This is an ideal time to reflect on the past year and look ahead with anticipation to the future. We know what stories made headlines in 2008 as they relate to The Clean Air Campaign's mission. Here are a few themes that defined 2008 as they relate to you:
Personal Finance
$4 a gallon gas stormed onto the scene and made it financially painful to drive. None of us knew if the price would ever come back down, so many of us started to use alternatives like carpooling, riding transit, teleworking, vanpooling, even bicycling to work. The Clean Air Campaign had a breakthrough year as a result, with enrollment in our incentive programs up three times over the levels achieved in 2007.
This unprecedented demand for access to our financial incentives is a reflection of the economic challenges more commuters and employers are facing as we all come to grips with the recession. It's also the reason The Clean Air Campaign and its partner organizations have made a business decision to change the maximum payout of our $3 a day incentive that rewards solo drivers who make the switch to an alternative commute. Effective January 1, 2009 the cap for this incentive will change from $180 to $100 so that more commuters can take advantage of this popular program, which is now entering its eighth year.
Public Health
Despite tougher air quality standards, metro Atlanta experienced fewer smog days than in 2007. In all, there were 29 days when conditions either reached unhealthy levels for sensitive groups (Code Orange, 25 days)) or unhealthy levels for all (Code Red, 4 days). But if the region were still under the old standard for measurement -- as we were in 2007 -- it is likely that we would have only observed 15 smog days.
Are the actions of Georgia commuters moving the needle on air quality? Too early to tell. Although the region has been coping with a prolonged drought, the late summer brought unusually cooler temperatures and conditions that were less conducive to allow ground-level ozone to form. But the impact of gas prices meant fewer cars on the road -- and fewer tailpipes contributing to poor air quality.
Quality of Life
A study of traffic in major metro areas ranked Atlanta's as the second most painful commute, behind only Los Angeles. Not a designation to boast about, but it's easy to see why traffic is such a grind here: the average roundtrip daily commute in metro Atlanta takes 72 minutes to complete. We're giving up meaningful time we could be spending with loved ones, pursuing hobbies, advancing our interests.
One finding from this study reveals 40% of Atlanta respondents indicated they had intentionally skipped a car trip because of expected traffic. Does that sound like you?
"Father Time" is performing a somewhat symbolic gesture this New Year's Eve before the clock ticks down on 2008. One second will be added to 2008 in order to rebalance a small discrepancy with the atomic clock kept by the scientific community. We get one extra second to enjoy life. How will you spend it? Here's hoping you don't have to spend it behind the wheel stuck in traffic.
In the spirit of the season, we decided to pay homage to one of the most well-known holiday poems, “The Night Before Christmas.” Putting a special twist on the classic rhyme, we call this version “The Commute Before Christmas.”
‘Twas the nighttime commute and all through the town,
The holiday traffic had everyone down.
No commuters in cars were moving at all,
They just sat still behind the miles-long traffic wall.
Horns were all honking, there was no spreading cheer,
As everyone shouted, “Let’s get outta here!”
“I wished I had carpooled,” lamented a driver,
“I know that decision would have been much wiser.”
Forget all this waiting and sitting alone,
We could be teleworking from the comfort of home.
“I think I’ll try it,” one driver said,
And enjoy a short commute from the desk to the bed.
Watching the MARTA train breeze quickly past,
The drivers all wished that they could move that fast.
We’ll never get anywhere with all these cars on the road,
We’ve got to do something to ease up the load.
Then a bright idea popped into their heads:
Let’s all try taking a clean commute instead!
I hear you save money and clean up the air,
Sounds like a great way to show the planet we care.
“We all discovered,” the drivers shouted with glee
“That clean commuting is best for the holidays you see!”
You beat all the traffic and save lots of time,
You don’t get frustrated while waiting in line.
We save lots of gas and earn extra cash too,
With Cash for Commuters they’ll pay you, it’s true!
