30. Your New Year's Commute Solution

Brittany: 00:00

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of your daily commute?

Juliana: 00:03

Or how transportation impacts the community you call home?

Brittany: 00:07

Maybe you want to explore outside your community and don't know where to start.

Juliana: 00:12

Well, you're in luck because this is where you hop on.

Brittany: 00:16

I'm Brittany Hoffman.

Juliana: 00:17

And I'm Juliana Vazquez-Keating,

Brittany: 00:20

We work in Communications for Valley Metro. And together, we'll discover all the ways that public transit enhances lives across the cities we serve.

Juliana: 00:28

and we might even make some new friends along the way.

Brittany: 00:31

Welcome to Storylines.

Juliana: 00:38

Welcome back listeners to the first Storylines episode of 2024.

Brittany: 00:43

Juliana, it's the first episode of the new year and Valley Metro has a lot to look forward to in this next trip around the sun.

Juliana: 00:51

New year and we’re getting new ways to pay! In Storylines episode 28, we talked all about the fare system upgrades heading your way including reloadable Copper cards, fares website, new fare vending machines and fareboxes.

Brittany: 01:04

And it's our first light rail extension opening since 2019! The Northwest Extension Phase 2 starts serving passengers on January 27th. You and I got to speak with some of the artists for the extension in our last episode.

Juliana: 01:19

I was so excited to speak to the artist after seeing their artwork several times. Do you have any New Year's resolutions Brittany?

Brittany: 01:25

Get more people to hop on transit. You don't have to ride every day to make a difference. Taking public transit just once a week helps our air quality and reduces traffic.

Juliana: 01:36

I like the sound of that. I don’t know if many people realize this, but Valley Metro offers other services to help connect people for their commute. Every vehicle we can take off the road is a win for carbon emissions and a cleaner environment.

Brittany: 01:48

You're right, Juliana. We're not all buses and trains at Valley Metro. Let's hear from someone on our Commute Solutions team about how we're helping people reduce their carbon footprint in other ways, too.

Abby: 02:00

Abigail Cooksey-Williams. I go by Abby is fine. I am the TDM manager and that stands for Transportation Demand Management with the Commute Solutions team. I've been here for 4 years.

Juliana: 02:13

So when did the Commute Solutions team start and how does it help the residents of Maricopa County?

Abby: 02:18

Around 1987, there was a regional ride share program that began with a few folks at Valley Metro to support it. And then, in 1988, Maricopa County was designated as a non-attainment area for the air quality under the Federal Clean Air Act. So, in response to that, the legislators passed the state of Arizona's Air Quality Bill of 1988. And that mandated travel reduction programs in counties throughout the state, which had been designated as non-attainment. So in February of 1989, TRP, travel reduction programs, was officially established within Maricopa County and that's how we started working with them and assisting the employers. Then around 2008, or so I'm told, the department was rebranded and the name was changed to Business Services as it was assumed under the Marketing Department and a few years later, around 2012, the department staff got together and decided that they needed to change the name to better reflect what it is that we did. And that's when it became Commute Solutions. And then I joined in 2019.

Brittany: 03:37

That's awesome to hear and you can tell just by all those different iterations that, you know, new pieces have come to the Commute Solutions overall product and you mentioned the businesses. How does the TRP really help the businesses and getting more people out of their car and on to public transit?

Abby: 03:56

So TRP, travel reduction programs, and we just call it TRP for short. It requires the major employers and a major employer is considered someone with 50 or more employees. It requires them to encourage alternative modes of transportation to reduce single occupancy vehicle trips and that's S. O. V. trips and, also single occupancy vehicle miles traveled S. O. V. M. T. all these acronyms, to improve air quality. So our role is to assist these employers with this task. Our team is split into basically geographic regions and we support. And assist those employers, we have the Share the Ride platform, which provides right matching trip planning, commute information. That platform is made available to all of these employers. We currently have over 14,000 members in it and over 500 sub networks within it, which are the companies that have their own network on it. We also really have kind of a wealth of information, materials, different things to help educate their employees on air quality on their commute options and we support their incentive contests various programs and really just provide overall assistance with outreach and education in these various capacities.

Juliana: 05:19

Did you see a change in travel preferences after the pandemic?

