March/April 2017
News for Your
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Rideshare News for Southern California Employee Transportation Coordinators (ETCs)
5 Ways You’re
Wasting
Time on
What to Do Now to Get Ready
for Bike to Work Week
Bike to Work Week is coming up May 15-19,
and it’s not too early to get started planning so
employees are sure to participate. Here’s how…
• Do a facility check. Is there somewhere for
people to safely stow or lock their bikes?
If there’s not, see if you can at least allow
people to bring bikes into their office for
the day—a big enough demand may justify
securing long-term bike parking.
• Provide help with tune-ups and safety
advice. Have a “get ready for Bike to
Work Week” event, partnering with a local
bike shop or expert to give safety tips and
answer questions or concerns about bike
commuting.
More >
Your Rideshare
Program
If you’re like most ETCs, running the rideshare
program is only one of many hats you wear. That’s
why making the most of the limited time you do have
is vital to successfully meet clean air mandates and
help employees find better commute options.
With that in mind, some common time-wasters
to avoid...
For example, there’s little point promoting bus or
rail if there’s not a stop near the office. Your efforts
would be better spent either solving the problem—
setting up shuttles or working with your local
transit provider to get a closer bus stop—or
pitching strategies such as carpooling or vanpooling.
Similarly, if schedules vary, trying to set up
vanpools (which require consistent start/leave times)
may be a time-buster, whereas helping employees
find Metrolink or express bus routes could get you
new ridesharers with less effort.
1. Not playing to your strengths. When
it comes to your worksite, all alternate modes
aren’t created equal. It’s best to focus on the ones
employees are most likely (or able) to do. Investing
a little time upfront to assess what options work best
for your location, work hours and corporate culture
can save you many wasted hours in the long run.
2. Going it alone. You may think you’re
too busy to bother with ETC
networks, workshops, training or
conferences—but a few hours spent
with other rideshare pros can save
you countless hours of “reinventing
the wheel” on your own.
More >
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of Events
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Get the latest news for... Los Angeles County • Orange County • San Bernardino County • Ventura County
Another Benefit to Sharing the Ride>
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5 Ways You’re Wasting Time...
“Networking events are a
great place to get ideas to
roll out at your worksite, plus
updates on new services you
might otherwise be missing out
on,” says Metro’s Martin Buford.
Plus you may meet an ETC at a
neighboring company who wants to team up and
split duties to put on a rideshare fair or event —
like the joint bike ride hosted annually by several
airport-area companies for Bike to Work Week.
Check out the Calendar in this issue of On the
Go for a list of upcoming ETC networking events.
3. Assuming new is always better. By all
means, keep your program fresh with new ideas,
incentives and events—but when it comes to
marketing materials, developing an image for your
“brand” is a good thing. If possible, pick a theme
for your program and a consistent look. When you
develop materials, you can choose from a set of
pre-existing templates rather than starting from
scratch every time.
• 2 March/April 2017
(Continued from page 1)
5. Being all talk and no action. In anything
you do—from parties to contests to surveying—
make sure employees know what
action they’re supposed to take.
Fill out a form? Sign up to learn
more about vanpooling? Register
for incentives? Otherwise your
efforts may draw attention to
ridesharing yet do nothing for
your participation rate.
What do companies with successful rideshare
programs have in common? The Association for
Commuter Transportation (ACT) explores this
question in its new publication, Getting to Work,
which profiles five companies across the nation.
Download it free at act.web.
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Los Angeles County • Orange County • San Bernardino County • Ventura County
4. Using a paper survey.
If you’re still using paper
for your average vehicle
ridership (AVR) survey, it’s not
only a waste of trees, but of
your time, too. All that photocopying, distributing
and collecting could be done by simply sending
out a link. “Employers often think they have to
use paper surveys because some employees don’t
have access to a computer. It’s possible to use
paper for some and send an e-survey to the rest,”
says transportation consultant Denise Van Stratten.
