Participants: Currently, there are over 655 people registered in the Bike/Walk Bucks Reward Program with the average participation over the past winter of 255 per month.
The Campus Area Transportation Management Association (CATMA) of Burlington, VT is a non-profit organization and currently has four members: the American Red Cross, Champlain College, Fletcher Allen Health Care and the University of Vermont.
In May 2001, CATMA launched the Bike/Walk Bucks Reward Program for employees of its member institutions. Participants commit to bike or walk to and from work at least twice a week on a consistent basis and sign up online, by phone or by filling out a registration form. They then receive a welcome packet, which includes a bike/walk card and a guaranteed ride home card. Participants record the days they bike or walk each week on the card and after completing four consecutive weeks, they return their card to the CATMA office. A $10 gift card, which can be used in local downtown stores and restaurants, is mailed to them along with another blank Bike/Walk card to continue recording their bike/walk days. CATMA strictly enforces the 4 consecutive weeks policy with exceptions given for planned vacations, job training or illness. Every month, five participants are randomly chosen for other prizes, such as restaurant gift certificates and one $25 gift card.
The program is administered entirely by CATMA in cooperation with their member institutions. CATMA purchases the gift cards at full face value plus a $.25 fee per card from the downtown mall management company. Once a month, CATMA sends the member institutions an invoice to cover the cost of the gift cards that have been issued to their employees. Each employer also receives a copy of all the cards redeemed by their employees. Once a year, the member institutions also receive a report containing the names of all their employees who have registered in the program nd highlighting the names of those who participate regularly. CATMA leaves it up to the individual employers to monitor the report to determine if the program is being abused by crosschecking with parking permits issued and job status.
The program is promoted through materials that every employee receives in their new employee orientation packets from their respective employer. CATMA also distributes a newsletter to the institutions, along with flyers and posters, and works closely with employers to market and promote its alternate commuter programs and services. The CATMA website is updated regularly, annual tabling events are held at the institutions, and information is constantly being distributed. Additionally, each of the member institutions has a link to the CATMA web site on its respective web sites.
Everyone who registers in the Bike/Walk program is also registered in CATMA’s Guaranteed Ride Home program. In case of a personal or family emergency or extreme weather problems, the program provides a free taxi ride home to participants on a day that they alternate commute. Participants are allowed 2 taxi rides per month or eight rides within a 12-month period, with a $50 limit per ride.
The Bike/Walk program is open to employees of all the CATMA member institutions. The University of Vermont and Champlain College offer showers within their gym facilities, with additional showers available in other building on campus. At Fletcher Allen Health Care, there are showers available throughout the campuses.
All institutions offer bike racks for employees, although both the quantity of racks and the locations where they are placed could be improved. The University of Vermont offers lockers at their gym facility.
Results
The program has been extremely successful. The program began in 2001 with 17 participants and now has 655 registered participants. Of those registered, 272 are bike riders and 499 are registered walkers, with 116 participants registered in both modes. Over this past winter, 225 people regularly turned in their reward card every month for their prizes. Participation increases as the weather improves. The CATMA institutions have been able to receive waivers on parking space requirements on new developments due to annual surveys conducted by CATMA, which clearly show drive alone travel at rates considerably lower than the norm. Additionally, they continue to show a steady decline year after year in the single occupancy vehicle as a mode of travel.
Some participants have turned in their parking permits at their workplaces, generally because of the incentives CATMA provides them. The financial incentives, along with the guaranteed ride home, have helped keep participants walking and biking and out of their cars resulting in a more active lifestyle.
Strengths
Innovative Ideas
Lessons Learned
Contact Information
CATMA
802-847-4909
14 South Williams Street, Burlington, VT 05401
catma@uvm.edu
