’s commute is a powerful benefit and can actually help companies recruit and retain staff.

The Skoll Foundation has just 36 employees but sees major benefits from its participation in the program. “The foundation has a strong commitment to the environment, and we were looking for ways to encourage our employees to use public transportation,” said Controller Rob Lenahan. “At the time, we had a few people using the train, but many were driving.”

Lenahan called the Go Pass “wildly successful” with more than half of the foundation’s employees now regular Caltrain riders. “It’s one of the most popular benefits that we have,” said Lenahan. “And it has been a huge boon in helping us recruit employees who live in San Francisco.”

Lenahan also said that at one point the company was considering a move to another location. “We are so convinced that Caltrain is the way to go that we decided we would only move to a location within walking distance of Caltrain.”

The Go Pass – a small sticker affixed to an employee photo ID badge – is purchased by employers for all of their regular, full-time employees and can be used in any zone throughout the system, seven days a week.

Employees traveling on Caltrain simply present the badge with the Go Pass sticker when asked for proof of payment by a Caltrain conductor or fare enforcement officer.

Introduced in 2003, the pass has proven to be a winner among employees who are enjoying a commute that was once far more stressful.

Caltrain rider Jed Michnowicz uses his Go Pass to commute to his job at Adobe in San Francisco. Although Michnowicz considers the free ride the most attractive benefit of the Go Pass, he also said, “Caltrain is fast and convenient and gives me free time that would otherwise be spent in a car stuck in traffic..”

Omeed Badri, who has been a Caltrain rider for years, only recently began using a Go Pass as a new employee at Disney Interactive in Palo Alto. Badri appreciates the convenience of the Go Pass. “I never have to worry about zones or fares. I can just hop on and get off wherever I need to go. The freedom that comes along with that is priceless,” said Badri.

Badri also values the time he saves by commuting on Caltrain. “I get nearly two hours of my day back that I would have spent staring at traffic. I catch up on emails on the train in the morning and get a good head start on my work day. When I arrive at the office I have taken care of anything that was pressing, thanks to Caltrain.”

At the end of the day, Badri said he arrives home “refreshed and full of energy” for time with his family.

For employers, the Go Pass is an attractive addition to their benefits package, an asset for recruiting and retaining employees.

Nektar, a pharmaceutical research firm, relocated from San Carlos to San Francisco in 2012. Senior Benefits Analyst Brenda Chu was charged with developed a robust commute program that would retain the company’s highly skilled work force. “I did an analysis to see where our employees lived and discovered that more than two-thirds of them live on Peninsula or further south.”

Chu worked with Caltrain to implement the Go Pass program, and since the company’s move to its new Mission Bay location, Chu said the Go Pass has become “vital to our benefits package.” The company subsidizes the full cost of the Go Pass for each of its 225 employees. Chu considers it a worthwhile investment. “We are a small company and our employees are highly specialized. I have been told that recruiting and training just two new employees would cost us more than participating in the Go Pass program,” said Chu.

Stanford University is the largest participant in the Go Pass program, with nearly 50 percent of its employees participating. The university considers the pass a valuable tool in meeting its goal of a zero-net increase in peak-commute traffic.

“Since we have so many employees living on the Peninsula, the Go Pass is a wonderful option for us,” said Brodie Hamilton, director of parking and transportation services.

The Palo Alto Caltrain Station, the closest station to the university, is Caltrain’s second most popular station. Stanford further supports Go Pass riders by providing robust shuttle service between the station and campus. “Ridership on our shuttles has more than doubled since the introduction of the Go Pass,” said Hamilton. “We have nearly 40 shuttle buses on the road during the peak commute.”

Hamilton said the university promotes the Go Pass as part of its benefits package when recruiting new employees. “When combined with all the other costs of driving, such as fuel, parking fees, wear and tear on your car and higher insurance costs, the financial benefit can be substantial,” said Hamilton. “One of our employees reported that her accountant said she was saving $5,000 a year by not driving to work.”

SRI International Inc., headquartered two blocks from the Menlo Park train station, also participates in the Go Pass program. “People here love the Go Pass,” said Sandy Hinzmann, manager of staff programs and transportation. “Even our upper-level managers think it is one of the best benefits you can have. People who participate in the program save thousands of dollars.”

Of SRI’s 1,200 employees, 700 participate in the program and Hinzmann estimates that 300 are regular Caltrain riders. Before signing up for the Go Pass program, SRI was purchasing train passes for employees. “Go Pass actually saves us money,” said Hinzmann.

