Awards for trip reduction

Thursday, June 21, 2001 • Vol 7, Issue 12

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Telecommuting, shuttle, HutchPass program, vanpools help faculty, staff slice traffic congestion in Seattle

By TAB MELTON

Hutch programs to get faculty and staff out of their cars and into vanpools and public transportation have resulted in two recent commute-reduction awards.

The Center received not only the Governor's CommuteSmart Award, but also - for the second year in a row - the Diamond Ring Award from Commuter Challenge. The Hutch won three previous Diamond Awards from Commuter Challenge.

"These awards recognize employers that go above and beyond the call of duty to reduce traffic congestion," said Shelly DaRonche, Transportation manager.

The Hutch is one of seven King County organizations and 16 statewide that received CommuteSmart awards, which began in 1998. Diamond Awards are presented by Commuter Challenge, a non-profit organization backed by the Economic Development Council of Seattle and King County.

The awards cite the Hutch Pass program, which provides a 100-percent subsidy for bus and ferry transportation to all benefits-eligible faculty and staff, the vanpool program, efforts to promote telework, and the Hutch shuttle service, which provides 11,000 trips per month for patients, faculty and staff.

Management support

"We have been so successful in our commute-reduction efforts because we've always enjoyed the full support of management," DaRonche said.

"They're committed to fully funding our transportation subsidies in spite of recent fare increases for buses and ferries. They continue to provide incentives for faculty and staff to commute by alternate modes, which makes these programs easy for me to sell to the staff."

The awards also reflect the Hutch's increasing promotion of telecommuting. Ten to 15 percent of Hutch faculty and staff telework at least one day per month, DaRonche said.

Vanpools are another key to the Center's success in reducing single-occupancy vehicle (SOV) commuting. The Hutch offers fully subsidized vanpools as well as lower parking rates and convenient priority parking spaces for the vans.

"By reducing employee SOV traffic, the Center has minimized its impact on the environment and on area roads," according to Commuter Challenge.

The awards are aimed at encouraging employers to meet the goals of the state's 1991 Commute Trip Reduction Law, which promotes business and government partnerships to reduce traffic congestion, air pollution and fuel consumption by minimizing SOV commuting.

Statewide, more than 500,000 people are employed by organizations that take part in commute trip-reduction programs, taking 18,500 vehicles off the road, cutting air pollution by 3,200 tons and saving 6.5 million gallons of fuel.

Future plans at the Hutch include incentives for faculty and staff who walk or bike to work.

"We try to provide employees with the tools to get their work done efficiently and offer as many choices as we can," DaRonche said.

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