Secrets to Success
Calendar
of Events
Clarification: In the last
issue of On the Go, as part of an
article on 2016 achievements,
we mentioned that Ridematch.
info lets users preview matches.
With the site’s recent upgrade,
that feature is no longer
available.
Fun Facts in Honor of Earth Day, April 22
Did you know...?
Ridesharing instead of driving alone
is a good way to reduce your carbon
footprint. The pounds of CO2 per
passenger mile emitted for someone
driving alone is .96—or nearly a pound
of pollutants per mile. Transit on average
is roughly half that, at .45 pounds/mile per
person, and vanpooling is only .22.
Of course, bicycling and walking are zero-emission.
Getting people out of their solo commutes plays an
important role in California’s clean air efforts, since 37% of
the state’s total emissions come from vehicles.
Find out more about the connection between
driving and air quality in this article from Metro’s
The Source.
A Tax Time Update from Metrolink
Metrolink’s Corporate Partner Program (CPP) is a
pre-tax benefit program in which employees can get
up to $255/month in tax-free commuting benefits from
their employer—and now Metrolink allows worksites to
participate with as few as two or three riders (from its
previous minimum of five).
In addition to the tax advantages, CPP worksites get
advance notices of fare, schedule and service information,
access to trial ride tickets and other perks.
Find out more at metrolinktrains.com/cpp.
Rideshare Holidays Coming Up>
Get the latest news for...
Another option: let employees know
about low-cost or free resources—
such as the Bicycle Hubitat at the San
Bernardino Transit Center, Bikrowave
in Los Angeles or the Long Beach
Bikestation—where riders can get help
with do-it-yourself tune-ups and repairs.
• Teach employees how to bring their
through county-sponsored programs, such as
bikes on board transit. “Do I need a permit?”
the $2-a-day rideshare and Rideshare Plus
“How do I operate the bus’ bike rack?” “What
discount programs in the Inland Empire or gift
if the train is full?” Knowing the basics of how to
card giveaways as part of Metro Rewards in Los
bring a bike on board can boost an employee’s
Angeles County.
confidence to give it a try. Metro, OC Bus,
• Match up bike buddies. With cycling, there’s
Metrolink, Omnitrans, and VCTC Intercity
safety in numbers. In the same way you match
Transit all offered detailed guides or videos you
up carpoolers, help cyclists find someone who
can pass along.
lives near them who may want to ride side by
• Promote resources for finding the best bike
side. Even better, pair your seasoned cyclists
route. The route you’d drive isn’t necessarily the
with new riders so they can show
same one you’d want to ride. Help
them the ropes.
riders find bike-friendly routes that
Bike Events...
• Start event planning. Whether
give preference to bike lanes and
—626 Golden Streets—the
you’re planning prize giveaways,
largest open-streets event in
wider streets using ridematch.
a group ride or a “pit stop” with
North America—is March 5. Enjoy
info’s trip planning feature or
juice and bagels for riders, start
17-plus-miles to walk, run, skate
mapmyride.com.
and bike across the San Gabriel
lining up what you’ll need so
• Let cyclists know benefits you (or
Valley, 626goldenstreets.com.
later you can spend your time on
your county rideshare agencies)
—Ciclavia is March 26, with a
promotions rather than planning.
offer. Make sure they understand
6-mile route of open streets
Look for more information on
if your company’s “rideshare”
between Venice and Culver City,
ciclavia.org.
Bike to Work Week in the May/June
incentives also include bicycling—
issue of On the Go, or contact your
people often assume they’re just
—Dana Point Grand Prix race
and bike festival is April 30,
rideshare representative.
for carpools or transit. Bicyclists
• 3 March/April 2017
danapointgrandprix.com.
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...Get Ready for Bike to Work
Week (Continued from page 1)
can also qualify for rewards
Calendar
of Events
Another Benefit to
Sharing the Ride…
Here’s a rideshare benefit
Did you know?....
worth passing on to employees: When you send or receive
When you ride in a carpool, a text, you take your
eyes off the road for five
vanpool or on transit, you can
seconds—which, at 55
use your cellphone to get
mph, is like driving the
stuff done on the commute—
entire length of a football
something you can’t do if
field, blindfolded.
you’re driving.