Abby: 05:22

We did. We really did, you know, one of the things that our program provides is we house the Valley Metro Vanpool program, and our Vanpool program was one of the programs that was severely impacted with the pandemic. So, we started seeing that trickle down right away when it started. But, if you go back a few years before the pandemic, companies were teleworking. They did have telework programs, but they were not near as robust as they are now. That's for sure. But what was interesting is that we really saw at the onset of the pandemic, the companies that did have a bit of telework in their program and their plan, they were head and shoulders ahead of the others that didn't have that. So they were able to really hit the ground running. And so, here comes the pandemic and then a lot of companies went to a fully remote type of schedule. So we're seeing that we are a few years later. Some companies are staying fully remote. I would say in the last year we've seen a pure hybrid come of often like 3 days in the office, 2 days at home. But it’s just interesting how for so many years we heard, oh, you know, our company could never telework. Our employees could never telework. And that is has certainly changed. One of the other big impacts that we saw obviously was commuting on transit. That one's been a little bit slower to return to pre-pandemic levels, but we are seeing increases starting to trend up. So we are encouraged by that.

Juliana: 06:57

The pandemic sure did change a lot of things. That's for sure.

Abby: 07:01

Yeah, it sure did.

Brittany: 07:03

Abby, you mentioned it, Share the Ride is your one stop shop for finding that carpool, your vanpool, for those employers to get information about the TRP program. What impact has all these programs had on commuting in the Valley?

Abby: 07:20

So, our work, along with Maricopa County TRP, it continues to have a positive impact, I believe, on air pollution and emissions reductions with the assistance of employers, our stakeholders, participants. It also helps mitigate traffic congestion. That's a big one. And by providing the employer support and helping them be successful in their programs, we're really encouraging the overall economic development in our communities by making sure our air quality is better. The EPA is happier when we have better air quality and we don't get fined.

Brittany: 07:58

I think everyone's happier when the air quality goes up.

Abby: 08:02

Exactly so, it's through those programs that we can make an impact on the community and it's really supporting the business community as our primary role.

Juliana: 08:12

And Share the Ride, I think it's just such a fun website too. You can actually track your impact. I think that's such an important aspect of it to see that you're actually making a difference.

Abby: 08:21

Our platform, it's been around for a while, as a matter of fact, in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, we launched the new one and that's the current sharetheride.com. We worked nonstop with our vendor, rideamigos who has been a great partner, but the platform has been just evolving and we're really excited about it. It's made participating and being eligible for rewards easier than it's ever been. We really appreciate the fact that not only could you match with somebody, you can route yourself. You can, you know, route yourself on transit. You can even check current traffic through traffic cameras. But it gamification, which is something that we never had before. And it was the ability to log your trips or your commute trips, including your telework commutes, so those count, and it auto enters you to win, gift cards and prizes. You can also win, fun badges and bragging rights within your networks as well. You can see your progress and that's a lot of fun. They have some interesting equivalencies to see like, oh, this many miles equals this many trees that have been saved. It also has geographically specific pollutant reductions. When we were putting the site together, we worked closely with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, and they gave us some calculations that I can't even begin to get into that were specific to our area and the pollutants that we have in our area. So, it's really quite interesting the things that it can provide. And it's fun.

Juliana: 10:00

And it's easy to log your rides.

Abby: 10:01

It is.

Brittany: 10:03

And prizes! Who doesn't love prizes? I know I love prizes. So definitely, if you're not signed up for Share the Ride, you can be logging all of your teleworking hours and getting prizes, potentially, just for logging in and logging those trips.

Abby: 10:17

Exactly!

Brittany: 10:18

Now, Abby, in addition to Share the Ride, I know you guys do an annual campaign of the Clean Air Campaign Awards, to honor those people who have really been outstanding in our community. You know, making sure that the air quality is good, that they're finding ways to help with that reduction. Can you tell us about those awards?

Abby: 10:35

So the Clean Air Campaign Swards, the Clean Air Campaign goes all year. And these awards usually happen around October and it's our opportunity to recognize transportation coordinators, we call them TCs. And they are the person that's appointed within each company that has a travel reduction program and it's an opportunity to recognize them for their efforts for going above and beyond. We have some amazingly creative TCs in our network. It also allows us the opportunity to recognize companies and projects. You know, one of the companies that we recently recognized was Culdesac in Tempe. What they're doing is truly groundbreaking. And just some of the other programs, like SRP, and some of the other folks that are really doing some incredible sustainability work, and other different programs that are surrounding the Vanpool programs or, you know, different areas that companies are really reaching out to their employees to encourage them to use alternative modes some of the campaigns just incredibly creative. So once a year, we get together. We go through a process where people are nominated. Companies are nominated. There's a whole process as far as voting. And then the awards are presented in October. We do it at a different location every year. We've been, you know, from the herd museum to the JW Marriott. We try to make our way around the Valley so it's easy for folks to attend. Generally, we have anywhere, pre-pandemic, it was usually around 500 or so post-pandemic, I think the last one, we were up to about four something. So, we are seeing, you know, that comfort level with big groups has improved tremendously. It feels like it's almost back to normal if there is such a thing as normal anymore.