Carpool, take transit – earn $3 a day
The savings add up and can go a long way.
What are you waiting for, give it a try,
You’ll smile as you kiss all the traffic goodbye.
If Santa could try it you know what he’d say,
“I love clean commuting, it’s the best way!”
From all of us at The Clean Air Campaign, we wish you and your family a happy (and traffic-free) holiday season.
The holidays are a time of reflection for many people. So, speaking in terms of commuting and sustainability, what stands out to you about 2008? And what, if anything, are you going to do differently next year? Weigh in on this blog and take our latest web poll. We'd love to hear your thoughts.
With the nation’s economy experiencing so many interrelated failures, investors in the stock market have experienced the equivalent of a financial root canal. After feeling that huge jolt of pain, people are devoting their attention to two things:
1. Making the best use of the resources they have
2. Finding a safe place to get a good return on their investment
It’s no different for policymakers in Georgia, as they come to grips with the challenge of fixing what is regarded as the nation’s second-worst traffic on a shoestring budget.
Enter the state’s transportation task force and the “Investing in Tomorrow’s Transportation Today” (IT3) initiative. IT3 is the state’s vision for better mobility in the future. But the realities of the statewide funding shortfall today dictate how far the plan can go. That’s why the focus of IT3 is unquestionably on getting the biggest bang for the buck.
A report issued in late-November provided a glimpse into the “return on investment” of different activities. What was found to move the needle the most on improving mobility? Getting cars off the roads and rethinking the daily commute.
Spending $220 million on demand management initiatives like telework, flexible work arrangements and other programs that make an immediate impact on reducing traffic is projected to yield $40 billion in reduced congestion costs over the next 30 years.
By comparison, spending $26 billion (that’s billion with a “b”) on new infrastructure is projected to yield the same $40 billion result.
Certainly the state needs to invest heavily in new transportation options as the population continues to surge. But the reality is that we cannot afford to wait years for new projects to come online. While the state sorts through funding options for transportation, the IT3 task force’s findings confirm that we must concentrate on making the best use of the resources we have.
So, where do you think the smart money is? More commuter rail? Expanded telework options for employees? More carpooling incentives? Post your ideas and be part of the conversation.
Do you ever sit at work and listen to a co-worker sneeze, cough and sniffle his or her way through the day? Do you ever want to tap that person on the shoulder and say, “go home before you make us all sick!”?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that every year in the U.S., five to 20 percent of the population gets the flu. So how do you keep your business running with the cold and flu season in full swing?
An easy answer to keeping germs out of the workplace is a telework program. For all of those employees who think the world will end if they don’t show up; for all the loyal workers who don’t want to use a sick day; for employers who don’t want to allow one sick employee to infect the whole office, I have three friendly – and obvious – words of advice: Work. From. Home.
Stuart Brown, M.D., former director of the Georgia Division of Public Health, said that “someone coughing deposits germs on workplace surfaces – conference tables, the copy machine and telephones. So anything you can do to limit that helps reduce the risk of infection spreading to other employees.”
So here’s my recommendation to everyone suffering with a cold or the flu who still has manged to summon enough energy to be on the clock: Telework! Atlanta is one of the most wired cities – let’s try to make it one of the healthiest too.
In a banner year that brought high gas prices, traffic angst and environmental sustainability to the forefront, an unprecedented number of commuters, employers and schools chose to become part of the solution.
The past 10 months seem to have gone by in dog years. Somewhere in the maelstrom of activity, more Georgians found relief from the high cost of commuting and from poor air quality. For The Clean Air Campaign and its partners, 2008 has been a year of noteworthy accomplishments. Here is our top 5 list of landmark success stories so far this year:
- With a 3X increase over 2007, the regional incentive program that pays commuters $3 a day to use alternatives provided relief from soaring prices at the pump.
- Twice as many employers joined The Clean Air Campaign this year compared to the same period in 2007. Today, some 1,500 employers are Partners of either The Clean Air Campaign or one of Atlanta’s nine transportation management associations.