In fact, as of the first of the
year, drivers are no longer allowed to so much as
hold cellphones in their hands for any reason. That
includes using any of a phone’s apps, such as music
playlists or mapping. (Hands-free devices and
those that mount cellphones on a dashboard are
allowed.)
The new rule aims to close a loophole in
previously existing law that banned texting but failed
to address other cellphone uses that distract drivers.
A California Office of Traffic Safety study found
that one out of eight drivers on the road pays as
much attention to his or her smartphone as to the
road. Some form of distracted driving is a factor in
80% of crashes.
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of Events
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Los Angeles County • Orange County • San Bernardino County • Ventura County
Make Any Day a
Rideshare Holiday
One easy way to promote ridesharing is to tie it in with a holiday. You don’t have to wait for
Christmas to roll around to help employees feel festive about ridesharing—there are rideshare-worthy
holidays all year long. When there aren’t, you can make any day a holiday. Here, we offer some ideas
for the coming months…
• For St. Patrick’s Day March 17, focus on the “green”
by promoting the cost-saving benefits of ridesharing,
giving away gold chocolate coins to ridesharers. Or
stick “Thank Me, I Rideshare” paper shamrocks on
ridesharer’s cubicle walls or doors.
• E
ven oddball occasions are fun for
rideshare giveaways—especially if they involve food.
Have a “meet your match” ice cream social on National
Frozen Foods Day March 6. Or on Potato Chip Day March
14, hand out mini bags of chips with a message such as
“Chip away at your commute costs—rideshare!”
• April Fool’s Day is April 1. Playing a trick on your employees can be risky
(i.e., can you imagine the scandal if you announced the parking lot was
closing for the next year?), but a gentle joke that draws attention to your
program could be well received.
• April 2 is International Children’s Book Day. Organize an event to stuff a
carpool or vanpool with new or used children’s books to donate to a local
school or literacy charity.
• On Earth Day, April 22, urge employees to calculate their commuting
carbon footprint. Send a link to a CO2 calculator at ie511.org/rideshare,
or employees can log into ridematch.info to track emissions on their
Commute Calendar.
• 4 March/April 2017
• Administrative Professional’s Day is
April 26. Challenge employees to treat their
favorite administrative professional to a ride to
and from work, or hand out transit passes so
these hard-working staffers can skip the stress
of driving for the day.
• On May 5, go out for a Cinco de Mayo lunch
to a venue that requires taking the bus to get
there. Even if your budget doesn’t allow you to
pick up the tab for the meal, perhaps you can
pay employees’ transit fare and educate them
about how to ride.
• Don’t forget Rideshare Thursday—that’s a holiday you can celebrate
every week!
Find out more how to weave holidays into your rideshare program and map
out the rest of your year at Metro’s ETC workshop May 10 (see Calendar, pg. 7).
A message from Ginger
Chan, KTLA-5 traffic reporter
and Golden Pylon winner
for excellence in rideshare
reporting…
On the Go
in the COUNTY
Los Angeles
Introducing…Tappy
Calendar
of Events
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looking for a bus/rail route can
get more transit options, real-time
arrivals and service data from the
24 municipal transit agencies in Los
Angeles County that accept TAP
cards—all in a mobile-friendly format.
Added enhancements will roll
out in the coming months, including
a feature that shows availability of
bikes at Metro Bike Share kiosks and
parking spaces at Metro lots.
McDonald’s has Ronald, Pillsbury
has the Doughboy, and now Metro
brings you… Tappy! The animated
TAP card helps riders learn the ins &
outs of loading fare onto a TAP card
in a lively video at metro.net. Check it
out, and then forward it to employees
or include it as part of your new hire
orientation.
