Unique Voucher Programs To Increase Alternative Commuting

Abstract

King County Metro Transit developed its Commuter Bonus voucher programs to provide employers and their employees with effective commute trip reduction tools. The program consists of Commuter Bonus, an incentive program to encourage employees to use transit agency services (bus, vanpool, and ferry); and a Commuter Bonus Plus incentive program to encourage employees to carpool, walk, bicycle, or telecommute. The Commuter Bonus voucher programs are unique for several reasons: the Commuter Bonus program is the only known transit voucher program administered entirely by a transit agency, and the Commuter Bonus Plus program is the only known carpool voucher program operated by a transit agency. In addition, program implementations required state-of-the-art anticounterfeiting strategies and the design and integration of off-the-shelf and proprietary software. A recent program evaluation indicated that the Commuter Bonus program generated 84,000 annual transit passenger trips and 440 vanpool riders who would otherwise not have used transit. Their use generated additional revenue for participating transit agencies. Commuter Bonus Plus resulted in a significant decrease in vehicle trips while generating revenue for local retailers. The evaluation demonstrated that a large-volume voucher program could be operated in-house from a single desktop computer.