 Spare the Air Commute Tips |
Bay Area commute resources in one location - visit stacommutetips.org to see what programs and incentives are available and then share with your coworkers. Some incentives, such as Guaranteed Ride Home, require employers to be pre-registered before employees can take advantage. Check it out!
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511 Transit App Now Available
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A new 511 app can plan your trip by bus, train or ferry in seconds and on-the-go. The new 511 Transit App provides door-to-door transit trip planning on more than 30 transit agencies and finds scheduled departure times for transit stops throughout the region. This app provides the most comprehensive transit agency coverage for the Bay Area. It quickly finds transit trip options based on your selected start and end points.
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Spare the Air - There's an App for That!
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Visit the Apple App Store and Google Play Store to download the FREE Spare the Air applications for alert notifications, local air quality forecasts, podcasts and tools to help reduce air pollution.
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511 BikeMapper
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Connect with us on Linked-In!
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Shift Gears on Bike to Work Day
The Bay Area's 19th Annual Bike to Work Day on May 9th, is the ideal starting line to launch a bicycle commuting program at your company, that lasts all year!
Employees who commute by bicycle benefit from regular exercise, save on fuel and parking costs, help reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, and have fun. In return, your company gets healthier, more productive employees, saves money by decreasing the demand for vehicle parking and reduces its carbon footprint.
Contact your 511 Employer Services Representative to help you set up a bicycle commuting program at your company. Learn about safe bicycle commuting, including bike maps with the best routes to work (and play), help with bridges, tunnels, transit, and parking, and the free 511 RideMatch service to find bike buddies. Employees can use the Bike Commute Calculator to track mileage, while they burn calories. Safe riding movies, bike maintenance tips, and other resources are also available online at 511.
Be sure to enter your employee team or company in the 2013 Team Bike Challenge to win prizes! |
| Best Practices for Encouraging Employees to Bike to Work Every Day
1. Be Bike-Friendly. Secure bike parking, showers, and a casual atmosphere (meaning it's okay to walk around in shorts or bike clothes before/after a ride) ensure that people feel comfortable riding to and from work. Offer a bicycle commuter lunchtime workshop to go over safety and commute tips. Visit Bay Area Bicycle Coalition (www.bayareabikes.org/) to find your local bicycle coalition resources.
2. Offer Pre-Tax Benefits. In 2009 the Qualified Transportation Fringe Benefit (IRS Tax Code Section 132(f)) was expanded to allow bicycle commuters to receive $20.00 per month as a subsidy to pay for the cost of commuting via bicycle. This includes the cost of bicycles, bicycling equipment and accessories, and storage unit costs. Make sure your company offers this benefit in addition to other commute-related tax incentives for employees.
3. Offer Bike-Sharing. Many companies encourage cycling on campus through bike-share systems that allow employees to bike between buildings, making trips fast and easy without cars.
4. Provide Emergency Rides Home. Many people avoid biking or other alternative commute methods because they're concerned about being stuck without a car if an emergency arises. Many counties offer Guaranteed Ride Home programs which provide a taxi voucher to employees for those rare emergency trips. Even if your county does not have a program in place, offering a taxi voucher to employees who may need to take a cab home from work once or twice a year is a low-cost way to provide peace of mind. Visit www.stacommutetips.org/ to find out what programs are available in your area.
5. Make the Most of Bike to Work Month. May is a key time to introduce employees to cycling and the Team Bike Challenge is a fun way to encourage biking. Teams log their bike trips to compete for bragging rights and prizes. In 2012, Team Bike Challenge riders biked over 790,000 miles!
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| Coming soon to the Bay Area in August 2013 - Bike sharing!
This August, a pilot bicycle share program will launch in the cities of San Jose, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Redwood City and San Francisco. In the first phase of the pilot, 700 bicycles at 70 bicycle stations will be accessible near transit hubs, high-density residential areas and key destination points such as shopping areas and employment centers. Unlike individual bike ownership or traditional rental, public bike sharing offers users 24/7 access to bicycles for short trips without the worry of maintenance, theft or storage. Bike sharing can also free users from the need to bring bicycles on board transit and it provides an alternative to driving and parking in busy downtown areas. As demonstrated by successful bike sharing programs in Washington D.C., Montreal and Boston, bike sharing complements existing transit systems by expanding the reach of transit stops and destinations, providing residents and visitors alike more options to travel in and around town without having to drive.
