Image by MPC
When it comes to commuting, employers and employees can work together to avoid driving alone.
Adapted from an article that originally ran in the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Suburban Chicago March newsletter.
If your tenants were interested in finding out about what commuting alternatives were available for their employees, what would you tell them? Much would depend on your geographic location; the options in Rosemont are different than those in Naperville. But how would you find out what exists, and what provides the best solutions for the tenants at your site? Currently, you would have to navigate through a variety of websites and sources to find out about alternatives are available, including Metra, Pace, the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), the Active Transportation Alliance, and the area car sharing companies, I-Go and Zipcar. If your tenants wanted information about telework or flexible work hours, as a way to reposition office space for employees who may not come into the office every day, they’d face another challenge in determining who to contact. It doesn’t have to be that difficult. And that’s what the Metropolitan Planning Council’s Commute Options Pilot is trying to address. One of the goals of the pilot is to set up a “one-stop” shop for commuting resources in the Chicago area.
How MPC became involved in Commute Options
In 2010, the Civic Consulting Alliance and the Boston Consulting Group conducted research about the gaps in providing commuting information to employers. They found that the Chicago area commuting conditions were deteriorating due to an increase in single occupancy commuting rates. Interviews were conducted with over 60 local stakeholders and employers, as well as organizations around the country that provide coordinated commuting information. Their research showed that although the Chicago area had many of the elements in place for a “one stop shop commuting resource”, there was no coordinated effort to provide this information to the business community. They also learned that providing this information through employers was an effective way to communicate this message.
In late 2010, MPC began the Commute Options pilot. Below is a description of what’s been accomplished, which BOMA Suburban Chicago members are participating in the pilot, what is planned for 2013, and how BOMA Suburban Chicago members can benefit from this program.
Commute Options today
Sixteen Chicago area employers are participating in the pilot. These include nine suburban employers, and three BOMA Suburban Chicago members, W.W. Grainger, McDonalds Corporation, and Illinois Tool Works. In addition to investigating better commuting options for their employees, McDonalds Corporation facilities in Oak Brook have received Energy Star certification. McDonalds Oak Brook buildings and Grainger’s Lake Forest headquarters have also received U.S. Green Building Council LEED certification.
In phase one of the pilot, we’ve met with these employers, found out what challenges their employees have in getting to work, surveyed their employees, analyzed the data, and presented results with recommendations. All of this is done at no cost to the company.
In Grainger’s case, efforts included repromoting commuting options to employees at a Commuter Fair, and testing a dedicated shuttle between two Lake Forest Metra Stations and their corporate headquarters in Lake Forest. The dedicated shuttle was made permanent in 2012.
What’s planned for 2013
In 2013, the second phase of the pilot is underway. This includes contacting the sixteen participating employers to conduct a “post”survey to determine what commuting programs were implemented, how employees’ commuting behavior changed, and any benefits that were achieved.
The pilot is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2013. Plans are to report on what was learned from the survey data and other metrics, as well as make a case for a permanent Chicago area Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program. This program would work in conjunction with the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), its three service boards (CTA, Metra, Pace), and various civic and advocacy organizations that meet quarterly as part of a Providers Group.
Benefits to BOMA Suburban Chicago Members
You’ve read this article and may be thinking “What does this have to do with me?” or “How can a program like this benefit my tenants?” Two of the goals of BOMA International’s 7-Point Challenge describe it the best: “Through leadership, positively impact your community and your planet by helping to reduce your industry’s role in global warming; and Position yourself as the industry leaders and solution providers to owners and
tenants seeking environmental and operational excellence.”
If this article raises your interest in exploring how a “one-stop shop” for commuting information can benefit you or your tenants, contact MPC for how to get involved. For more information, please feel free to contact me at tgrzesiakowski@metroplanning.org or 312/863-6040.