Better Trip Planner Is Up
and Running
The Trip Planner at metro.net
underwent a major facelift. Users
• 5 March/April 2017
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Los Angeles County • Orange County • San Bernardino County • Ventura County
Orange
53Xpress Speeds Up
Main Street Commute
OC Bus Route 53Xpress is joining
Route 53 to take riders to work,
shopping and fun on Main Street.
Route 53 provides frequent service
between Irvine and Anaheim.
With only 12 stops, the new
53Xpress travels a similar route, with
faster service for longer trips during
the week between Hutton Center and
the Anaheim Regional Transportation
Intermodal Center (ARTIC).
Regular cash fare is $2. To request
a free pass, visit OCBus.com/53X.
What’s Coming This Year
in OC Transportation?
Avoiding the Roads
Photo: LA Metro
Metro opened its first
underground pedestrian passageway,
allowing riders to go subway-toshopping without having to encounter
street traffic. At 7th/Metro Center,
it connects to The Bloc Downtown
across 7th Street (home to Macy’s
and other shopping and dining
destinations).
From breaking ground on the
agency’s largest project in history to
enhancing the transit system, Orange
County Transportation (OCTA) has
big plans.
The OCTA board recently released
a set of strategic initiatives for 2017,
including five top priorities that
include breaking ground on the I-405
Improvement Project and advancing
the OC streetcars, among others. See
the entire plan at octa.net.
On the Go
in the COUNTY
San Bernardino
Metrolink to Close Stations
Metrolink will temporarily close
the Rialto and San Bernardino stations
for three weeks starting March 27
due to construction. The stations are
expected to be out of commission
for a few weeks. During that time,
Metrolink will provide bridge bus
service to transport riders in the
affected service area. For details, go
to metrolinktrains.com.
How Much Do You Save
with a Rideshare Program?
Company management is often
all about the bottom line, so when
justifying the
importance
• 6 March/April 2017
Calendar
of Events
Get the latest news for...
of your rideshare program, it helps
to speak their language. Fact is,
commuter benefits often save
companies money through increased
productivity, reduced need for
parking, tax benefits and other probusiness perks.
To find out how much you’re
saving (or could save), check out
the Rideshare Benefits Calculator at
IE511.org.
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this issue as a PDF
Los Angeles County • Orange County • San Bernardino County • Ventura County
Ventura
The Top 3 Reasons Employees
Rideshare Are…
Thank you to the ETCs who
responded to Ventura County
Transportation Commission’s recent
survey.
Another finding: The geography
and commute patterns in Ventura
County can make ridesharing
challenging for employees, and ETCs
need help addressing that.
Adds Holmes, “Our goal is to give
ETCs new tools based on what we’ve
learned to make it easier for them
to explain ridesharing options and
encourage their employees to try.”
Looking for
Things to Do
in Ventura?
91 Express Lanes to Extend
into Riverside
This spring, the 91 Express Lanes
in Orange County are being extended
eight miles into Riverside County. The
toll lanes will allow faster travel to
McKinley Street on SR-91 and Ontario
Avenue on I-15 South.
As with existing Express Lanes,
a transponder will be required, and
carpools of three or more can use the
lanes at no charge.
For more information and to
view a project video, visit
91ExpressLanes.com.
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Commuter News
Some of the results were
surprising. “After saving money on
commute costs, ETCs reported that
the biggest reasons their employees
rideshare are health/fitness and
concern about the environment,”
says VCTC’s Alan Holmes.
From
the beach,
to art and
culture, to
shopping,
discover what’s happening
along Ventura County’s coast at
venturacountycoast.com—then use
the Trip Planner at goventura.org to
find out how to get there without the
hassle of driving and parking.
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Commuter News
Calendar
626 Golden
Streets 17mile open
streets event
in the San Gabriel Valley is March 5,
626goldenstreets.com.
