Commuter Choice Primer

Section 10

Additional Resources

Three types of additional resources are available to assist with the planning, implementation, and evaluation of a Commuter Choice program. They include other tools (such as the CCDSS), other guidance materials, and organizations that support employer Commuter Choice. Each type of resource is described below.

OTHER ASSESSMENT TOOLS

Several software packages exist that can assist with planning a Commuter Choice program, evaluate the impact of various options, calculate costs and benefits, and measure the results of the program.

Plan a Commuter Choice Program—The CCDSS was modeled after a similar tool developed by a Belgian-led consortium for the European Commission. The “Toolbox for Mobility Management in Companies” is available in English at:

http://www.mobilitymanagement.be

Evaluate the Impacts of Various Options—To evaluate the potential for various Commuter Choice options (e.g., transit subsidy versus compressed work weeks) in terms of changing employee travel behavior, EPA has developed a software package called COMMUTER. It may be downloaded from the Transportation and Air Quality Center at:

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/transp/traqmodl.htm

Calculate Costs and Benefits—EPA has developed a website that provides calculators for employers to estimate financial savings (e.g., taxes, parking facilities, employee turnover) and the estimated traffic and air pollution that can be eliminated by implementing Commuter Choice strategies:

www.commuterchoice.gov

A Commuter Choice Calculator has been developed for EPA to assist employers in estimating the costs, savings, and other benefits from Commuter Choice programs. It is available from:

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/transp/comchoice/ccweb.htm

Measure the Results of the Program—To measure the actual impact the Commuter Choice program has had on reducing commute travel and reducing automobile emissions, the California Air Resources Board has developed a Microsoft Access program to calculate the cost effectiveness of employer TDM programs. The software (TDMMethod 12-00.mbd) may be downloaded from:

http://www.arb.ca.gov/planning/tsaq/eval/eval.htm

OTHER GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS

Several other guidance documents and training materials are available for developing a worksite Commuter Choice program.

TDM Toolkit—A simple, comprehensive “how to” guide for employer Commuter Choice programs (including mode, time, and location choices) is available from the Association for Commuter Transportation. For information on obtaining this guidance manual, contact:

The Association for Commuter Transportation
P.O. Box 15542
Washington, DC 20003-0542
202.393.3497
E-mail: act@act-hq.com
www.actweb.org

Federal Transit Administration has developed a toolkit that includes information on the Commuter Choice tax benefits and how to consider and implement them at a worksite. The toolkit documents may be downloaded in PDF or HTML format from:

http://fta.dot.gov/library/policy/cc/cc.html

National Standard of Excellence for Employer-Provided Commuter Benefits—EPA offers a list of employers across the country that have committed to meeting certain standards by implementing Commuter Choice programs. Materials for becoming a Commuter Choice employer are provided at the following website:

www.CommuterChoice.gov

Commuter Choice Training—The American Management Association developed, on behalf of EPA, a training course on Commuter Choice. For information on the course, visit:

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/transp/amatrain.pdf

TDM Encyclopedia—The Victoria Transport Policy Institute maintains a very comprehensive website for Commuter Choice and other Transportation Demand Management measures at:

http://www.vtpi.org/tdm

ORGANIZATIONS AND WEBSITES

Finally, there are a number of organizations that provide general information on Commuter Choice and many of the choices and options outlined in this report. The primary location for information on Commuter Choice is:

http://www.commuterchoice.com

This website is funded by DOT and EPA and is managed by the Association for Commuter Transportation. It includes general information on Commuter Choice and can suggest resources within a particular region.

Other organizations and their websites include the following:

Association for Commuter Transportation,
www.actweb.org

EPA’s Commuter Choice site,
www.CommuterChoice.gov

EPA’s Transportation and Air Quality Center,
www.epa.gov/otaq/transp

International Telework Association and Council,
www.telecommute.org

National TDM and Telework Clearinghouse,
www.nctr.usf.edu/clearinghouse