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20 <br />All employers in Wake, Orange and Durham counties meet one supporting <br />benefit, the ridesharing and carpool matching program available through <br />.~otrian~eoorg. Another "supporting commuter benefit' is also met by the <br />County's ongoing participation in the ozone awareness program that notifies <br />employees of expected poor air quality days. <br />Finally, the County also meets one of the "other" objectives -the Emergency <br />Ride Home Program offered by Triangle Transit. <br />To qualify for the program, the County would need to add nine from the checklist <br />in Attachment 1): <br />• One "primary" benefit <br />• One or more additional "supporting benefits," and <br />• Three "Other requirements" <br />Subcommittee Recommendations <br />The subcommittee finds that the Best Workplaces program is consistent with the <br />County's Environmental Responsibility Goal in several ways, promoting improved <br />air quality, reducing vehicles miles traveled and thereby addressing a variety of <br />environmental goals. <br />In terms of meeting the additional criteria, the subcommittee has the following <br />recommendations: <br />1. To meet its "primary benefit," the County may wish to pursue "A <br />telecommuting program that reduces 6% of commute trips on a monthly <br />basis." With 850 employees, and using data from the 2006 employee <br />commuting pattern survey conducted by Triangle Transit, this equates to <br />reducing on average 51 trips per day. With the increase in fuel costs, a <br />program to identify this level of reduction may be accomplished. This will <br />require acarefully-planned program that offers a more sophisticated <br />means of tracking and verifying telecommuting activity. However, many <br />employers currently have such measures in place and email often allows <br />for verification of telecommuting activity. <br />2. To meet the one or more additional "supporting commuter benefits" <br />needed, the committee suggests the following as "doable" benefits: <br />a. Preferred parking at County parking lots (and the new parking deck <br />in Hillsborough) for carpools and vanpools. <br />b. An employee commuting awards program. <br />c. ACounty-assisted vanpool program, and <br />d. Implementation of a County government commuter program (Trip <br />Reduction Program). <br />