ACT is (finally) returning to Denver!

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A few years in the making, this year’s gathering examines the ways TDM can shape the future of mobility

The last time the Association for Commuter Transportation held its International Conference in Denver, Colorado, was in 1996, and the crowd was quite a bit smaller. It was slated to return there with the largest attendance yet in the Summer of 2020, but instead, we all joined via Zoom and, let’s be honest, probably in our pajamas. Well, this year, we’re finally meeting up in person in the Mile High City, and we couldn’t be more excited. 

Here are a few of the reasons we’re excited. 

Exploring Denver and beyond

The conference planning committee made an exceptional effort this year to create an exceptional range of opportunities for attendees to get out of conference rooms to experience more of the beautiful host city. 

If you were able to sign up for one or more of the tours the hosts have planned, you’ll get a chance to see some of the things that make the region a great place to live and work.

Even if you can’t make it to any of the tours, we encourage you to make your way around downtown Denver using your free RTD-Denver passes (or perhaps even on a bike or e-scooter) to appreciate the progressive steps Denver has been taking to support bikes and micromobility around town. 

Hot tip: You can test drive an e-scooter on a closed course, courtesy of Unagi on Tuesday afternoon, right around the corner from the conference hotel. Stop by the Unagi booth for details! 

Remember, while Denver itself isn’t as high as the tallest Rockies, it is still literally a mile above sea level. If you’re not used to visiting high elevations you should take it easy for the first day to allow your body to acclimate before trying anything to strenuous, and stay hydrated! 

Enjoying tours and social events

From hikes and rides led by local experts, to immersive and unexpected experiences, to deep dives into the region’s transportation system, there are lots of opportunities to spend quality time with TDM pros from around the world. 

If you arrive in time, check out one of the Sunday tours. Your only problem is choosing between them – and you’re likely to run into some ACT staff ane Executive Board members who will be in town early for an in-person board meeting on Saturday. 

Can’t make the Sunday tours? There are more opportunities to experience the region and its array of transportation possibilities. Here are three later tours you should check out: 

  • Tour the RTD Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility to get an inside look at how Denver’s new commuter rail fleet works. Monday at 2:30pm
  • Explore the 5280 trail, a planned 5.280 mile urban loop for walking, biking and rolling that will connect Denver’s landmarks and public spaces. Tuesday at 3:30pm
  • At least one of us will be sticking around Wednesday afternoon for an epic tour of Colorado State University and the City of Fort Collins’ Platinum Bike-Friendly University and Community. Besides ending up at New Belgium Brewery, we’re excited about the chance to ride around CSU’s campus. Wednesday at 11:00am

If you’re getting in later, don’t miss the Opening Reception at 6:00 pm local time in the Plaza outside the Hilton lobby – even if you have to head straight there from Union Station or DEN! Connect with old and new friends, and set your intentions for the next three days of learning. 

Hot tip: We always do closing night right so consider stopping by our place in the Ballpark District on Tuesday night! Sign up here or stop by our booth for details. 

Attending sessions and workshops

Of course the core reason the ACT International Conference has grown year after year, is the depth and breadth of workshops, discussions, and presentations from TDM leaders. The core agenda makes this the professional development opportunity of the year no matter your role in transportation. 

This year the conference has an exceptional lineup of sessions (so many they are running six at a time!) so you’ll have to make tough choices. 

Hot tip: If you’re going with a team, make a shared list of interesting sessions and then split up to cover as many as you can. Share your notes in Whova or text messaging. If you’re alone, form a team with peers from your local chapter, new friends you meet at the Opening Reception. 

Here are some of the sessions and workshops on our team’s “shortlist:”

