Everybody in the Pool!

From LADCO (Lake Michigan Air Director's Consortium) Reduce air pollution and traffic by giving real benefits to commuters for carpooling.

Ingredients:

• Local Public Officials
• Local employers and parking lot operators
• Concerned commuters

Seasonings:

• A shared understanding of community needs
• An awareness of transportation patterns
• A willingness to make some changes

Utensils:

• Leadership - to organize and promote
• Publicly - to get the word out
• Teamwork - to mix to perfection

Servings:

A good goal for year one: 25 percent of commuters agree to carpool at least once a week. Cuts air pollution by 5 percent.

Instructions:

1. Bring together public officials, local employers, and parking lot operators to create special parking areas for carpools.
2. Choose the most convenient lots or sections of lots for carpools. Reduce or waive fees for those lots. (Foregone revenue, although small can be made up, if necessary, through sponsorships or the sale of emission credits.)
3. Add a fair amount of publicity to bring in concerned commuters. Let sit, stirring occasionally. Be careful to enforce, or the program can spoil.

Hints from the Chef:
Consider parking cash-outs as follows:

• In some cases employers provide parking to employees as a perk.
• Tax laws allow such expenses to be deducted as costs of doing business.
• Consider offering this benefit as cash rather than as free parking.
• This way employees make own decisions about commuting; some may choose not to drive.
  

Parking Cash-Out Program Case Study
Carpool/Vanpool Parking Programs Case Study