A main goal of the pilot is to evaluate bike sharing's potential to effectively reduce vehicle traffic and improve local air quality. The results from the pilot will be used to assess opportunities for expanding the program within the pilot communities as well as in additional Bay Area communities. If the program is successful additional funding generated from membership fees and private sponsorships will be used to grow the system to reach its full potential, between 6,000 to 10,000 bicycles.
Check here for program announcements and updates later this spring.
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Commuter Convert - Tim's Trike
Timothy A. Riley, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President, Nektar, Therapeutics
When I moved from Huntsville, Alabama to Alameda about nine months ago, I was part of a one car household, so instead of purchasing another car, I decided to give alternative commuting a try. I calculated that my monthly savings of $300 would pay for a very expensive recumbent trike in about ten months, but the savings and benefits for me didn't stop there. My company subsidizes 50 percent of transit costs-with no monthly limit-and even provides showers to encourage biking. I've also lost 30 pounds and 10 points off my blood pressure, and those are benefits you can't put a price on.
My "mini vacation," aka commute to work, starts with a bike ride to the ferry. While on the ferry I can choose to work or just enjoy the view. From the ferry I have another short ride down the Embarcadero. If I were to drive alone, it would be 18 miles of traffic congestion, bridge backup, plus a toll. I can also fold up my trike and take it on BART.
I'm fortunate in that I have three options for my commute from Alameda to San Francisco: ferry, BART and TransBay bus service. By biking, I get in 30-40 minutes of exercise without adding to my commute time. Why would anyone choose to drive when these are the options? My advice for potential bicycle commuters? Be safe! As much as Bay Area drivers try to be bike friendly, it's important to make yourself visible with blinking lights on your bike and helmet, a loud horn - mine is 120 decibels and I use it! - and be aware of the cars around you. Use 511.org t o help you figure out how to make clean commuting work for you!
See other Commuter Convert stories here.
Share your Commuter Convert story here.
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| Transit + Bike = Green Commute
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How does your employer promote bicycling? Take our short survey to share how your company encourages biking to work and be entered in a drawing to win a bike safety prize pack.
Congratulations to County of Sonoma, winner of the December Breeze survey prize. The County of Sonoma won a prize pack of five $15 Clipper cards for completing the survey about how their organization is promoting alternatives to solo driving. Thank you for your input!
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Upcoming Workshop
Dive into the details of how successful companies are making it easy, fun and safe to bike, walk or take transit to work at
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Spare the Air Employer Program Members are Winners! (But we already knew that!)
Congratulations to Employer Program member Stanford University - a winner in the 2012 Best Workplaces for Commuters Race to Excellence! The annual Race to Excellence provides national recognition for employers who offer high level commuter benefits.
Four Spare the Air Employer Program members were among the honorees at this year's Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award, or GEELA, awards ceremony.
Established in 1993, GEELA honors individuals, companies and organizations that make significant contributions to the state by developing environmentally friendly practices, while
contributing to the local economy.
Congratulations!
- San Francisco Giants - AT&T park
- City of Richmond and TransMetro, Inc
- County of Sonoma
- AC Transit
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Help Your Employees Stay Informed
Encourage employees to sign up to receive Spare the Air alerts by posting information on your intranet or in your company newsletter. Use this sample text or compose your own. Your employees want to know when air quality is forecast to be unhealthy - help them stay informed! Sample Spare the Air post: The Spare the Air program was established by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in order to reduce air pollution and to alert the public when air quality is forecast to be unhealthy. During the summer ozone pollution, or smog, can become a health problem in the Bay Area. Residents are urged to walk, bike, carpool, or take transit instead of driving alone, not just during Spare the Air Alerts, but regularly in order to reduce overall pollution. To learn more about simple actions you can take to prevent air pollution and to sign up for email notification of Spare the Air Alerts, visit www.sparetheair.org. Information is also available in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog and Vietnamese at www.sparetheairnow.org. |
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If you have any questions or comments on this Breeze issue or the Employer Program, please contact Stephanie Anderson at sanderson@communityfocus.org |
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