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21 <br />e. Only one of the above is needed, but others (such as compressed <br />work schedules, telecommuting, and incentives to live closer to <br />work) are already under discussion and/or may warrant further <br />study. <br />3. There are three "other requirements" that must be met to join the program: <br />a. The County must designate an individual as the central point of <br />contact for the program, <br />b. The County must promote the availability of commuter benefits to <br />employees, and <br />c. There must be centralized commuter benefit information (a Trip <br />Reduction Program info board or Intranet website). <br />The subcommittee suggests that each of these may be met using existing <br />resources (staff contact, intranet commuting information and promotion). <br />The subcommittee notes that item #1, the telecommuting program, will require <br />the most substantial thought and creativity. This concept is growing in popularity <br />among regional and national employers, however, and appears to be a viable <br />way to provide atangible-air quality benefit. <br />Other Emergent Commuting Options /Other Ideas <br />In meeting to review this program, the subcommittee has identified several other <br />ideas it would like to convey related to the topic of emergent commuting options: <br />1. Continue to investigate and explore alternative transportation modes <br />among employees. Using Chapel Hill Transit or Triangle Transit/OPT is <br />one promising area, as is walking, biking, and considering alternative-fuel <br />vehicles (and using those in the fleet). Addressing amenities needed to <br />accomplish these modes will be a critical consideration to encouraging <br />alternative transportation. <br />2. An educational campaign is needed to explain the importance of reducing <br />vehicles miles traveled and single-car commuting. Some examples might <br />include: <br />a. Occasional profiles in Orange Alive <br />b. Promoting exemplary commuting alternatives by individual <br />employees (one subcommittee member has offered to kayak down <br />the Eno River to work, several others bike regularly). <br />c. Place "brand neutral" information about alternative fuel vehicles and <br />low-emission vehicles on the Intranet site for employee use. <br />3. Promote the opportunities for teleconferencing instead of holding personal <br />meetings, where appropriate. This may require upfit of some meeting <br />rooms. <br />4. The new office building, library and Gateway center in downtown <br />Hillsborough, the traditional County campus, and the complex of existing <br />and future buildings at the Southern Human Services complex in Chapel <br />Hill may offer many new and exciting opportunities. One idea that was <br />