  • Thom Cerny’s (Toole Design) “History of TDM” workshop: This session is sure to boost your knowledge of TDM trivia while also offering sharp critiques of the way things have always been done. Expect a lively exchange of ideas. Sunday at 1:00pm
  • A panel with three regions’ experience “Combating Sustainable Transportation Barriers for Low Wage/Shift-Based Workers,” featuring Aaron Gaul (Alta Planning), Ellie Smith (Seattle DOT), and Jessica Lin (Fourswquare ITP). Monday at 10:30am 
  • In “Scooting, Spinning, and Sharing,” a panel of leaders from around the Denver region will demonstrate how Denver is leading the way in shared micromobility from the city to the suburbs.  Monday at 10:30am
  • Sydney Cape’s (Alta Planning) “Evidence-Based Behavior Change Strategies” will draw lessons from research on decades of traffic safety programs and show how they can be applied to TDM. We expect to be referring back to this one often! Monday at 1:10pm
  • Cleaner Colorado Skies will feature Nisha Mokshagundam (Denver Regional Council of Governments) and Brandon Figliolino (Regional Transportation District) talking about how the agencies collaborated to tackle emissions by shifting people to transit with a fareless program. Monday at 1:10pm
  • Two chances to hear from Charles Brown (Equitable Cities), including the Hallcon-sponsored Monday Morning Keynote. We’re especially looking forward to his conversation with Sabrina Green (Atlanta Regional Commission), Danelle Crow (Alliance Strategies), Lisa-Kay Schweyer (Foursquare ITP), and Rosalind Tucker (Atlanta Regional Commission) on Enhancing the Reach and Efficacy of TDM through Equitable Engagement. Monday at 2:20pm
  • A session on how Hybrid Work trends are shaping our work will bring together Jeremy Mullings (South Florida Commuter Services), Allie Veleca (AECOM), and Robin Mack (Mack Global) and is sure to make you think, and spark audience participation. Monday at 2:20pm
  • We’re honored to be sponsoring and introducing Tuesday’s keynote presentation by Amy Ford (City and County of Denver). She’ll present a vision for a more accessible, equitable, and green world for all. Tuesday at 9:00am
  • In “The Future is Electric” a panel that includes Bennett Foster (Atlanta Regional Commision), Katie Fallon (Denver Regional Council of Governments), and Emily Haar (Alta Planning) will reveal lessons from three programs designed to make e-bikes more accessible to everyone. Tuesday at 10:30am
  • Tien-Tien Chan (Nelson\Nygaard) will moderate a session offering “Lessons from TRB.” Check this out if you’re ready to connect research to practice in your work. Tuesday at 10:30am
  • A good TDM ordinance is a great thing. Join Nathan Pope (City and County of Denver), Dana Matlaw (Nelson\Nygaard), and Karly Andrus (Northeast Transportation Connections) as they look at the “Evolution of the TDM Ordinance” and changing priorities from their various perspectives. 
  • We love empowering TMAs. Learn from some of the most tenacious, mission-driven people we know how they’ve been “Building TMAs From Scratch for Any Circumstance.” This session, moderated by Carol Cooper (KIng County Metro), features a rockstar panel of Allison Simmons (Northease Consulting Group), Jonathan Hopkins (Smart Mobility Associates), and Robyn Chiarelli (Commute Broward). Tuesday at 1:10pm
  • In “Moving as One,” Jamie Gaskill (Colorado State University), Cory Schmitt (North Front Range MPO), Jeff Puckett (City of Fort Collins), and John Marcantonio, (Colorado Department of Transportation) will share how their organizations are collaborating to transform commuting in  Northern Colorado. Tuesday at 1:10pm
  • We’ll be tuning into the discussion with “TDM Policy Leaders in Colorado” for lessons from the host state on communicating the value of TDM to policy makers. Tueday at 1:10pm
  • Steve Erickson (Denver Regional Council of Governments), Eric Herbst (Northeast Transportation Connections), and Jeanne Shreve (Smart Commute) will explain how they’re closing gaps with microtransit. Tuesday at 2:35pm
  • Join the “Call for a Carpool Renaissance!” Carpool matching isn’t a magic solution to regional TDM, but it is an important transportation option for many people in many situations. We’ve seen lots of carpooling apps come and go over the years, and the most successful programs have been those that focus on making it easier for those who need and want it. This will be a smart panel and we’re especially looking forard to insights from Kim Comstock (Commute.org). Tuesday at 2:35pm
  • How are state DOTs prioritizing projects to build a more sustainable, equitable transportation system for the future? Amanda Howell (Oregon DoT), Matt Meservy (Tennessee DoT), and Lily Lizarraga, (Colorado DoT) round out a panel tht will go “Beyond Roads” discuss funding, performance measures, and results for next generation projects. Tuesday at 2:35pm
  • “Do incentives increase participation?” Three public sector TDM leaders will discuss lessons learned, iteration, and future outlook of large scale incentive programs. You’ll hear about innovation in funding, employer enablement, data validation, program automation, and results from Kim Comstock (Commute.org), Patty Olmsted (Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Council), and Josh Briggman (Atlanta Regional Commission), moderated by Aaron Gaul (Alta Planning). Wednesday at 10:00am

Meeting up with RideAmigos users

The International Conference is also an opportunity to hold our own largest in-person user group meetup of the year. Close to a quarter of all ACT attendees this year are part of an organization that uses RideAmigos Commute Hub or the Pave Commute app to deliver impactful, engaging commute programs to employees or community members. 

When we get together with that many smart people, great ideas bubble up and innovation always follows. We also take this opportunity to offer our customers and partners insight into what we’ve learned in the past year, what’s coming in the next release, and what we’re working on for the future. 

Hot tip: If you use our solutions on the job, or are considering it, but haven’t received an invite to the user group meetup for some reason, please stop by the RideAmigos booth so we can sort it out! 

We consider our customers to be partners in our mission to change the world, and over the years their programs have taken tens of millions of cars off the road and offset hundreds of millions of pounds of CO2 emissions.  

Getting more involved

Whether this is your first or 38th conference, take the time to get to know your regional chapters when they meet Monday afternoon. Check the Whova app or the online agenda for meeting details. Strengthening your local network of TDM pros will pay dividends throughout your career, and there are lots of opportunities to get more involved. 

Connect with like-minded TDM pros interested in specific challenges by visiting one of the many Council meetings taking place in Denver. Check out Council information on the ACT website and then find your favorites on the Whova app. Newcomers are welcome and there is always room for new volunteer leadership. 

We’re interested in several of the council meetings and we’re especially excited for the first in-person meeting of the newly chartered Carpool Council on Tuedsay at 4:15pm! 

What did we miss? 

Please let us know what you’re most looking forward to! You can stop by our booth in the vendor expo to find out how Commute Hub or Pave Commute can help you transform your public or private programs, no matter their size or complexity. Or better yet, talk to one of our super smart customers about how we’re partnering to build the future of TDM. 

