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Vanpooling

Carpooling

Bicycling

Walking

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Credits

Section 2, Chapter 5

• Definition
• Benefits
• Challenges
• Implementation Steps
  • Assess Site Improvements to Encourage Walking
  • Develop Incentives
  • Track Participation
• Cost / Savings
• Resources
• Case Studies

Definition:

Walking is using your feet (or wheelchair) to get to, from and around work and other destinations.

Benefits

Challenges

• Making the work site accessible to pedestrians
• Safety issues
• Location of work site makes walking prohibitive
• Distance from home can make walking prohibitive - takes too long
• Weather
• Facility needs

Implementation Steps

Walking (without using other modes) is only effective for workers who live within a couple miles of their job site. Nevertheless, the opportunity is there for significant numbers to participate. Even large, remote campuses often have nearby apartment complexes or subdivisions that make the walking commute a real possibility. ETCs should make sure deterrents—other than distance—don't turn away potential walkers.

The site analysis (See Section 1, Chapter 3) will pinpoint areas to make walking to work more attractive or feasible. Bicycle Commuting (Section 2, Chapter 4) offers more information on facilities and decision-making for facility improvements. Additionally, professional planners can perform a pedestrian audit to make a comprehensive assessment of potential improvements for pedestrians. (See Resources, below)

1. Assess Site Improvements to Encourage Walking
Ideal site improvements for pedestrians include:

Sidewalks Connecting to Transit Stops and Bike Lanes
Your facility may be able to fund private sidewalks, or ETCs can contact the local city government to determine the availability and feasibility of additional sidewalks in public right of way.

Male and Female Locker Rooms with Showers
Larger employers might consider a shower and accompanying locker area for each building, or a group of buildings if they are in a convenient cluster with easy access between them (See Section 2, Chapter 4, for more information).

A Laundry/Dry Cleaning Service
A service that picks up and delivers cleaning to the work site would benefit all employees.

2. Develop Incentives
Like bicyclists, walking commuters often get left out of many incentives because they don't require any specific subsidies such as monthly passes, and don't need any preferential parking. So in addition to the safety and facility improvements noted above, an ETC should take special consideration in rewarding walkers with incentives like:

• Parking cash out money if funds are used to lease parking spaces (Section 2, Chapter 6)
• A Guaranteed Ride Home program (Section 2, Chapter 9)
• Regular prize drawings
• Recognizing employees who walk with special giveaways, events, lunches and dinners
• Allowing walkers to trade in walk "points" for certificates or merchandise/services. Certificates, for instance, can be for walking related expenditures, such as new shoes, rain gear and umbrellas, taxi certificates, etc. (A low-cost item might be to provide employer-produced goods or services as rewards.)
• Allowing walkers to use employer fleet or pool vehicles for meetings, personal use, etc., during the day

3. Track Participation
By tying incentives to tracking, an ETC can help ensure that the majority of walkers report what they're doing. An ETC should consider using the honor system in reporting, and since walkers will be dedicated, few, and far between, the system isn't likely to be abused.

Cost / Savings
See the Cost Savings Calculator (Section 5) to find out how much money employees can save by bicycle commuting. For the employer, bicycle commuters also can result in significant savings from reduced parking needs. However, costs also could be associated with facility improvements (if not already in place), such as showers, lockers, bike storage lockers, and racks.

Resources

City of Austin Bicycle and Pedestrian Program
www.ci.austin.tx.us/bicycle
512-974-7046
Offers helpful information on bicycle/pedestrian commuting, safety, and routes.

Case Study

Aili Jokela, public-relations professional with Fleishman-Hillard, often walks to work each day—starting from her home just south of Austin's Town Lake to her downtown office and back. The two-mile trip each way takes just shy of 40 minutes.

She notes that the commute would be faster by automobile, and she still uses her car from time to time when she has meetings outside the downtown area or if it's raining heavily.

The option of walking provides her with a host of personal benefits. "I like to try and keep active,"she says. "I try to walk for my health." Walking doesn't come without its drawbacks, though. Jokela said the best time to walk to reduce ozone pollution is also the worst time to walk without breaking into a heavy sweat—the summer months under the hot Texas sun.

Jokela also says that by taking the extra time to walk, she can avoid the pitfalls of getting behind the wheel all the time, namely sitting in traffic stressing out about what she had to do the minute she got to work. After a walk, she feels ready to greet the workday refreshed.