- In 2008, awareness of The Clean Air Campaign’s efforts expanded beyond metro Atlanta’s borders, positioning Georgia as a national leader in commute options programs. These success stories were touted nationally by the likes of NBC, CBS, CNN, Forbes and USA Today.
- Nearly 60 schools in metro Atlanta signed on to be Clean Air Schools, representing more than 40,000 students.
- In March, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency strengthened air quality standards to better protect public health. Metro Atlanta braced for more bad air days. But during the 2008 smog season, metro Atlanta experienced 29 violations for ozone, fewer than last year despite the more stringent standards.
So what does all this mean for the region? Each day, with support from the area's nine transportation management associations, The Clean Air Campaign's programs eliminate at least 1.2 million vehicle miles of travel and keep 600 tons of pollution out of the air. But we know there's so much more we can do. It starts by creating more conversations with more commuters, employers and schools.
So, what do you think the region needs to do in order to double these results? Weigh in and let us know.
The 2008 PACE Awards are upon us, recognizing metro Atlanta's outstanding workplaces for commuters. This event brings together public and private sector leaders to celebrate creative solutions that reduce traffic and improve air quality.
And while many of these initiatives work their way down from management to the commuting workforce, there are a growing number of individuals whose inspired actions truly stand out -- even if it's not in their job description -- making them champions for our cause. One such individual is Paige Medina, Immigration Practice Group Billing Liaison at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP and last year's recipient of the PACE Commuter Champion Award. The Clean Air Campaign caught up with Paige to find out what drives her support of commute options.
Q: You’ve been clean commuting for more than a decade. Why do you do it?
A: At the request of the City of Atlanta, I initially started commuting during the 1996 Olympics to help reduce traffic. It turned out to be a better alternative for me in terms of time (fighting traffic!) and costs, so I continued.
Q: What motivates you to bring commute options into your employer worksite?
A: I have three motivating factors: (1) I think it is very important to improve our air quality. (2) The traffic congestion during the morning and evening commute has become increasingly worse, making driving to work really time consuming and stressful. (3) Commuting has helped me save money, which everyone wants to do! After sharing my knowledge of alternative ways to commute, others become interested. When they decide to take a closer look and improve their commute as I have done, it motivates me!
Q: What have the results been like in terms of employee adoption of commute alternatives at your firm?
A: By providing them information when I find interest, I've counted 12 single-occupancy-vehicle "converts" so far that I have been able to assist with improving their commute.
Q: You were nominated for and received a PACE Award for your efforts. How does it feel to be recognized, and what do you remember about that event?
A: I was unaware that such an award existed, so when I received the email, I was quite surprised! It was an honor to be recognized for my efforts and for sharing my knowledge with others. It felt great to be able to speak in front of a group of over 600 people, who share a common goal: improving our air quality and traffic congestion. It feels good to know that my contributions make a difference.
Q: What has been the biggest hurdle to overcome in getting your colleagues to use alternatives to driving alone?
A: People have a huge dependence on their cars for the flexibility and convenience that they provide. Realistically, most alternatives would require a compromise of that flexibility and convenience. Additionally, it's unfortunate that
people don't have more confidence in Atlanta's public transportation system when it comes to routes, schedules, safety, timeliness and cleanliness. I find these to be the biggest hurdles to overcome.
Terrific insight from a person who leads by example. The region needs more Paige Medinas to roll up their sleeves and motivate others to tame traffic so we can breathe easier. And we'll bring more people like her across the stage on Thursday, October 16 at the PACE Awards. In the meantime, let's start some dialog on who the champions are at your workplace and what they're doing to make a difference. Chime in ... and come back soon to meet the 2008 PACE Award winners.
The market forces of supply and demand are slugging it out while metro Atlanta motorists watch the fuel gauge with trepidation. The fuel shortage brought on by Hurricane Ike more than two weeks ago is squeezing commuters and employers alike. And it may still be another two weeks before the situation improves. It's a helpless feeling as commuters wait in long lines at the pump and employers wonder if their employees will make it to work.
