The return to the workplace begins and ends with the commute

Zara Seastrunk, Business Development Manager, Arlington Transportation Partners (ATP)
​
How will your employees commute safely back to work, and how will their transportation options change as the region re-opens? Employers can proactively prepare for a safe, sustainable, and equitable reopening by offering flexible workplace policies, benefits, and commuter resources to help employees navigate their new commute.

---

​According to the 2019 State of the Commute survey, nearly half of Arlington workers used sustainable transportation options for their commute to work, such as mass transit, bike, walk, carpool, or vanpool, prior to the pandemic. Since early March, transit ridership has declined dramatically, and health and safety concerns may deter employees from returning to their previous commute mode. Employers can expect to see a significant increase in the number of commuters driving alone to the office, and this may impact parking availability, traffic congestion, and air quality as the DC metro region re-opens. Flexible workplace policies, such as continuing telework and flexible schedules, should be included in your organization's reopening plans. Businesses that offered these policies, such as a formalized telework policy, were better prepared for the transition to full-time remote work during lockdown. As your business plans to phase workers back into the office, flexible work schedules and staggered shifts will become a key strategy for managing workplace occupancy and avoiding traffic and crowds during peak commute hours. Employers can offer a variety of flexible schedule options to employees as they return to the workplace. Staggered shifts can be used to maintain social distancing between employees while minimizing traffic congestion and crowding on transit. Businesses may want to consider splitting staff into teams that alternate days working from home, or staggering arrival and departure times to minimize contact in indoor common areas and elevators. The CDC recommends that employers offer incentives for commute modes that minimize close contact with others, such as biking, walking, driving or riding by car either alone or with household members. In dense urban areas, driving and parking can be prohibitively expensive for commuters and employers that offer parking benefits. Employers can support a variety of safe commute options by offering bikeshare memberships, carpool programs, parking cash-out programs, or commuter benefits to help employees save money on commute costs. There are a variety of complimentary resources and services to help you plan for a safe commute to work.