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| • |
 Carpooling:
Carpooling can save up to $6,500 per year on gas and other expenses
and approximately 20 percent on insurance premiums if a vehicle
is used for personal use only, not to mention the time saved
by utilizing Houston’s high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes.
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| • |
 NuRide:
NuRide is an incentive-based ride sharing program that allows
users to register online, set up a profile, and find rides with
other registered users on the days they would like to share
a ride. It matches each rider with others who are going to the
same destination and gives members rewards for every ride they
share. www.nuride.com.
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 Teleworking:
Even if only for a few days per week, teleworking — or
using the Internet from home to work — is proven to increase
productivity and lower absenteeism by allowing individuals to
work in the comfort of their own home. Teleworking also benefits
employers by reducing overhead expenses and allowing them to
hire employees who live outside of commuting range. (Commute
Solutions’ Telework Resource Center offers teleworking
planning and implementation assistance to employers at no charge.) |
| • |
 Vanpooling:
By leaving their car at home and sharing a ride in a vanpool,
a commuter can get to work faster, enjoy a more productive commute
and save at least $7,000 a year on gas and vehicle maintenance.
|
| • |
 Mass
Transit: One full, 40-foot bus takes approximately 58
cars off the road. It also allows riders the opportunity to
read, relax or get a head start on the day’s work. Residents
who live within 10 miles of central Houston can ride METRO buses
for a quick and easy commute to work. For those who live farther
outside the city, METRO Park & Ride lots provide transportation
by bus to major employment centers using HOV lanes. Additional
commuter services supported in part by Commute Solutions, such
as METRORail, TREK and The Woodlands Express, also provide direct
service to major employment centers and/or connections to existing
METRO services. |
| • |
 Alternative
Work Schedules: Implemented by many of Houston’s
major employers, compressed work week schedules allow employees
to work more hours per day and fewer days per week, typically
reducing commuting by 10 percent. Another alternative is flextime,
which uses staggered work hours to avoid peak rush hour. Such
schedules not only reduce traffic congestion but also appeal
to employees as workplace benefits. (Commute Solutions can help
employers develop and implement alternative work schedule programs.) |
| • |
 Biking
and Walking: Commute Solutions encourages biking and
walking for short distance commuting and for connecting with
transit stations. Tips, trail maps and information about the
Bikes on Buses Program, which allows bicycles on board buses,
are available through Commute Solutions. |
| • |
 Guaranteed
Ride Home: A concern often voiced by those who have not
tried commute alternatives is the fear of not being able to
get home in the event of a family emergency or if they are delayed
at work. Fortunately, Commute Solutions and METRO have a program
in place that guarantees a ride home for commuters who vanpool
or use METRO. |
| • |
Maintain Your Vehicle: If your
car is poorly maintained it can release as much as 10 times
more emissions into the air than if it were properly maintained.
|
| • |
Combine Trips: A warmed up engine
generates much less air pollution than a freshly started engine,
so combining a few trips into one can make a big difference! |
Visit www.commutesolutionshouston.org
or commutesolutions@h-gac.com.
Commute Solutions is a partnership of the Houston-Galveston Area
Council's (H-GAC's) Regional Commute Alternatives Program, the Metropolitan
Transit Authority (METRO), the Texas Department of Transportation
(TxDOT), Brazos Transit System, Colorado Valley Transit, Gulf Coast
Center, City of Galveston Island Transit and the region's Transportation
Management Organizations (TMOs), which include Bay Area Transportation
Partnership, Central Houston "Downtown in Motion," North
Houston Association and TREK.
The purpose of the Commute Solutions is to provide
a “one-stop” alternative transportation resource in
the Houston-Galveston area for both commuters and businesses. Members
of Commute Solutions provide advice, answers and assistance on commuting
options and employee transportation programs. Collectively, we have
helped some of the biggest and most prestigious employers in the
region get their employees to work.
It's easy. Just focus on Commute Solutions' five fundamental transportation
strategies:
• Move more people in fewer vehicles.
• Use transportation that does not contribute to congestion
and pollution.
• Reduce the number of people commuting during rush hours.
• Reduce the number of single occupant vehicles.
• Eliminate the need to commute to work.
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