We had a great Lunch ‘n Learn on Oct. 24 about resiliency and transportation options for employee commutes. Thanks for coming and the discussions everyone!

Here are the Top 5 Takeaways from RideShare:

1. Share a ride. Sharing a ride not only reduces workers’ environmental footprint by taking cars off the road, but it also saves money by splitting the costs of the commute (gas, tolls, parking) between multiple riders and preventing car wear and tear.
2. Telecommute. Telecommuting eliminates the cost and carbon emissions of a commute (although residential emissions typically rise to some degree because home electricity use increases when telecommuting). Full-time telecommuting is not necessary, though; consider telecommuting one or more days a week to reduce employee environmental footprints.
3. Alternative hours. If telecommuting isn’t an option for your business, consider implementing alternative work hours so that employees can avoid peak traffic hours (thus reducing idling time in traffic and carbon emissions as a result).
4. Government benefits. Some tax benefits are available to those employers who allow employees to telecommute for part of the week. Additional credits ($100/employee/month) are available to businesses who underwrite van pool or bus-commuting expenses.
5. Reap the rewards. Employees are the only ones who save money by ride-sharing or telecommuting; employers can improve their bottom lines, too. Beyond the tax credits available, businesses can decrease parking needs (i.e. capital investments in expanded parking or additional parking lot attendants) while boosting morale and seeing increased employee productivity.

Find out more at rideshareinfo.org. RideShare provides employers with guidance on benefits available and sample policies on alternative work schedules and telecommuting; they provide employees with ways to locate a carpool or vanpool near them. Check out the website (rideshareinfo.org), or call them at 434-295-6165 to start reducing your transportation footprint today.