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Two Commute Champs Programs

County of Alameda Commute Champs

This is a structured program to establish a commute program in a large employee group. There is a lot of upfront work to get it started and establish processes, but it becomes easier to maintain over time.
 
Primary purposes are to:
  • Answer employees' questions about transportation options
  • Provide employees, especially new employees, with transportation information that is localized, based on their offices' locations and characteristics.
  • Provide visibility to the County's commuter program internally
 
Benefits include:   
  • Empowering employees to be ambassadors for topics about which they are passionate
  • Providing on the ground information to the transportation coordinator about what different offices are doing to really make commuting successful
  • Engaging hundreds of employees in the commute program for a very low cost
  • Leveraging the power of peer to peer communication while avoiding email overload
 
Identifying participants:
Include a question on the annual commuter survey asking if employees would like to help promote commute options and sustainability in their office or division.
 
Resources for the Commute Champs:
  • 2-hour training with lunch as a crash course on all modes of transportation that are relevant to employees
  • Email templates for the various programs to share with their department or office
  • Talking points and flyers about events
  • Small flags and posters to identify the Champs so that fellow employees can identify him or her
  • Quarterly newsletter from the Transportation department
 
Sample projects:
Alameda County shuttle contest
  • Employee shuttles competed for the most "astronaut" riders ready to take off
  • Pledge drive: Employees who pledged to try clean commute options signed a green leaf attached to a tree image posted in a main office area
  • Volunteering with Bike to Work day energizer stations
  • Promoting Guaranteed Ride Home
 
 
 
 
City of San Jose Green Commute Champs


Primary Purpose:
To support the City in "leading by example" in achieving its ambitious goal of 60% non-SOV (single occupancy vehicle) commute travel by 2040.
 
Recruitment:
  • Reached out to members of the Green Team
  • Contacted employees on the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee  
  • Director of Transportation asked other department directors for recommendations.
 
Structure:
  • Initial project was a Green Commute Challenge. Over a four-month period, employees tracked their green commute using an online trip diary. Departments with the highest percentage of green trips taken received recognition.
  • Thus far, 16 of the City's 21 departments have at least one Green Commute Champ. Currently the program is focused on employee commuting. In the future, the program may expand to include efforts to encourage green alternatives for travel coming in to city meetings and events.
  • Champs receive regular email communications and meet quarterly over the lunch hour to share what it going well and what has been challenging, discuss ways to improve existing programs, and offer input on proposed next steps. 
  • Posters in break and lunch rooms provide program information and the department Champ's contact information.
  • The City is planning to post small flags at Champs' desks to increase their visibility and that of the program in their departments.
 
Learnings:
  • Make it fun! Green Commute Champs are passionate but keep in mind that they are volunteering and have other demands on their time
  • Everyone should be recognized and appreciated for participating, even if they just participated once; sometimes it is the first step which is the hardest.
  • To stretch your budget, look for opportunities to piggyback on other company events to which you can add a green transportation element.
 
San Jose employees riding to work
San Jose employees riding to work
 

If you have any questions or comments on the Breeze Newsletter or the Employer Program, please contact Stephanie Anderson at sanderson@communityfocus.org