• Traffic congestion is costly. Tardy employees and delayed freight and service deliveries cost the Puget Sound area an estimated $1.2 billion annually.

• Increased road time is decreased work time. The average Northwest commuter puts in the equivalent of an extra work day each week in commuting time. The result is missed business opportunities, wasted productivity, stress.

Businesses Realize Benefits...
when programs are adopted to help manage transportation demand. Benefits include:

• Capital investment savings on parking-Fewer employee cars create more parking for clients, visitors and vendors without having to lease, buy or build more stalls. Current costs to build surface parking range from $2,500 to $6,000 per stall; structured parking is up to $20,000 per stall. Maintaining a parking space costs $1,500 annually.

• Capital investment savings on space-When employees can telework or work a compressed week, space needs can be reduced. AT&T reports that for every $1 spent on equipping teleworkers, $2 have been saved in real estate costs.

• Retaining/recruiting employees-Employee commuting benefits give the employer a recruiting and retention edge. The best candidates in today's job market expect these benefits and want employers who care about them and the environment. Travelers Insurance reports a two-thirds reduction in employee turnover with an employee commute benefits program.

• Improved ability to serve customers-Extended business hours (made possible with flex-time and compressed work schedules) improve the ability to serve customers in different time zones and those with special time-sensitive needs.

• Emergency management-In an emergency (severe weather, earthquake) established ridesharing and work options programs can keep a business operating.

• Healthier, more productive employees-In the Puget Sound area, nearly 1.5 million tons of pollution are poured into our air annually. That's enough to fill the Kingdome 486 times. Pollution results in sickness and lost time from work.

• Being a good neighbor-Reducing employee spill-over parking in neighborhoods surrounding a work site is appreciated by the community.

The Bottom Line: A Boost for our Economy.

If we could reduce the vehicle miles traveled in the Puget Sound area by 25%, we would remove an estimated 30,000 cars from the road during rush hours, produce $86 million a year in gasoline savings, and reduce pollution costs by $180 million-a positive boost to our economy's bottom line!