Description
Telework (working remotely one or more days per week) or alterative work schedules (e.g. compressed work weeks) can reduce or shift commute trips, directly lowering trips taken during the work week or during commuting periods.
Implementation Details
- Create a teleworking and/or alterative work week policy with clear criteria, eligibility, and performance standards.
- If employee threshold is met, register and/or comply with Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program.
Mitigation Potential
Telework removes commute trips on remote workdays. Alternative work schedules shift or reduce commute frequency. Both programs directly reduce work trips, which can result in decreases in non-single occupancy vehicles.
Linked Strategies
Equity Considerations
Ensure all workers who do not have eligibility for telework or alternative work schedules receive comparable support. Provide clear eligibility criteria and alternative flexibility for roles require in person presence.
Funding Sources
Unlikely to require additional funding but will require dedicated staff time for coordination.
Implemented in TAM Area
Current TDM Implementation
Under the Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program, run by MTC and BAAQMD, employers with 50 or more employees must offer commuter benefits, and one option is a telework program. For qualifying employers, this is a company policy allowing employees to work from home one or more days a week. Since the pandemic, telework has significantly impacted commuter trip patterns and peak period travel, particularly from Marin into San Francisco.
TDM Benefit Locations
Recently, employers in Marin, including the County, have begun reducing telework options, which will likely result in increased commute trips. Employers should weigh the VMT impacts of increasing in office requirements.