Workers Urged To Find New Ways Of Getting To Job

Lisa Olson doesn’t have to pour a lot of money into her car or worry about parking when she goes to work every morning.

Olson and co-worker Terri Greene have been carpooling to their jobs at Appleway Chevrolet for several months. The Valley residents live kitty-corner from each other.

“I just get into a nice warm truck and get a ride,” Olson said. Greene’s husband drops them off and picks them up after work.

And when Olson needs quick access to wheels during the day, she doesn’t have to look far.

“Working at a car dealership,” she said, “there’s cars I can use if I have an emergency.”

It might seem odd to try to lure automobile dealership employees out of their cars to find alternative ways of transportation.

But to comply with a 1991 state law, large Valley businesses have since 1992 been trying to reduce the number of drivers commuting alone and the miles they drive by 15 percent.

The company is one of many that encourages its workers to take the bus, ride a bike, walk or carpool - anything but drive alone.

At Appleway Chevrolet, some employees work a 4-day, 10-hour work shift, which eliminates the need for two trips.

And Emily Backen, who lives on the North Side, takes advantage of the company’s subsidized bus passes.

She said she’d rather let someone else drive for her.

Appleway personnel manager Charlotte Nemec said that about 30 out of 325 workers regularly take alternative means of transportation.

And those numbers should go up.

By 1997, businesses must reduce commute trips by 25 percent and 35 by 1999, said Melanie Rose, the county’s commute trip reduction coordinator.

Other companies are trying different ways to reward employees who participate. A county campaign, Oil Smart, is promoting commuting alternatives this month.

Olivetti, in Liberty Lake, offers subsidized bus passes to its 550 employees.

And coveted parking spots go to those who carpool, said Teresa Venne, employee transportation coordinator.

Judy Johnson, human resources analyst at Johnson Matthey, tries to make it appealing for the company’s 600 employees to change their commuting habits.

Development engineer Jianxing Li said he enjoys the 10-minute workout he gets by riding his bike to work.

And that makes him eligible for lottery scratch tickets, $5 bills, donuts or other freebies given to those who take alternative transportation on Find Another Way Days, the second Wednesday of each month.

Other incentives include drawings with cash prizes of $100, and, once a year, $1,000.

Johnson Matthey is also planning to start a subsidized vanpool program for Coeur d’Alene employees.

But the company doesn’t forget to stress why it’s important to reduce the amount of one-person vehicles choking up the roads.

A monthly newsletter informs workers about cleaning up the air and saving fossil fuels, Johnson said.

It’s a challenge to get employees to start leaving their cars at home, Johnson said. “But once they get in the habit, they enjoy it.”