Fortunately, The Clean Air Campaign and its partners in the region can connect you with resources to help you cope with the fuel shortage.
For Commuters:
1. Share the ride with other commuters who live and work near you to save gas. RideSmart, the region's carpool ridematching service, can give you an instant match list of potential carpool partners. When you receive your match list, a simple phone call is all it takes to broker the deal.
2. If your job is conducive to telework, talk to your boss about working from home for a couple of weeks until the gas shortage abates. Approach it as a business continuity arrangement, so your boss understands that you're trying to keep your workload moving forward.
3. If it's available near you, ride a bus or train to and from work. Click here for links to all the major transit providers operating in the region, like the GRTA Xpress Bus, Cobb County Transit, MARTA and others.
For Employers:
1. Consider allowing your employees to shift their work schedules so they can avoid rush hour traffic and fill up. Another option would be temporarily instituting a compressed work schedule in which employees work four 10-hour days and take the fifth day off to avoid commuting.
2. Encourage your employees to brown bag their lunches to avoid driving over the lunch hour. Use the opportunity to set up a lunch and learn mini-series at your worksite and have company leadership come in and speak on topics related to your organization's mission.
3. Put your business continuity plan into effect now. If you have drafted a plan that includes a contingency for employees that are unable to travel to your worksite, use it for the next two weeks. If nothing else, the gas shortage makes a good proving ground for the effectiveness of your continuity plan.
This latest chapter in the Great Gas Crunch of 2008 underscores the importance of alternatives to driving alone and driving at all. This year's sharp increase in enrollment in The Clean Air Campaign's incentive programs (up three times over last year) -- and the spike in new employer Partners (double last year's effort) -- is a sign that changes to our driving culture can be made to stick.
So, what has this latest wrinkle done to change your commuting habits? Do you foresee the need to burn a vacation day if you can't get to work? Have any employers come up with creative solutions to keep their operations moving forward? Let us know what you're doing.
After having been spellbound during China's blockbuster Olympic presentation in August, most of us have moved on. However, I can't help but notice the unmistakable similarity between Atlanta and Beijing in each host city's post-Olympic experience.
In 1996 (The Clean Air Campaign's first year in existence) as in 2008, both cities wrestled with air quality and traffic challenges. Measures implemented to reduce traffic congestion and alleviate air pollution reached employers, commuters and industry. And guess what? They worked.
When the Olympics were in town, Atlanta roads were surprisingly navigable. Many employers allowed members of their workforces to telecommute – it sounded so futuristic then – in order to ease anticipated gridlock. The number of ozone days dipped dramatically in what is considered the peak of smog season. One study even found the number of asthma-related ER visits declined. These findings were a glimpse into what was possible as The Clean Air Campaign began its mission to improve quality of life in the region.
A similar phenomenon is taking root half a world away. With the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Beijing this week, residents are actually clamoring for a continuation of the stringent policies that city enacted. The measure that got the most attention was a mandate banning cars from driving on odd- or even-numbered days based on license plate numbers.
What would that be like if we chose to do that here?
One recent news story quotes a 48-year-old Beijing resident who declares, "The air hasn't been this clean since I was a child. The government needs to keep it this way."
Great quote. But does the responsibility fall squarely on policymakers to create change like this, or should we all be working toward it? Post a reply and let readers know your stance.
The Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) convened in Atlanta this week for its annual meeting, bringing together transportation professionals from across the U.S., Canada and several other countries. This event was my first opportunity to meet others outside the Atlanta region who work in the same field: “transportation demand management,” or TDM for short.
It’s tough to throw out TDM in casual conversation outside the 2008 ACT International Conference without getting blank stares …
“What do you do for a living?”
“I work in the transportation demand management industry.”
“Huh?”
