Are you a workplace or campus in the Land of Sky region who wants to find ways to support your multimodal employees, students, or customers? Do you want to provide them with resources to support their transportation needs, but don’t know where to start? You’re in the right place. Let’s work together to meet your community’s needs.
What is Commute Friendly WNC?
Commute friendly means taking an active role in supporting employees, students, or customers who need or want to get around in ways that are affordable, efficient, healthy, and sustainable. The Commute Friendly WNC program is a partnership between employers/workplaces or colleges/universities and Go Mountain Commuting, that provides resources to make multimodal commuting easier for your community.
Are you a good fit for this program? You are if…
- you have limited parking at your location (OR)
- you have employees, students, or customers who can’t afford a car (OR)
- you’re located near a bus route (OR)
- you’re located in a walkable or bike-able area (OR)
- you know of a greenway that’s planned nearby (OR)
- you have people who have to commute in from far away, and you want to make it easier for them to reach you
Whatever the reason, we’re here to help you move your people!
Getting started: What do your commuters want?
There’s a lot to talk about when it comes to amenities, incentives, benefits, and resources that help multimodal commuters. The easiest way to start is to schedule a free on-site assessment with Go Mountain Commuting! Our goal is to help you move your people. We’ll go over what works and doesn’t work for you based on the number of commuters, your budget, and what’s realistic to consider for your location. Our services are 100% free, always.
If you’re not a bike rider or bus commuter yourself, it can be hard to know what your commuters want. Don’t worry, we’re experts in moving people! Below are some ideas to get your wheels turning on how you can help your people meet their transportation needs.
Amenities & Infrastructure
Bike racks are a good first step. Best practices: bike racks should be highly visible from your main entrance, well lit, secured to the ground, in a spot that won’t be hit by vehicles, and convenient to use. The racks should support the bike upright at two points, and doesn’t require the user to lift the bike off the ground. Ideally, racks are in a spot that is protected from rain or inclement weather. Or allow your people to bring their bikes inside.
Other things bicycle commuters will appreciate include: showers, lockers, water fountains with bottle fillers, a bicycle fix-it station, and air pumps. Since we live and work in the mountains, charging stations for e-bikes will also be a big win!
Designated parking spaces for carpoolers and vanpoolers that are closer and more convenient than the regular parking option.
Adopt your local bus stop. If the bus stop nearest your location is missing a shelter, a bench, or trash receptacles, this is an opportunity to partner with your local transit provider to help your community.
Sidewalks in front of your location are free of trash, cleared of snow, and well lit at night!
A company car or shared bicycles for your people to use during the day.
Wayfinding signage to the nearest greenways, bus stops, or park & rides.
Access to multimodal options through workplace/campus location.
Incentives, Benefits, & Policies
Telework options allows for less traffic during peak times, increasing the time efficiency of everyone’s day. It also reduces the total number of an employee’s driving days.
Flexible schedules support transit riders, who are dependent on the bus, and provides greater convenience for those who may have family care or other obligations.
A casual dress code at the workplace allows people who use active transportation to still fit in and allows them to carry less on their commute.
Financial benefits for people who use multimodal transportation, such as:
- Free or subsidized parking for carpoolers and vanpoolers
- Free or subsidized bus passes
- Healthcare premium discounts for active commuters
- Reimbursement for bicycle-related commuting expenses, discounts at local bike shops, or bicycle vouchers
- Discounts for customers who arrive by multimodal transportation
- Commuter tax benefits
- Vanpool sponsorship for employees or students
- Cash out for employees or students who do not purchase parking permits
Emergency Ride Home for multimodal commuters, often in the form of reimbursement for ride-hailing services a few times per year. This ensures folks won’t be left without a way home if an emergency arises.
Support, Promotion, & Education
Resources made available to your employees/students about their commuting options.
Inclusion of commuter resources in new employee or student orientation.
Ridematching services for carpooling and vanpooling made available to your people.
Inclusion of commuting options in event planning or meeting updates.
Commuter lunch & learns or webinars available to employees and students.
Normalization of multimodal transportation by encouraging walking meetings, transit to meetings, or CEOs/Presidents using those modes.
A commuter club, cycling team, or ongoing/repeating commuter challenges.
Official recognition and rewards for your multimodal commuters.
Commuter events for your employees/students such as group bike rides, car-free days, etc.
Sponsorship of multimodal events in your community.
Advocacy for better multimodal infrastructure in your community.
ART Passport Program
If you’re a workplace or campus in Buncombe County, you can participate in the ART Passport Program. This is a contract you’d sign with the City of Asheville, in which you pay for each ride your employees (or students) take at a discounted rate of $0.52 per ride, allowing your people to ride for free. You only pay for rides taken. Workplaces or campuses who want to enter this contract must provide their employees/students with ID cards to verify their status as they board the bus.
Bicycle Commuting 101
Do you want to encourage your employees, colleagues, or students to commute by bike, but not sure what they need to get started? Contact us to set up a lunch & learn at your workplace or a meeting with your organization. The one-hour Bike Commuting 101 curriculum covers the following:
- Bike safety & rules of the road
- Route selection
- Bicycle infrastructure & facilities
- Bike locks
- Commuting gear & bicycle fit
- Basic bicycle maintenance
- Most common collisions & how to avoid them
- Tips for inclement weather
- How to load a bike on the bus
- Tips for buying a bike
- Bicycling resources & community
- How to be a bicycle-friendly driver
- Psychological tricks for setting new habits
Bike Commuting 101 is taught by our TDM Coordinator, Sandy Broadwill, who has over 10 years of bicycle commuting experience. Anyone who takes the course is eligible for follow-up personalized commute planning assistance.
Vanpool
Interested in providing your employees with a vanpool to save parking spaces for your customers? We currently have a pilot vanpool program in operation in south Buncombe County. Contact us to learn how to get one started at your workplace.