New Partnership Program Helps Big Employers SHIFT Workers’ Commute Choices
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) last week launched a new program for partnering with major employers to improve peak-period traffic flows on select Bay Area freeways. The Commission will fund up to $1.9 million in grants to help equip employers with software from platform vendors Luum, RideAmigos or RideShark to manage commute-benefit incentives, carpool and vanpool programs, parking-management strategies and other congestion-relief tools.
MTC SHIFT aims to attract employers with 3,000 or more workers to test strategies for spurring the formation of carpools or other shared-use commute modes to reduce solo vehicle trips on Bay Area toll bridges and other key freeway corridors. This aligns with the goals of the Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program, which encourages shared-use alternatives to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decrease traffic congestion.
Targeted employers include those whose workers commute to work via the San Francisco-Oakland Bay; San Mateo-Hayward; Dumbarton and Richmond-San Rafael bridges, or along Interstate 80 in Alameda and Contra Costa counties; Interstate 880 in Alameda and Santa Clara counties; U.S. 101 and Interstate 280 in San Francisco; U.S. 101 in San Mateo County; and State Route 237 in Santa Clara County.
Employers who participate in MTC SHIFT can qualify for funding to cover up to 75 percent of the setup and three-year subscription costs for commute-management platforms offered by Luum, RideAmigos or RideShark and covering as many as 3,000 employees each. These platforms offer various features to administer parking-management strategies, integrate with third-party systems to manage commute benefits and incentives, and provide performance data to measure changes in workers’ drive-alone rates.
MTC next week will host three information and demonstration sessions for major employers to learn more about MTC SHIFT and the vendors’ commute-management platforms:
Tuesday, March 3, 10 a.m. to 12 noon
County of San Mateo Offices
455 County Center, Redwood City
Wednesday, March 4, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Fremont Main Library, Fukaya Room A
2400 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont
Thursday, March 5, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Bay Area Metro Center
375 Beale Street, San Francisco
Yerba Buena Room, 1st Floor
More information about the MTC SHIFT program and basic requirements for employers can be found on MTC’s Procurement Portal. The deadline to apply for MTC SHIFT funding is March 24. Large employers interested in learning more are invited to contact Michelle Go of the MTC staff at mgo@bayareametro.gov.
MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.