Fort Bend County EDC Partners with the Commute Solutions Program to Help Employers to Tackle Commuting Challenges.
Commute Solutions, a program of the Houston-Galveston Area Council, is working with local employers to address commuting and parking challenges, subsidy benefits, and telework and flexible work policy development and implementation. Commute Solutions works with organizations on scales big and small, from developing a full plan to better manage travel to your worksite, educating employees on their commuting options through presentations or in-person tabling events, or simply providing educational content to include in your internal staff newsletter. Commute Solutions works with your organization based on your needs. The best part? Their services are provided to at no cost!
Why does this matter?
Currently, the average commute time to work for Fort Bend County employees is about 32 minutes, most of these commuters are commuting alone as single occupant vehicles. However, employees have options, depending on where they live, carpooling, vanpooling, and cycling can be great alternative sustainable commuting options. Saving time and money while improving our planet is a win for everyone.
What impacts do alternative modes of commuting have?
A few actually, while sharing a ride provides a direct benefit to employees by saving time and money through splitting the cost of a commute (gas, tolls, wear and tear on vehicles, access to HOV lanes), becoming a more commuter-friendly employer benefits the organization directly as well. It makes your organization more appealing to top job candidates and increases employee retention. It will also help with parking management for companies struggling to have enough parking space for employees and can even add to your LEED and green certification efforts.
Why are telework and flexible work included when thinking about commuting options?
Telework or hybrid work provides employees with at least one day of working from home or an approved remote workplace. When an employee works remotely for the day, that is one less vehicle on the roadways. This contributes to traffic reduction and the improvement of air quality. Flexible work can look like coming in later and leaving later or coming in earlier and leaving earlier, this removes a vehicle from traveling during peak-time traffic hours. Compressed work schedules allow employees to work longer hours and remove a day of travel. An example of this is working four, 10-hour days. Each of these contributes to mitigating traffic congestion and improving our air quality. Already have a policy in place? Commute Solutions is happy to review your policy and provide expert feedback.
Want more information?
Commute Solutions is here to serve as your free resource hub. Fort Bend County EDC has a dedicated Commute Solutions representative, contact Francis Rodriguez at Francis.rodriguez@h-gac.com today!
For a list of the Commute Solutions services click HERE