Do you know what the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in Metro Vancouver is?

If you said driving, you’d be correct!

At 32 per cent, cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs are responsible for the biggest share of carbon emissions in the region. And because so many people rely on a personal vehicle to get to and from work, employee commuting is a big part of these emissions.

Now, many businesses and organizations are working to shrink their own emissions – and are looking at the role that employee travel can play.

That’s why TransLink has launched a new partnership with Commutifi to provide a data-driven commuting platform for employers. We’re providing free and subsidized Commutifi packages to make it easy for businesses and organizations of all sizes to measure, understand, and reduce the environmental impact of employee commutes.

Understanding the impact of commuting

It all starts with some questions:

• How are our employees getting to and from work – and what are the environmental impacts?
• What are the employer and employee costs?
• How can we make commuting more sustainable?

Commutifi Lite starts with an employee travel survey. The Enhanced version includes a full-blown commute management dashboard, complete with trip planning, incentives and rewards, and other features.

Commutifi helps employers gain a deep understanding of what could be one of the biggest opportunities to make an impact on sustainability in the region. It also helps employers and employees save money on travel, parking, and more.

From there, employers can see how sustainable travel options like walking, biking, rolling, or transit can help cut costs and GHGs. After all, transportation is the second-biggest cost for households in Metro Vancouver.

But it’s not just environmental and financial impacts. Employee commutes also play a huge role in job satisfaction and productivity. A U.S. study from Robert Half found that nearly one-quarter of employees have quit a job due to a bad commute.

It’s clear that employee commuting is important, so why not take action? If you’re interested in participating in the Commutifi Program, visit translink.ca/commutifi.

Take action and become a Transit-Friendly Employer

Leading organizations across the region are actively working to make commuting more sustainable. They’re playing an active role, by offering incentives and programs, such as Transit-Friendly Employer.

These employers are helping to make employee commuting easy, affordable, and climate-friendly by providing a 50 per cent transit pass subsidy.

So far, eleven employers have joined the prestigious Transit-Friendly Employer club, with more joining every week:

• YVR
• Lush Cosmetics
• Provincial Health Services Authority
• Intel Canada
• Solidigm
• Melanie Auld
• Zymeworks
• ZGF Architects
• Koka Architecture + Design
• Protect International Risk + Safety Services
• College of Chiropractors of BC (CCBC)

But that’s not all, organizations around the region are taking big strides to make biking, rolling, carpooling, and other sustainable modes the default option to get to work. From providing secure bike parking to developing parking management strategies, there are a lot of options on the table.

And that’s where TransLink comes in. If you’re an organization looking to make commuting more sustainable, we want to hear from you!