See you in Denver! 

Commuter benefits are better than ever

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We’re excited to announce a new partnership that is redefining the way employees think about the commute. The RideAmigos Commute Hub now incorporates commuter benefits and mobility wallet solutions from Inspira Financial, a leading provider of health, wealth, retirement, and benefits solutions. 

Together, we are already helping organizations from coast to coast and around the world deliver a best-in-class commute experience by enabling every employee understand and manage pre-tax benefits and subsidies for commute-related expenses right within the Commute Hub’s personalized commute dashboard. In addition to improving employee experience, the collaboration also increases engagement with commuter benefits, boosting employers’ return to office initiatives, corporate sustainability, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.

At RideAmigos, we understand that the daily commute is a crucial factor in employee satisfaction and organizational success. By integrating our advanced Commute Hub platform with Inspira’s robust suite of financial services, we’re empowering employers to reimagine the ways  commuter benefits can complement other transportation offerings, maximize returns on investments in the commute, and save employees time and money. This collaboration isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about driving tangible savings for employees who commute, enhancing employee engagement, and advancing corporate sustainability goals.

Recent studies underscore the pivotal role of commuting in shaping workforce satisfaction and retention. A positive commuting experience is a strategic imperative. By combining Commute Hub’s science-based personalization with Inspira Financial’s trusted financial solutions, employers can now make commuter benefits more accessible and valuable by positioning them in the context of other offerings within a user-friendly app. A clear picture enables employees to optimize every commute aspect, from cost management to environmental impact.

“Pre-tax benefits and mobility subsidies can be a powerful way for employers to support employees who commute,” said Soren Eilertsen, CEO at RideAmigos. “We’re excited to collaborate with Inspira to help Commute Hub customers to engage many more employees in these programs by connecting a mobility wallet to other key services and incentives within a personalized commuter experience.”

With the Commute Hub platform, employers gain unprecedented control over complex commuting challenges. From influencing sustainable commute choices to seamlessly managing benefit allocations, we are setting a new standard for smarter, more efficient employee transportation strategies.

“Working with RideAmigos will help Inspira draw attention to the long-existing employee pre-tax commuter benefit with an exciting, modern, and technology-enabled enhancement that has not existed or been introduced previously,” said Jeff Thoms, managing director and head of sales, at Inspira. “The RideAmigos Commute Hub platform and services will build awareness and breathe new life into the commuter benefit and shows our commitment to utilizing technology to make things easier.”    

Together, we are making it possible for organizations to implement personalized commuter benefits strategies tailored to each individual employee, everywhere they do business. We aren’t just transforming commuting—we’re empowering organizations to foster healthier, more sustainable communities and a brighter future. Read the full press release here. 

Ready to learn more about how Commute Hub can make your commuter benefits and subsidy programs easier to use and manage?  Get started by talking with our commute experts today. 

RideAmigos Partners with Inspira Financial to Revolutionize Commuter Benefits

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The collaboration will enhance commuter benefits, helping employees save money while boosting office attendance, corporate sustainability, and employee engagement initiatives.

Santa Monica, California – July 16, 2024 – RideAmigos, a technology company that uses innovative, behavioral science-backed solutions to empower smarter transportation choices, has partnered with Inspira Financial, a leading provider of health, wealth, retirement, and benefits solutions, to personalize the commute experience. 

The collaboration will deliver a best-in-class, user-friendly commute management system that helps employees easily understand and manage their pre-tax dollars and employer subsidies available to pay for commute-related expenses. This partnership will also support improved employee engagement in commuter benefits and services offerings, ultimately supporting employers’ return to office, corporate sustainability, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.

The daily commute plays an important role in employee experience and engagement, both of which directly impact workforce productivity and talent retention. Numerous surveys show that workers are looking for more flexibility, and a growing number of employees are willing to change jobs to prioritize a better commuting experience. A pre-pandemic study by staffing firm Robert Half found that nearly a quarter of employees have quit their jobs because of a stressful commute.

Employers can use the RideAmigos Commute Hub to simplify and personalize the commute experience for each employee, influence more sustainable choices using behavioral science, and manage complex workplace parking transportation programs more efficiently. The new collaboration with Inspira will ensure that pre-tax benefits are considered in every commute decision and included in the personalized recommendations that employees receive through the platform.  

“Working with RideAmigos will help Inspira draw attention to the long-existing employee pre-tax commuter benefit with an exciting, modern, and technology-enabled enhancement that has not existed or been introduced previously,” said Jeff Thoms, managing director, head of sales, at Inspira. “The RideAmigos Commute Hub platform and services will build awareness and breathe new life into the commuter benefit and shows our commitment to utilizing technology to make things easier.”

As more employers are offering programs and services to address the impact of commuting on overall corporate sustainability and their local communities, personalized commute management tools like the Commute Hub from RideAmigos can help employees understand the advantages of incorporating these benefit options into their daily mobility choices to create a triple win for themselves, the organization, and the planet. A study by Duke University’s Center for Advanced Hindsight found that personalized recommendations powered by RideAmigos technology drove a 5-10% shift from driving alone to more sustainable modes of transportation.

