Employee Commute Incentives

A Commute Solutions partner, the City of Austin encourages its employees to reduce ozone-forming emissions by reducing their commutes. The City offers a number of flexible scheduling options and financial incentives to make alternative transportation more attractive. (Flexible schedules are subject to these important restrictions.)

Fewer trips = fewer emissions

Making fewer trips to the office means fewer hours spent on the road, and fewer pollutants in the air.

• Compressed Work Week - Employees work the same number of hours over fewer days. A typical 40-hour week can eliminate a day of driving if worked in 4 10-hour shifts. Some employees also work 9-hour days over two weeks, with one day off every other week.

• Teleworking - The City of Austin's Telework Program enables appropriate employees to work from home (typically once a week) in order to reduce vehicle trips. Measurable tasks, technology solutions, and constant communication helps increase productivity and job satisfaction.

Please step out of the vehicle

The City encourages employees to get out of their single-occupant-vehicles to reduce the number of cars on the road and start cleaning up our air.

• Parking Cash-Out - Employees who forego a parking space at their office in order to take the bus, carpool, bike or walk to work receive an extra $50 in their paychecks every two weeks. (Plus they save by not paying for a parking space!) The City wins by having to lease fewer parking spaces and reducing air pollution from the daily commute.

• Subsidized Bus Passes - All City employees can purchase a bus pass at 70% of the retail price (as little as $3.33/month for Metro service). Some departments have opted to subsidize the entire cost of the bus pass, so employees pay nothing. If riding the bus is free... why keep paying for gas?

• Reduced Vanpool Fees - The City also offsets 70% of the rider fee for employees in one of Capital Metro's vanpools. Vanpoolers pay a small cost per month, which includes an 8- or 15-passenger van, gas and maintenance.

• Priority Parking - At some City locations, registered vanpoolers and carpoolers are be eligible for priority parking spots, either shaded or close to the building.

• Bicycle Conveniences - The largest City-owned offices have showers and changing rooms for cyclists and walkers, as well as plenty of safe, convenient rack space.

Timing is everything

By shifting commutes outside of peak drive-time (generally before 7am or after 6pm), employees can reduce traffic congestion, spending less time on the road and putting fewer emissions in the air.

• Flexible Scheduling - Employees can opt to shift their work hours so that one or more halves of their commute fall outside of peak drive time. Many employees on compressed work weeks also fall into this category, since their arrival or departure times are usually outside of the highest congestion periods.

Please Note: Employee scheduling arrangements are at the manager's discretion and may not be suitable for all employees. The City places the highest value on customer service and availability to our citizens -- these initiatives are not intended to interfere with our quality of service. For additional information, please contact us.