Do Employee Commuter Benefits Reduce Vehicle Emissions and Fuel Consumption?

Abstract

A survey of firms recognized as best workplaces for commuters (BWC) was conducted in the fall of 2004. The purpose of the survey was to determine the difference between the commuting patterns of employees who receive employee commuter benefits, such as those offered by BWCs, and those who do not and to estimate the resulting saving in trips, vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and emissions and fuel consumption. Employers recognized as BWCs in the Denver, Colorado; Houston, Texas; San Francisco, California; and Washington, D.C., metropolitan areas were randomly sampled and recruited into the survey with a combination of telephone and e-mail communications. The results of this survey indicated that when employers provide employees with incentives to commute by means other than driving alone, significant percentages take advantage of these benefits. Comprehensive benefits packages such as those enjoyed by commuters in the BWC group, with financial incentives, services (such as a guaranteed ride home and carpool matching), and informational campaigns, appear to produce reductions of trips, VMT, pollutants, and fuel consumption of about 15% even by the use of conservative assumptions. Benefits packages offering services and information but not offering financial incentives appear to produce reductions of about 7% by the use of conservative assumptions.