“Pre-tax benefits and mobility subsidies can be a powerful way for employers to support employees who commute,” said Soren Eilertsen, CEO at RideAmigos. “We’re excited to connect with Inspira to help Commute Hub customers to engage many more employees in these programs by connecting a mobility wallet to other key services and incentives within a personalized commuter experience.”

The collaboration reflects RideAmigos’ commitment to change the way the world commutes. By joining forces with Inspira, RideAmigos is well-positioned to deliver unparalleled value to organizations of any size and address the rapidly evolving needs of the modern workplace.

About RideAmigos

RideAmigos is a technology company on a mission to change the way the world commutes, for good. Our commuter engagement apps combine innovative technology with proven principles of behavioral science to empower everyone to make smarter transportation choices. Large employers, universities, and government agencies use our solutions to reduce congestion, parking demand, and environmental impact while creating healthier, happier communities. We have helped our clients take tens of millions of cars off the road and offset hundreds of millions of pounds of CO2 emissions. Learn more at rideamigos.com.

About Inspira Financial
Inspira Financial provides health, wealth, retirement, and benefits solutions that strengthen and simplify the health and wealth journey. With more than 7 million clients holding over $62 billion in assets under custody, Inspira works with thousands of employers, plan sponsors, recordkeepers, TPAs, and other institutional partners — helping the people they care about plan, save, and invest for a brighter future. Inspira relentlessly pursues better outcomes for all with our automatic rollover services, health savings accounts, custody services, and more. Learn more at inspirafinancial.com.

Riding Together for School Carpools: RideAmigos and GoKid Partner Up

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The team at RideAmigos is thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership aimed at making morning commutes smoother, reduce the impact of school transportation on traffic and air quality, and support data-driven transportation demand management initiatives. GoKid, the leading school carpool solution, is teaming up with RideAmigos Commute Hub to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing our communities today: school traffic.

Why school carpooling?

You’ve probably noticed the morning rush hour chaos around schools, with cars lining up to drop off kids. This is contributing to congestion, emissions, and safety concerns. The cause is clear. According to a 2022 National Household Travel Survey, more than half of U.S. students are driven to school, adding to traffic jams and pollution levels. 

A nationwide shortage of school bus drivers has aggravated the situation, and there are no signs of this trend reversing. School carpooling is an important transportation demand management strategy and a way schools and planning agencies can empower families to safely get their kids to school. 

How we can help

RideAmigos and GoKid are joining forces to empower agencies and school districts to collaborate more closely to provide schools and families with access to school carpooling, and measure the impact in terms of reduced emissions and vehicle miles traveled (VMTs) as part of a comprehensive transportation demand management strategy.  

GoKid is already on the ground, working directly with schools and districts in 12 states, and has scheduled 1.4 million secure carpooling trips among parents. Their solution, GoKid Connect helps families connect, organize school carpools, and track metrics like miles saved and reduced greenhouse gasses.

RideAmigos Regional Commute Hub is the hub for transportation demand management that lets agencies, TMAs, employers, and schools work together on programs to influence mode shift and improve regional mobility. Now, schools that license GoKid Connect will have the option to collaborate with planning agencies using RideAmigos Commute hub to measure shared impact.

When they do, planning agencies will be able to get a clearer picture of the impact of school carpool programs they support using RideAmigos Commute Hub reporting tools. This means smarter decisions, better collaboration, and, ultimately, fewer cars on the road during peak hours.

“The impact of daily individual school transportation on overall congestion and regional mobility can’t be understated,” said Soren Eilertsen, CEO at RideAmigos. “We are proud to offer our state and regional agency partners another data-driven way to connect school traffic reduction with their broader regional mode-shift programs through our partnership with GoKid.”

“The reduction of school buses due to budget cuts and the bus driver shortage is increasing pressure on communities to offer an alternative transportation solution to students,” said Stefanie Lemke, CEO at GoKid. “We are excited to partner with RideAmigos to offer our GoKid Connect carpool program to schools and districts in regions implementing RideAmigos’ data-driven transportation demand management programs.”

Learn more

The launch of this partnership couldn’t come at a better time. With traffic levels rebounding post-pandemic and school bus shortages exacerbating the situation, now is the time to act. This partnership supports our public agency customers in building a safe, sustainable, and more equitable future for our communities.

Are you a Regional Commute Hub manager ready to connect? Or do you want to know if schools in your region are using or considering GoKid? Get started today by contacting our sales team or reaching out to your customer success manager.

 

How Commuter Programs Build a Better Workplace Experience

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Commuters arriving to the workplace

In 2021 and 2022, the U.S. and international labor forces underwent an unprecedented generational shift dubbed the Great Resignation (a.k.a. the Big Quit). In its wake, human resources professionals have continued to prioritize the development of a more positive and wellness-oriented workplace experience as talent retention persists as a major issue facing employers.

Experts continue to debate the underlying and immediate causes of the Great Resignation. Yet, a strong consensus of observers believe the phenomenon is rooted in a dissatisfaction among a broad plurality of workers with conventional approaches to employment. Analysts have attributed many facets of the Great Resignation to a desire among employees for a better work-life balance and work situations that affirm their individualism and human dignity.

The end result of the Big Quit is a sea change in the labor market landscape, which has shifted decidedly in favor of employees and job-seekers. Commuter programs offer employers a meaningful yet affordable way to achieve multiple strategic benefits associated with building a more positive workplace experience.