… but TDM is a core concept for The Clean Air Campaign’s efforts to reduce traffic and improve air quality.
What is transportation demand management? TDM is related to the economic principle of supply and demand. It’s the notion that mobility can be improved by making better use of existing transportation infrastructure, instead of just adding more capacity.
Still scratching your head? Think of it this way: If you’ve ever been crawling along in traffic, you’ll agree metro Atlanta’s roadways are in high demand with too many cars competing for a limited supply of navigable space. So there are two possible remedies:
1. Increase the supply of roads by laying down more asphalt.
2. Decrease the demand for use of those roads by promoting alternatives to driving alone, like carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, riding the Xpress Bus, teleworking or even compressing workweeks. Not only do these solutions fight off gridlock, they also help improve air quality, as 50% of all smog-forming emissions come from the tailpipes of cars.
TDM was borne out of the energy crisis of the 1970s, when every motorist wondered if the supply of oil could keep pace with the growing demands of an increasingly mobile nation. TDM provided immediate relief while car companies worked on developing more fuel-efficient vehicles and the government worked to develop more research for alternative energy.
Fast-forward to this decade and it might seem like déjà vu all over again. Nationwide, the question today is whether the supply of oil can keep pace with the simultaneous demands of several growing nations. And in many locales, including Atlanta, the question is how the supply of transportation infrastructure can keep pace with unprecedented demand stemming from population growth.
Fortunately, there is increasing demand for TDM solutions among employers, commuters and municipalities … and there is an increasing supply of bright TDM professionals who came together to share their wisdom at the 2008 ACT International Conference.
To borrow from the ACT Conference’s theme, “the road leads back to you.” So, how are you making smarter use of the transportation options available to you? Do you hop on MARTA to go the airport? Do you carpool to work? Do you walk to do simple errands? Tell us how you’re reducing demand … and your transportation footprint.
Telework holds the promise of improved efficiency for employers -- and improved quality of life for employees -- in metro Atlanta. To many businesses, the concept might seem like it's still light years away. And for some job functions, telework is not an appropriate strategy. But computer technology and quantum leaps in Internet connectivity have put telework programs within reach for a growing number of employers in the region.
Consider the rise of broadband Internet access over the past few years. According to Scarborough Research, 56% of Atlanta households with Internet access now have broadband (DSL or high-speed) connections. That's one of the reasons Forbes magazine recognized Atlanta as the nation's most wired region for telework in each of the past two years.
While more employers are looking into telework as part of a comprehensive workplace strategy -- The Clean Air Campaign presently has 40 active projects with Atlanta employers -- there are some common misperceptions about telework that persist:
1. Employees who telework do so five days a week.
Only rarely are there situations where employees solely telework. For the majority of our employer Partners, their telework programs have employees working remotely just 1-2 days a week. The remaining workdays are spent in the office.
2. If an employer starts a telework program, they must allow all employees to participate.
If telework were considered to be an employee benefit, then everyone would have to be eligible. But The Clean Air Campaign has always promoted telework as a business strategy – and a privilege. As such, the most diligent and capable workers are the ones who should pilot a program.
3. Employees who telework are less productive than their office counterparts.
This concern is common among managers who feel that if they cannot see the work being done, they have fewer assurances their staffers are being productive. Studies show teleworkers are typically 10 to 30 percent more productive because of the reduced number of interruptions encountered, compared to a normal day in the office.
While most employees would jump at the chance to start teleworking, employers have to take time to perform their due diligence and evaluate whether telework makes good business sense in their organization. The Clean Air Campaign stands ready with information and experience gleaned from assisting 80 employers with telework programs, impacting more than 6,000 employees in the past five years.
We’re co-hosting a Lunch and Learn event with the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce on September 4 focusing on telework and the Georgia Telework Tax Credit. If you are a manager contemplating telework for your team, register for this event … and post a reply here to let us know what your questions or concerns are about introducing telework into your operation.
Add comment