Ancestry.com, the online family history company, has an office just two blocks from the San Francisco Caltrain Station. The company has a reimbursement program for employees who use public transportation, but Janetta Wood, human resources director, finds the Go Pass the easiest program to administer. Because the Go Pass is an annual program, paperwork only needs to be done once a year. “Our employees are so grateful to have the Go Pass. It is so easy to use,” said Wood. “All they need to do is take a survey once a year and they are done with all the administrative stuff.” About 33 percent of the company’s 150 employees live south of San Francisco and take advantage of the pass.

The Go Pass also has been a winner for Caltrain, which offers the program as a way to increase ridership on the commuter railroad. Since 2009, revenue from the Go Pass has increased from $2.3 million to nearly $6.5 million. The number of participating companies has nearly doubled, from 35 to 60, and the number of eligible employees has gone from 20,407 to 38,398.

As far as convenience is concerned, most people will say that driving alone in your own car can’t be beaten. However, there will be times when this isn’t the case, and public transport will be more suitable. For instance, living near CalTrain means that the “baby bullet” express trains can often be the best way to get from point A to point B.

For those living outside of cities …the generally cited reason for driving (vs. commuting) is that public transportation isn’t frequent enough, and that it costs too much. Depending entirely on where you live and where you need to go to public transportation may be your best option. McLean Consulting offers commute alternative solutions for employer sponsored commute programs that include personalized route maps to work. For many of our corporate commuters, a forty minute drive to work can cost twice as an employer sponsored commute to work! The question becomes “Are you aware of your organization’s commute program and do you have a convenient route mapped out?”

Convenience is regularly the first thing that commuters will look for when deciding which mode of transport to use. With this in mind, our commuter solutions are designed to benefit employee morale, while sparing our environment.

Consider that while the cost of fuel (and diesel), road tax, and car maintenance continues to rise –your employer sponsored commute benefits have stayed the same or even gotten better. The cost of commuting to work will continue to play an important role when choosing your mode of transport to work. For this reason, many organizations have commute programs the reduce the expense to their employees.

Driving on the road to get to work adds congestion to our environment, and increases consumption of fuels. Not to mention that it increases your car insurance rates (which are determined by annual mileage). Commuting to work by train is a sensible option to save fuel, and get to work without the hassle of dealing with traffic.

If fuel prices continue to rise as expected, public transportation may become a more viable option as cost plays a bigger role for the daily commuter. Judging by the number of riders at this years Bike to Work Day, it appears as though commute is “in.”

Indeed the scope of green transport cannot be limited to electric vehicles and hybrid cars alone.  It may also include walking, cycling and other forms of human-powered transport, green vehicles, solar energy transportation, wind energy transportation, water energy transportation, electric transportation, and other forms of renewable energy transportation or alternative energy transportation.

A transportation reform group called the Transportation Alternatives has inspired a green transportation hierarchy which rewards the low cost, space efficiency and zero environmental impact of cyclists and pedestrians.  Trucks get priority over personal cars due to scarce curb side parking and for eliminating double-parking problems.  The green transportation hierarchy include congestion pricing, the pricing of all on-street parking in Manhattan south of 96th Street, tolls on bridges and tunnels, and parking policies that prioritize commercial needs over personal cars.

The year 2008 had been a good year for green energy transportation.  It was in this year when lots of competitors came up with cars that competed with the hallmark hybrid vehicle Toyota Prius.  Among these cars include the Ford Fusion, the Mini-e, the Audi A1, and the Honda Insight which had all left a good impression on auto owners who also liked living green.  The green car that got the most raves, however, was the Chevy Volt.  The Chevy Volt was built by General Motors with the goal of building an electric platform that can be deployed first in the Volt, and then later on to cheaper cars.  Many have commented on the irony of having a company that killed the electric car which is now building one to survive.

Key characteristics for a green car can also include being small and efficient. For compact green cars, Nissan’s Nuvu and the robot-assisted Pivo 2 had been launched.  Meanwhile Chrysler developed the GEM Peapod while Mitsubishi came up with I-Miev.

Other green cars that aimed to battle global warming that were launched in 2008 include Mazda’s Kiyora, a car that cleans water, BMW’s hydrogen-powered car that cleaned the air as it goes through the city, and the Eco-Elise from Lotus, an energy-efficient vehicle that was created with green materials.

Hungary also introduced their own efficient car –the Antro, which has 150 miles per gallon mileage.  Volkswagen, on the other hand launched a 235 mpg concept with the VW 1L. French Microjoule is also hoping to produce an 8923 mile-per-gallon vehicle in the near future.