Commuter Programs: Why They Matter and Their Impact on the Workplace Experience

Commuting is well-documented as being stressful. However, it can also be demoralizing — especially for daily long-distance commuters and people who travel to and from work in a single-occupancy vehicle. The combination of sedentary activity, isolation, traffic congestion, and unpredictability combine to make driving a particularly difficult mode to rely on.

How bad is it for commuters? A 2021 survey conducted by The Zebra, a United States-based insurance marketplace, asked 1,000 people what they would give up in terms of compensation in order to shorten their daily commutes. A majority of respondents said they would sacrifice as much as 50% of their salaries in exchange for a more manageable daily journey to work.

The Zebra’s findings echo a growing perception that money has waned as a primary driver of people’s employment choices. In 2018, Harvard Business Review published an editorial commenting on research that found 9 out of 10 survey respondents were willing to accept less money in order to land a more meaningful job.

Meanwhile, “Big Four” accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) conducted a global workforce survey in 2022, which encompassed more than 52,000 people in 44 countries. The PwC study found that while money remains a primary factor for many employees, impacts related to meaning are equally likely to guide their choices to stay at or leave a job.

While commuter programs alone do not suffice as generators of mission-oriented meaning, they can help align an employer with a broader set of shared citizenship values. More impactfully, they also contribute to a positive workplace experience by giving commuters easier access to a set of alternative commuting modes that can reduce stress, improve mood and productivity, and boost their ability to maintain a more positive work-life balance.

Another widely cited bit of market research originated with the internationally renowned talent recruitment and staffing firm Robert Half in 2018. The Robert Half report covered more than 2,800 commuters in 28 U.S. cities, and found that 23% of respondents have quit a job because of a difficult or stressful commute at least once in their lives.

At a time when businesses are struggling to attract and retain their best workers and employees are demanding a better workplace experience, commuter programs are an ideally positioned solution that benefits both parties in the employment equation.

Commuter Benefits Strategies that Work

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), a top human resources professional organization, stresses that commuter programs have a major role to play in recruitment and retention efforts. SHRM experts note that well-designed and effective programs are especially beneficial to both employers and their people teams in major metropolitan centers. In these areas, commuting costs can be especially high given the relatively expensive nature of their parking and transportation networks.

To this end, many successful commuter benefits strategies focus on ways to either reduce those costs or put money back in the pockets of people who choose less stressful and more sustainable modes of transportation. Employers can help their team members cut commuting costs by offering transit subsidies or reimbursements, strong support for rideshare programs, and improved facilities for active commuters. Parking cash-out programs that offer team members financial compensation in exchange for voluntarily relinquishing their onsite parking privileges are another effective tool that can also help businesses save significant amounts of money.

At the same time, organizations should not take a one-size-fits-all approach when designing commuter programs. Team members have varying needs, with social, cultural, and generational factors all playing a role. Conducting surveys that generate advanced insights into the commuting behaviors, travel preferences, and workplace experience needs of team members are therefore highly recommended at the program planning and development stage.

A few other general tips and words of wisdom apply to commuter programs:

  • Programs with user-friendly, internet-based and mobile access tend to generate better results
  • Gamification, rewards, and incentive programs are effective ways to encourage commuters to give alternative modes a try
  • Offer personalized recommendations and multimodal solutions to commuters to drive engagement

Employers should also ensure that their commuter programs comply with all relevant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations and local commuter ordinances.

Integrate Pave Commute as Part of Your Organization’s Efforts to Improve the Workplace Experience

No matter the size of your company, RideAmigos solutions can empower you to engage and support commuters. Our apps, like Commute Hub, combine behavioral science research with easy-to-use technology to deliver a world-class commuter experience.

If you’re ready to help your teams adopt sustainable habits while improving their work-life balance, talk to our experts today!

What is Commute Trip Reduction and why do employers do it (even if they don’t have to)?

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Commute trip reduction

For many planners focusing on transportation demand management, the best commute trip is the one that’s never made. But even in the case of essential workers and businesses’ drive to get remote workers back into the office, more and more employers are implementing commute trip reduction (CTR) strategies, aimed at reducing the number of cars coming to the workplace.

While a growing number of jurisdictions and development agreements require employers to implement and report on trip reduction initiatives, there are a number of overlooked benefits to the organizations themselves — from employee experience to reduced infrastructure costs. Remote work arrangements obviously take the pressure off, but any organization can benefit from an effective trip-reduction initative. Let’s take a look at the various ways businesses can make trip reduction a valuable and productive part of their commute management strategies.

Carpooling

Ridesharing is a powerful method of reducing the number of single-occupancy vehicles at your workplace. Participants enjoy all the benefits and convenience of point-to-point travel, all while busting stress, boosting collegiality, and saving money.

Carpool and rideshare matching features offer a powerful, tech-driven solution to help colleagues find partners to share rides with. They also provide many support and management features for commuters, including messaging, route planning, and cost tracking capabilities.

Hybrid work arrangements

Internet connectivity has transformed the workplace in many ways, including expanding it beyond the brick-and-mortar office. If jobs can be performed remotely, either sometimes or most of the time, it’s a great idea to offer the option to telecommute (or “work from home”).