Juliana: 12:25

And it happens during Rideshare Month too.

Abby: 12:29

It does, it does. October is Rideshare Month nationally. So, it's perfect timing because not only can we tout all of the great rideshare programs and the activities, but we can really highlight some of the ones that are outstanding in their field.

Juliana: 12:45

Absolutely. Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Abby: 12:48

Probably just the fact sometimes I think we can get caught up in thinking that, it doesn't really matter, if I just, drive myself to work by myself or thinking that, you know, your one little trip doesn't matter and it does matter. I realize that sometimes it just doesn't make sense. To carpool or take transit or telework, sometimes you do have to drive yourself into work, but a lot of other times you can grab somebody to go with you. You can hop on transit. You can telework if that's available, but your one little trip a week makes a huge difference. And one of the things that we've learned is that you start a whole behavioral modification, if you will, because you start a habit and, you know, saying, hey, just, it's the beginning of the new year, right? We all have, our resolutions. So why not consider, okay, you know what, one day a week, I can do something different. I cannot drive myself to work. And you may think that that doesn't really make a difference, but it does. It does, because through sheer numbers, it makes a big impact on, our Valley air quality.

Brittany: 13:53

Juliana, I told you we were more than just buses and trains. Abby gave us new ways to meet people and help the planet and win prizes.

Juliana: 14:02

We know you love your prizes, Brittany. Abby mentioned a bunch of travel options, but wait, there's more. After the break, we'll introduce you to more transit options for an important group in the community.

Brittany: 14:14

And we'll also hear how a Valley Metro Rideshare program will see some new enhancements in the new year.

Alex: 14:20

Valley Metro Rail is growing, and the communities it serves are improving because of it. The new Northwest Extension Phase 2 and upcoming South Central Extension Downtown Hub aren't just a matter of putting new tracks in the ground. These projects also involve massive infrastructure improvement, everything from new pipes and efficient electrical systems to fresh pavement, beautiful landscaping, and public works of art to revitalize neighborhoods. Learn more by going to our Quality of Life report at valeymetro.org/life

Juliana: 14:59

We're back to learn about more travel opportunities in addition to all of our buses and trains.

Brittany: 15:06

Did you know we have nearly 100 bus routes and 28 miles of light rail? And light rail is expanding by 7 miles in the next two years.

Juliana: 15:15

Everyone knows that we have buses and trains. But there’s another option that’s a bit more personalized. Brittany, I got to sit down with an expert on Vanpools to learn all about it.

Angie: 15:26

I'm Angie Wilkie. I'm the Vanpool Program Coordinator, and I am coming up on my 10-year anniversary with Valley Metro in just a few months.

Juliana: 15:36

So, what is the Vanpool program and how long has it been around?

Angie: 15:40

So, the Vanpool Program is a public transit program designed for larger groups of commuters. It kind of fills in the gap where there is no bus or light rail service. And typically, a Vanpool group is anywhere from 5 to 15 people who commute back and forth to work using a Valley Metro van. Most of them have longer commute, at least a 30-mile round trip or more, and each van has a primary and alternate driver. So the riders are actually the ones doing the driving. And they all split the cost of operating the van by paying a monthly fare that includes insurance, maintenance, roadside assistance, and two guaranteed ride homes. So you'll never get stuck at work without a guaranteed ride home. And some employers actually provide a vanpool subsidy to help lower that cost of the fare. So, if you're thinking about joining a vanpool, just make sure that you check with your employer to see if they offer that benefit.

Juliana: 16:42

So who pays for the gas for the commutes? Do they pay for it?

Angie: 16:46

Yeah, So everyone in the Vanpool splits the cost of the fuel. So just imagine, you know, instead of driving alone and filling up your tank all by yourself, you're going to split that with anywhere from 5 to 15 people in your Vanpool group.

Juliana: 17:02

So who uses the Vanpool program?

