Save the gas, earn the cash

General Article

DOT grant offers incentives to help reduce vehicle miles and encourage environment-friendly alternatives to the single-occupancy commute

Earn dividends for divorcing your car. A recent grant from the state of Washington gives center and Alliance staff incentives for choosing alternative modes of transportation to and from the campus. Photo and graphic by Todd McNaught

Receive cash benefits for contributing to a workplace with one less car on campus. Fred Hutchinson and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance are the recipients of a one-year Commute Trip Reduction Grant from the state of Washington Department of Transportation.

The goal of the grant is to reduce vehicle miles traveled and the need for parking on and off campus, and increase the use of carpools, vanpools and other alternative modes of transportation to and from work. Employees will receive incentives for participating in the following ways:

• Make a match with Rideshare
  Sign up online for King County's Rideshare Program by going to or contact the center's Transportation Department at 206-667-1438. Sign up for Rideshare online, remain in the system for 90 days and receive a $10 Commuter Bonus Plus voucher. Use the voucher toward the cost of items related to your alternative commute such as gasoline, automotive services, walking shoes, bicycle equipment or roadside service. Vouchers are redeemable at AAA, Brown Bear Car Wash, Flexcar, REI, Union 76 and the YMCA.
• Receive $100 for your parking space
  Employees who give up single-occupant vehicle parking and agree to try an alternate commute mode for at least three months will receive a $100 MasterCard Rideshare Rewards gift card in addition to any incentive that may apply for the chosen alternative commute mode. Should a commuter change their mind, assigned parking spots will be held for up to six months — no questions asked!
• Earn parking discounts
  Center employees who commute by alternate modes will be eligible to purchase up to five tickets per month at $7.00 per day to park on campus. Tickets must be purchased in advance in the Transportation office on the first floor of the Yale building. Alliance employees will continue to be eligible for daily parking in the Alliance garage when they use alternate commute modes.
• Join or form a vanpool
  Join an existing vanpool and receive a $25 MasterCard Rideshare Rewards gift card when you participate for at least 90 days. You will also be eligible for a $25 gift card at the completion of each quarter of participation. Recruit a rider to your vanpool and after they have participated for three months you will receive a $50 MasterCard Rideshare Rewards gift card. Form a vanpool with at least five other riders and the driver will receive a $50 MasterCard Rideshare Rewards gift card upon completion of the driver training. All new vanpool members who participate for four quarters will be eligible for a $50 MasterCard Rideshare Rewards gift card at the end of the final quarter.
• Join or form a carpool
  Join an existing carpool and participate for at least three months and you and your new carpool partners will be eligible for a $25 MasterCard Gift card. At the end of each quarter of participation you will all receive an additional $25 MasterCard Rideshare Rewards Gift card. New carpools will receive the same incentive. All carpool participants who participate for four quarters will be eligible for a $50 MasterCard Rideshare Rewards gift card at the end of the final quarter.

Incentives end next June

Details for the incentives offered appear on the center's Transportation Web page at commutehelp@fhcrc.org or by calling 206-667-1438.

When the grant ends in June 2005 so will these incentives. Act now to save on commute costs, meet your neighbors, make new friends and earn extra cash.

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