Telecommuting is rising in popularity for all the right reasons: it gives employees a better work-life balance while sending a positive message about your company’s values. It also helps businesses save money, create a better workplace culture, and appeal to emerging young professionals who value flexibility.

Alternative working hours

This can be combined with telecommuting or used in its place if working from home is not a viable option. Alternative working hours aim to reduce strain on transportation infrastructure by avoiding peak-time travel to the greatest possible degree. The strategy can include:

  • “Flex time” policies that allow commuters to arrive and leave later in the day to avoid rush-hour travel
  • Compressed work weeks: for example, you could schedule four 10-hour work days per week instead of the usual five, giving your employees Monday or Friday off and keeping them off the road during those times
  • Staggered or overlapping shifts that prevent localized traffic congestion during shift changes

Transit encouragement

The strict definition of “trip reduction” refers to eliminating the commute altogether, but the term also encompasses strategies that preserve the commute but change the mode from a solo drive to a sustainable alternative. Ridesharing is one well-known example, and public transportation is another.

Many strategies can be used to encourage commuters to make better use of public transit:

  • Offer free or subsidized transit tickets or monthly transit passes
  • Create a challenge program or launch a points-based incentive initiative to reward commuters who use public transportation more often
  • Launch a vanpool service to link your workplace to the nearest major public transportation hub or convergence point

For added effect, you can combine this approach with supplementary strategies aimed to provide further incentives for leaving the car at home. Parking cash-out programs, earn-a-bike programs, and other rewards-based initiatives can really move the needle when it comes to mode-based approaches to trip reduction.

Active commuting encouragement

You can also apply similar principles to active commuting by prompting team members to walk or bike to work more often. In addition to challenges and incentives, you can get commuters excited about active commuting by:

  • Making sure there are adequate and secure bike storage facilities
  • Adding showers and lockers so active commuters can freshen up before work
  • Offering guaranteed rides home to active commuters in case of emergency

Support your commuter programs with powerful software solutions

RideAmigos solutions power the world’s leading commute management and CTR programs.  They combine ridesharing, multimodal pooling, compliance and commuter insights surveys, CTR planning, gamification, parking management, incentives, advanced reporting and data visualization. Small and large employers around the world, transportation management organizations, and public agencies in 27 states partner with us to deliver smarter, more sustainable commuting.

If you’re looking to get started with CTR or commuter engagement, request a demo today.

Explore Employer Strategies for Creating a Better Commuter Experience

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RideAmigos recently hosted a CommuteCon Mini webinar covering innovative strategies for improving the commuter experience. The event included senior transportation demand management (TDM) experts from high-profile companies including LinkenIn, Genentech, and Kaiser Permanente.

Connect with current, high-impact ways of improving the commuter experience for your team

The panelists introduced and explained new and updated strategies to improve the commuter experience and help their teams choose sustainable alternatives to solo driving. Notably, Genentech’s commuter experience program directly addresses the tricky issue of encouraging mode shift in situations where the employer’s facilities are not well-served by local public transit networks.

LinkenIn is currently operating some fascinating experimental TDM pilot programs. These projects are built around a combination of personalized commute consulting services and RideAmigos-powered technologies for advancing commuter benefits beyond the traditional workplace.

Kaiser Permanente has built an impressively complete, rewards-focused commuter experience program. Since its implementation, the program has generated fantastic results while allowing participants to earn an extra $150 per month or more by participating regularly.

Other webinar highlights include:

  • Detailed expert insights into running commuter experience programs for large organizations
  • Ways to leverage local commute hubs as focal points for bespoke transportation services
  • Innovative solutions to the persistent “first mile/last mile” dilemma

The hour-long conversation also explores program designs that build in:

The webinar offers deep insights into the factors that drive program success and inspiring ideas for TDM managers looking to build an in-house commute hub for their people teams.

You can also view this event for free on YouTube.

Connect with RideAmigos to take commuter experience to the next level

RideAmigos provides employers with innovative, award-winning solutions for building a better commuter experience. The RideAmigos CommuteHub delivers personalized commute support based on benefits, incentives, parking options, and other mobility services available to them while delivering rich insights and program analytics tools to help companies maximize program impact.

Our team of commute experts would love to show you how to apply behavioral science and smart technology to your employee commute challenges. To learn more, contact RideAmigos or get started today with a demo.

 

How to Make Transportation Incentives Work Better on Limited Budgets

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Transportation incentives are programs local transportation and public transit authorities create to encourage people to choose alternatives to solo driving, like carpooling, vanpools, and public transit. Because driving alone is a default habit in many places, incentives are one important strategy to drive modeshift. Common examples include things like:

  • Free public transportation on certain days
  • Access to high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on highways or toll rebates
  • Rewards programs
  • Loyalty programs
  • Parking cash-out
  • Access to preferred parking or free electric vehicle charging

While transportation incentives generally have a beneficial impact, default strategies have some noteworthy limitations. First, they tend to reward people who are already using smart alternatives to solo driving instead of encouraging single-occupancy vehicle operators to change to another mode. They also stagnate by failing to engage participants over the long term while offering financial rewards that do not provide enough motivation. Typically, this results from budgetary limitations.

