TRANSIT AND THE LAST MILE

Commuters appreciate transit as an efficient, low-cost and climate-friendly way to get to work. Though COVID-19 has caused a temporary decline in transit ridership, public transit will be needed to help cities recover and move forward from the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, nearly 40% of Denver commuters used public transit and these options are highly valued for the people who rely on them.

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In 2019, Americans took 9.9 billion trips on public transportation for 34 million trips each weekday. Since 1995, public transportation ridership has increased by 28% across the U.S.

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According to the American Public Transportation Association, communities that invest in public transit reduce the nation’s carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons annually.

Best Practices: Transit and the Last Mile

  • Hundreds of Front Range companies offer their employees a free EcoPass for access to RTD’s network of 140 local, express and regional routes and extensive light rail network. The EcoPass offers unlimited rides on buses and trains, including free rides on the train to DIA. Younger employees particularly value free transit passes as they are more likely to live close to urban centers and less likely to own a car.

  • The RTD EcoPass offers multiple payment options including employer-paid, employee-paid (employees can use pre-tax dollars to purchase a pass), and employer/employee cost sharing.

  • An optional EcoPass benefit is the Guaranteed Ride Home® program which guarantees employees a free taxi ride home from the office in the event of an unplanned schedule change, an illness or other urgent situation.

  • Companies that do not offer the EcoPass often use the RTD FlexPass instead. The FlexPass can be customized to meet the needs of the employer and the employees. The program enables employees to choose their service level, opt in or out of the program, and enter or leave at any time.

  • Employers can help with the “last mile” from the transit stop to the company offices by offering loaner bikes or scooters.

  • Commuter cards allow employees to access a company’s Commuter Benefit Plan (CBP) funds at the point-of-sale to pay for eligible workplace mass transit and/or parking expenses.

  • Some employers offer a “parking cash-out” program in which employees are offered the option to accept taxable cash income instead of free or subsidized parking.

COLORADO'S Champions of Change

 
 
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With DaVita’s downtown Denver headquarters near Union Station, company employees have direct access to light rail, buses and the train. An overwhelming 86% of DaVita team members cycle, walk, carpool or use public transit and the percentage of employees who do not drive SOVs (single occupancy vehicles) to work has increased every year since 2012. DaVita encourages a green mobility culture by offering a free RTD EcoPass for all team members at their Denver headquarters campus. To offset concerns with unforeseen circumstances, a “Guaranteed Ride Home” is offered to employees for emergencies through the EcoPass.

RMI is a global independent, nonpartisan nonprofit organization working to transform global energy use to create a clean, prosperous, and secure low-carbon future. Headquartered in Boulder, RMI’s largest office is located at Boulder Junction, an area at the intersection of multiple transit options. With 120+ employees at this location and only 40 parking spaces, RMI provides a green commuting incentive of $50 per month to employees who opt-out of receiving a parking permit. Employees with electric vehicles have access to six EV chargers in the building’s ground-level garage. RMI’s landlord provides the EcoPass to all employees in the building along with on-site showers, and Boulder Community Cycles maintains 25 loaner bikes on the property.  To further encourage cycling, RMI lends a small supply of bike helmets, lights, a tire pump, and lockers to staff.

 
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Google, Boulder, has a company-wide commitment to increasing transportation options for their employees and reducing their carbon footprint. Google, independently and in partnership with Boulder Transportation Connections and 36 Commuting Solutions, has completed initiatives to help the company and its employees to achieve its sustainability goals.

Google has a number of programs already in progress. Google is a member of both Boulder Transportation Connections and 36 Commuting Solutions. Way to Go’s TMA partners work together to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, and make life better for region’s employers and their employees.

The company completely covers the cost of the RTD EcoPass and B-cycle memberships for all 1300+ Boulder employees, as well as the cost of vanpools used through the company’s national partnership with Enterprise and the Guaranteed Ride Home program. They give gas cards for employees who carpool.

Google supports bicycle commuting by providing on-site locker rooms, shower facilities, secure bicycle parking and by sponsoring a Boulder B-cycle station right in front of their building. They also host an annual Bike to Work Day breakfast station and strongly encourage employee participation. 

Google provides preferential parking for both carpools and vanpools and the company has installed four electric vehicle charging stations. They will soon be instituting a company carshare program and are researching a shuttle service to and from the nearest Park-n-Ride for employees.

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