Angie: 17:05

Oh gosh. We have a variety of different users that use the program. We have groups from aerospace industry finance, government, healthcare. We have hospitality riders, manufacturing, and we even have some military groups who use the vanpool to get back and forth to work.

Juliana: 17:26

So how many participating groups do you have at the moment?

Angie: 17:29

We currently have over 220 van pool groups. Participating in the program and commuting back and forth to work every day.

Juliana: 17:39

We heard there's some changes ahead. Can you tell us what changes are coming to the program this year?

Angie: 17:44

Yeah, we're really excited to announce that beginning this month, we are introducing smaller and more efficient vehicles into the program. So in the past, we've always had full size vehicles, anywhere from an 8 to a 15 passenger Ford Transit. But now we're introducing minivans, hybrids, crossovers, SUVs, much smaller vehicles that are much more fuel efficient and cost a lot less to fuel up that tank.

Juliana: 18:16

So does that mean you can implement like fewer vanpool groups with these smaller vehicles?

Angie: 18:21

It means that we can have anywhere from a smaller group of, let's say you only have five people in your vanpool, but you're using an eight-passenger vehicle, because that's all we have to offer currently. We can move that group of five people into a much smaller hybrid minivan.

Juliana: 18:40

So it's a new sustainable option.

Angie: 18:42

Absolutely.

Juliana: 18:44

That's what we're all about. We love sustainable options.

Angie: 18:46

We sure do.

Juliana: 18:49

Is there a maximum amount of miles that people can travel daily? Is there a cap?

Angie: 18:53

Well really it's designed for those groups who have a longer commute. So we see that most of our vanpool groups commute 30 miles or more round trip. Now we do have some groups that commute, you know, several hundred miles. We have groups that have very, very long commutes. But it really is designed for those groups that have a longer commute, and that's where you're going to start saving that money.

Juliana: 19:17

So anyone who's interested about the vanpool program and how to participate where can they find some information?

Angie: 19:25

Well, first of all, they can visit us on our website, which is valleymetro.org/vanpool. We also have an upcoming webinar on Valentine's Day, February 14th, where we're going to be talking about everything that we love about vanpooling. And of course, you can also reach out to me at 602-523-6062.

Juliana: 19:50

Is there anything else you would like to add that you want people to know about this program?

Angie: 19:55

The program started back in the 80s, and it was a pilot program. So, you know, it became so popular that it became a permanent transit program. And during the pandemic, we lost some riders, but they're kind of back, returning to the office. So people are returning to the office. Now they're looking for a much cheaper way to get to work, trying to save money on their commute. So this is a great program. It's great way to get back into the office, commute with your friends, develop new friendships and save some money on your commute costs.

Juliana: 20:28

Valley Metro really is so much more than buses and trains. We also provide additional travel options that enhance lives and connect communities.

Brittany: 20:37

We're not done yet though. Valley Metro also offers two transit services for the ADA community to help support their additional needs.

Juliana: 20:45

In Storylines Episode 24, we got to learn a lot about the ADA community in the Valley from Ability360. What are these two transit services?

Brittany: 20:54

The first is Paratransit. It is a shared-ride, door-to-door or curb-to-curb transportation that is provided to people with disabilities who are unable to use fixed-route buses or trains. People must be ADA certified by Valley Metro in order to use this service.

Juliana: 21:10

So, what's the second service?

Brittany: 21:11

That’s the RideChoice program. This service goes above and beyond the federal requirements. RideChoice is comparable to taxi or rideshare service for ADA paratransit certified people and seniors age 65 and above in participating communities. Not every community in the Valley has RideChoice, but it is catching on.

Juliana: 21:32

Brittany, we covered a lot of information in this episode. If you would like to learn more about taking transit or any of the additional travel options, head to valleymetro.org.

Brittany: 21:41

And don’t forget, you can also sign up at ShareTheRide.com right now to log trips and have a chance at winning prizes.

Juliana: 21:48

Be sure to join us for our next episode of Storylines, where we'll chat about our latest light rail expansion, the Northwest Extension Phase 2. For Valley Metro, I'm Juliana.

Brittany: 21:58

I'm Brittany.

Juliana: 22:00

Thanks for riding with us.

Brittany: 22:02

We’ll meet you at the next stop. Storylines is produced by Alec Tsotsos and Dane Ryals. Peter Corkery is the executive producer. For Juliana Vasquez eating, I'm Brittany Hoffman. Thanks for listening.