So, how can you make transportation incentives more appealing without driving up their costs? We have identified four effective strategies:

  • Targeted campaigns: Data-driven insights offer a cost-effective way to determine who is already participating in the preferred behavior and what groups can be targeted for a behavior shift. Don’t go after those who are already using smart alternatives. Instead, save your resources for those who aren’t.
  • Randomness: Build participants’ anticipation for rewards through randomness: use techniques like raffles and draws for major prizes to get people excited about taking part. Randomness also helps fight program stagnation by introducing an element of excitement and uncertainty.
  • Normalization and framing: Create sustained marketing and public awareness campaigns that frame smart alternatives to solo driving as normal, popular, and increasing in popularity.
  • Self-image: People are motivated not only by financial rewards, but also by their identity. For example, cycling enthusiasts can often be convinced to start biking to work fairly easily. Knowing the identity characteristics of your target audience can give program effectiveness a big boost.

Our experts can suggest many other techniques and strategies to help make your transportation incentives that much more appealing while keeping your budget under control. If you would like a free assessment of your existing programs, the entire RideAmigos team is here to help you get started.

Pave Commute named Best Emerging or Innovative Tech Solution in Employee Experience in the 2023 HR Tech Awards

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SANTA MONICA, May 24, 2023 — Pave Commute by RideAmigos, the AI-powered benefit app for commuters, has been named by the 2023 HR Tech Awards as “Best Innovative or Emerging Tech Solution” for Employee Experience. This award recognizes Pave Commute as one of the HR technology industry’s most innovative solutions in its category, being selected after rigorous judging by a panel of independent practitioners, consultants, and industry educators. 

Each year, the HR Tech Awards program presented by Lighthouse Research & Advisory, provides peer-reviewed feedback and inputs on technologies purpose-built to serve employers and the workforce. According to Lighthouse Research & Advisory data, HR Tech Awards winners represent about 1% of the more than 5,000 solution providers across the HR technology landscape. Each of the tools is being used by employers right now to help them hire, develop, and retain their people, and the technologies are amazing in their ability to support intelligent decisions, personalized actions, and more. 

Commenting on why the Pave Commute program stands out as an innovative solution for employee experience, judges pointed to the way it helps employees align their personal values with those of their organization. 

“This turnkey program uses behavioral science and AI to provide personalized commute recommendations, gamification, and group-based ride-sharing, resulting in a more sustainable and engaging employee experience,” said George Rogers, Chief Culture Officer at Lighthouse Research and Advisory about Pave Commute. “With robust reporting, companies can easily track the impact of their transportation benefits program. Pave Commute is leading the movement towards smarter, more sustainable commuting.”

“The employers we work with are excited to be able to provide a benefit that empowers people to align their commute choices with their values,” said Corey Tucker, Head of Innovation at RideAmigos, the team behind Pave Commute. “Pave Commute is designed to make smart choices easier and more fun by creating a personalized experience based on behavioral science.”  

“Our team is passionate about making commuting less stressful and more sustainable for everyone, no matter the size of their company,” said Kathryn Hagerman Medina, RideAmigos Head of Customer Success and Marketing. “It’s a huge honor to be recognized by the HR Tech Awards and we’re thrilled to see more HR leaders focusing on improving the commuter experience.” 

The Pave Commute app is free in the Apple App Store and Google Play store and requires an employer subscription to access programs and rewards. Interested employers can learn more at pavecommute.app.

About RideAmigos

At RideAmigos, we are on a mission to change the way the world commutes, for good. Our commuter engagement apps combine innovative technology with proven principles of behavioral science to empower everyone to make smarter transportation choices. Large employers, universities, and government agencies use our powerful products to reduce congestion, parking demand, and environmental impact while creating healthier, happier communities. We have helped our clients take tens of millions of cars off the road and offset hundreds of millions of pounds of CO2 emissions.

The Shared Mobility Action Agenda for 2030: Core Objectives

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The car-centric culture that developed during the 20th century has well-documented negative impacts on communities, the economy, air quality, and climate. As part of our continued commitment to driving sustainable changes in the mobility landscape, RideAmigos has joined the Shared Mobility Action Network in support of its ambitious agenda for shared mobility in 2030.

The Shared Mobility Action Agenda is a project spearheaded by the Shared-Use Mobility Center. More than 50 high-profile businesses, public-sector organizations, and nonprofit groups have already pledged their participation. The primary objective is to advocate for dramatic, mass-scale improvements in access to sustainable and shared modes of transportation by 2030.

However, the Shared-Use Mobility Center and its partner organizations are not relying on passive approaches to achieve the agenda’s objectives. Instead, the Shared Mobility Action Agenda is built around seven tangible, action-oriented steps to realize its foundational goal.

These include:

Infrastructure Investments

Sustainable mobility has emerged as an increasingly high-profile public issue in recent years while also making inroads among policymakers. However, investments in shared mobility and other forms of sustainable transportation continue to lag behind. As a consequence, privately owned low-occupancy vehicles continue to persist as a default choice, to the detriment of both the environment and to the physical and mental health of those who rely on them.

The Shared Mobility Action Agenda seeks to make investments in sustainable infrastructure a compulsory component of all publicly funded transportation projects. Over time, such a policy would significantly expand sustainable transportation’s footprint and lead to dramatic improvements in its accessibility, practicality, and performance.

Technology Investments

Many shared forms of mobility depend on information technologies, and especially on mobile technologies. A clear example can be seen in the dramatic rise in enterprise and organizational ridesharing programs since the dawn of the smartphone age.