Caltrans will host a Webinar March 6,
10 a.m – noon, to discuss its statewide
bicycle and pedestrian plan. View
the plan at https://cabikepedplan.
civicomment.org/, then find out
more about the Webinar (inclucing
access code) at https://join.me/
CABikeandPed.
IE Commuter’s Spring Rideshare
Marketing Workshop is March 22, 8:30
a.m. at DoubleTree Hotel in Ontario,
1.866.RIDESHARE (866.743.3742).
Ciclavia is March 26, with a 6-mile route
of open streets between Venice and
Culver City, ciclavia.org.
Earth Day is April
22, earthday.org.
Association
for Commuter
Transportation
(ACT) will hold a 1-day workshop in San
Diego on May 4, socalact.org.
Metro marketing and rideshare
certificate workshop is May 10, 8:30
am-noon, at Metro offices in downtown
Los Angeles. To RSVP, email
[email protected].
• 7 March/April 2017
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Network Meetings
Training
ON THE GO
Burbank TMO serves businesses in
Downtown and Media District areas;
call Kyle Maetani, 818.953.7788,
[email protected].
Metro Rideshare (free) upcoming
briefings—where Los Angeles area
employers can learn about the
transportation survey process and
services Metro has to offer—are March
15, April 12 and May 17 at 9:30–11:30
a.m. Attendance is mandatory for new
ETCs and for those conducting an
employee survey with Metro for the
first time. ETCs needing a refresher are
also welcome to attend. To reserve your
space, email [email protected].
For the full 2017 briefing schedule, visit
metro.net.
Editor/Writer: Jill Smolinski
Art Director: Harlan West
For subscription information or to change
your ON THE GO e-mail address, contact
your representative at the rideshare office
nearest you.
Century City TMO serves businesses
in the Century City area; call Linda
Paradise Lyles, 310.453.1714,
[email protected].
Compass at Playa Vista meets
regularly; call Aaron Gaul, 310.929.5946,
[email protected]
Go Glendale meets regularly; call
818.543.7641.
OCTA Share the Ride Programs
550 S. Main St., Orange, CA 92868
Mailing address:
PO Box 14184, Orange, CA 92863
Business: 714.636.RIDE option 4
Twitter: @GoOCTA
Facebook: OCTASharetheRide
IE Commuter offers bi-annual meetings
for ETCs in the Inland Empire; call
1.866. RIDESHARE (866.743.3742).
Irvine Spectrum TMA meets regularly;
call 949.727.4273, email
[email protected].
Orange County Network meets
regularly; email [email protected].
Pasadena TMA meets regularly; contact
Juliana Iturrizaga at jiturrizaga@
cityofpasadena.net.
Santa Monica TMO meets regularly;
contact Puja Thomas-Patel,
424.330.4298.
Torrance Transportation Network
meets regularly; call Kim Fuentes at
310.784.7902.
Warner Center TMO meets regularly;
[email protected].
Metro Rideshare
One Gateway Plaza
MS 99-19-06
Los Angeles, CA 90012-2952
Business: 213.922.2811
[email protected]
http://thesource.metro.net/
Twitter: @MetroLosAngeles
Facebook: LosAngelesMetro
South Coast Air Quality Management
District (SCAQMD) offers one-day
ETC training for $172.97. Upcoming
sessions are April 13 and May 11 at
SCAQMD offices in Diamond Bar, March
23 in Irvine and April 27 at LA Metro
in downtown Los Angeles. Contact
the SCAQMD’s training program at
[email protected] or visit aqmd.gov.
Ventura County Transportation
Commission Commuter Services
950 County Square Dr., Ste. 207
Ventura, CA 93003
Business: 805.642.1591, ext. 119
[email protected]
Twitter: @GoVentura
Facebook: GoVentura
San Bernardino Rideshare Program
IE Commuter
Business: 1.866.RIDESHARE (866.743.3742)
Twitter: @IE511
Facebook: @goSBCTA, IE511
Commuter Information 511
Go511.com
Los Angeles/Orange/Ventura counties
IE511.org
Riverside/San Bernardino counties