There are many other means of green transport out in the market.  Here are some basic green car tips to remember:

1.       Before getting in your car, consider whether you could reach your destination by other means. Walking regularly can reduce your risk of heart problems and other illnesses.
2.       Identify your most common destinations, and investigate whether you could get there by bus, train, bike, or walking.
3.       Travel to work or school by public transport, walking, or cycling once a week.
4.       Investigate the possibility of car sharing. By sharing with one other person, you could half your costs of driving.
5.       When driving, get rid of any additional and unnecessary weight, like roof bars or bike racks.
6.       Use air conditioning carefully, as this increases fuel consumption by 15%.
7.       Change into a higher gear as soon as possible.
8.       Accelerate and brake as slowly and smoothly as possible.
9.       Drive at slower speeds – driving at 70 mph uses 30% more fuel than driving at 40-55 mph.
10.   Have your car serviced regularly – an incorrectly adjusted carburettor can waste up to 25% of fuel. Incorrect tire pressure can increase fuel consumption too.
11.   Switch off your engine at short stops (more than one minute).

The Harris Interactive poll commissioned by the Workforce Institute also revealed 48 per cent of people said commuting has a significant impact on their job satisfaction and 32 per cent considered the commute when they chose their current job.

“Where possible, putting policies in place to allow employees to travel during non-peak hours or work from home can increase employee satisfaction, without a negative impact on the bottom line,” said Joyce Maroney, the director of the institute, a think tank established by the workforce management solution company Kronos Inc.

Eighty-three per cent of workers questioned in the survey said they drove to work alone and nine per cent used a carpool.

Only 11 per cent of workers opted for mass transit, 10 per cent said they walked to work and some people used more than one mode of transport to commute.

Fifteen per cent of people who took part in the online survey said they would change jobs for a shorter commute, and 11 per cent said the time spent commuting had a negative impact on their life-work balance.

“Managers should be mindful of the time their employees spend commuting as our survey shows it has a significant impact on job satisfaction,” said Maroney.

One-third of workers said their round-trip commute was between 30 minutes and an hour, while 16 per cent spent between one and two hours getting to work.

Nearly everyone had a worst commute ever story, with seven per cent saying it had taken five hours or more, and another 30 per cent spending more than two hours.

About three-quarters of people listen to music while commuting, 22 per cent enjoy quiet time and 18 per cent talk on the phone. Only seven per cent read a book or magazine and four per cent do some work.

Only six per cent of workers are paid for the time they spent commuting, and just 14 per cent of adults who commute have the option of working from home. But 27 per cent of people said that if they were given the technology they would work from home.

If workers could spend less time commuting, 50 per cent said they would use the extra time to sleep, 42 per cent would relax, 33 per cent would spend more time with their family and 28 would exercise.

© Copyright (c) Reuters

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Commuting+large+impact+workers+Survey/4920374/story.html#ixzz1PTnx3E2r

There are over 10 million trips taken on VTA light rail each year. We are committed to enhancing the travel experience for our loyal-customer base, while also trying to attract new riders to the system. With the increase of WiFi-enabled portable devices, free onboard WiFi is rapidly becoming an expectation of passengers. It has been a highly requested amenity locally.

All VTA light rail vehicles are now equipped with a mobile router delivering wireless Internet connectivity, supporting significantly higher speeds and lower latency, which is important as demand increases for content-rich, real-time data. It should make public transit a more appealing option to non-riders here in Silicon Valley who could use their commute to get work done.

For a customized trip plan, contact VTA Customer Service at (408) 321-2300 or www.vta.org.

· No wasted time trying to find a parking spot.

· Reduce your monthly insurance premiums.

· It can be cost-effective and aids supply earnings for countless households by producing work.

· Public transportation includes a set timetable and that means you generally know what time you’ll get to work. This would make it simple to come up with a routine involving your daily workout etc.

· It aids to scale back the dangerous emissions launched in the air after you drive. Put simply, it is a greener strategy to journey from one particular spot to one more.

· Making use of this sort of different transportation offers you the liberty to make use of your time properly. You could potentially be studying a e-book, getting caught up on email, or undertaking several various things that don’t include sitting at a red light while behind the wheel of your own car.

Even if you only use this alternate transportation for your commute to and from your office, you’re reducing dangerous emissions from negatively impacting our environment.

There are numerous rewards affiliated with utilizing public transportation and it can be so simple to do. Since the considerations around the atmosphere can turn into a longer discussion, rest assured that commuting is a great alternative to driving yourself to work!