Technology-driven information systems are critical tools for an inclusive, equitable, accessible, and high-functioning shared mobility network. The Shared Mobility Action Agenda advocates for strong, targeted investments in the technological and informational infrastructure needed to bring sustainable transportation solutions into the communities where they are most needed.

Incentives and Support Structures for Shared Mobility

It isn’t easy to get people to make the switch from the perceived convenience of their privately owned vehicles to more sustainable and shared alternatives. Policymakers typically use one of two general approaches to prompt commuters and citizens to make changes: “the stick” and “the carrot.”

Strategies built around “the stick” penalize people for choosing solo driving when alternatives are available. Examples include congestion fees, route tolls, and increased parking costs.

Conversely, approaches based on “the carrot” do the opposite by offering perks and rewards to those who voluntarily choose to ditch the solo drive. As a driver of long-term behavior change, transportation demand management experts generally consider “the carrot” to be the more effective of the two strategic paradigms.

To this end, the Shared Mobility Action Agenda seeks to create incentive programs and distribute access products that will connect households with sustainable transportation options. The underlying theory is that such efforts will reduce and remove the barriers that impede people from shifting modes, thus encouraging higher participation levels in shared and sustainable alternatives.

Metrics and Measurement Standards

A relative lack of standardized metrics for quantifying the community-based impacts of shared mobility programs is one of the main reasons why public investment in these programs continues to lag. In order to justify meaningful investments in sustainable transportation infrastructure, policymakers need to convince the public that investments and expenditures will generate positive returns. Such justifications cannot be made without metrics that specifically measure those returns.

The Shared Mobility Action Agenda seeks to create standards for statistically tracking the ways in which sustainable transportation investments make communities more inclusive. The project also seeks to scale up the use of these statistical metrics so that their positive impacts can be extended beyond the local level.

Reducing Lifecycle Carbon Emissions

On the topic of metrics and measurements, the project also seeks to establish standardized methods for quantifying the carbon emissions reductions achieved by shared mobility vehicles, programs, and technologies. The Shared-Use Mobility Center and its partners believe this will best be done by directly comparing shared modes with legacy modes. This will create “apples to apples” and “oranges to oranges” comparisons, which will more effectively illustrate shared mobility’s positive and quantifiable benefits.

Another positive application of this agenda item relates to its ability to track the emissions levels generated by shared modes and systems in a standardized manner. This, in turn, will facilitate the future development of initiatives and technologies that can further reduce their lifecycle carbon emissions.

Innovative Shared Mobility Funding Models

As with many policy issues, funding and financial feasibility play a major role in deciding which programs receive strong support and which do not. To reflect this reality, the Shared Mobility Action Agenda also seeks to identify and develop novel financing models for building and expanding access to sustainable transportation alternatives.

Expert observers note that many different stakeholders can play a meaningful role in the creation and operation of shared mobility networks. Examples include not only governments and employers, but also transportation authorities, transit operators, land developers, investors, and providers of information technology infrastructure, among others.

The Agenda seeks to find new ways to encourage collaboration among these and other actors, which will hopefully lead to sustained improvements in financing access and funding availability.

Institutional Realignment

The seventh and final action item on the Agenda’s list covers institutional change. Without a foundational commitment to shared mobility and transportation equity at the institutional level, meaningful and long-lasting change cannot be realized.

For this reason, the Shared Mobility Action Agenda considers changing institutional perspectives and processes to be a critical key to the initiative’s success. The Agenda therefore seeks to engage public- and private-sector institutions as part of a broader program to make sustainable mobility alternatives an economically viable and affordable option for people of all income levels and socioeconomic brackets.

Projected Results

The Shared Mobility Action Agenda has instituted a timeline of 2030 for achieving these objectives. By making progress in each of the seven aforementioned areas, shared mobility has the potential to become:

  • More available and reliable
  • More accessible and equitable
  • More economically and environmentally sustainable

The program’s general vision is to make shared and sustainable mobility options better and easier than driving a car.

Members of the Shared Mobility Action Network gather at the National Shared Mobility Summit in Chicago, May 2023.

RideAmigos Is One of More Than 50 Participants in the Shared Mobility Action Agenda for 2030

As of the date of this post’s publications, more than 50 high-profile public, private, and nonprofit organizations have made formal partnership commitments to the Shared Mobility Action Agenda. Members include:

  • Mobility providers
  • Rideshare companies
  • Nonprofits
  • Municipal governments like Grand Rapids, MI; Arlington, VA; Boston, MA; and Denver, CO
  • Transit agencies
  • Technology companies
  • Planning firms

RideAmigos is proud to participate in the Agenda’s important work, which reflects our organization’s shared values and objectives. To learn more about the Shared Mobility Action Agenda, please visit the Shared-Use Mobility Center or visit the Agenda’s official website.

About RideAmigos

At RideAmigos, we are on a mission to change the way the world commutes, for good. Our commuter engagement apps combine innovative technology with proven principles of behavioral science to empower everyone to make smarter transportation choices. Large employers, universities, and government agencies use our powerful products to reduce congestion, parking demand, and environmental impact while creating healthier, happier communities. We have helped our clients take tens of millions of cars off the road and offset hundreds of millions of pounds of CO2 emissions. Connect with our experts here.