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Category: Diamond Ring Weyerhaeuser,
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Leadership crucial
to Weyerhaeuser transportation options
Weyerhaeuser has complex transportation needs
within King County, ranging from those of its 2,000
employees who commute daily to the corporate headquarters
in Federal Way, to the necessity of expedient product
deliveries via our streets and highways. To do its part
in helping to increase local mobility for commuters and
freight movers, management at Weyerhaeuser's corporate
headquarters started a comprehensive employee
transportation program in 1997. Since then, the program
has developed into a model of corporate transportation
infrastructure with options ranging from FlexPasses to
employee airport shuttles and has reduced commute trips
to the site by 23%. This year the Weyerhaeuser corporate
headquarters is recognized as a Diamond Ring Award winner
for its outstanding trip reduction efforts over time.
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Jan. 18, 2001 Awards
Ceremony Bill Carson, Barbara Mason, Randy Berry, Perry Christensen and Steve Hill accept a Diamond Ring Award for Weyerhaeuser. |
Carpools,
vanpools and shuttles
Parking space is plentiful at Weyerhaeuser's
corporate headquarters campus, and encouraging employees
to leave their cars at home requires creative actions. In
addition to ample parking, the campus is designed with
numerous buildings and facilities. Distances between
these buildings are often too far for an individual to
walk. Additionally, the campus is located two miles from
the nearest park & ride lot, making it difficult for
employees to ride the bus to work.
Campus design and location were barriers to reducing commute trips, but Weyerhaeuser addressed the challenges by instituting shuttle services. During peak commute hours, a shuttle runs to and from park & ride facilities to campus buildings. During non-peak hours, the shuttle operates throughout the day within the corporate headquarters site for employees' business use. The shuttles make an average of 21,000 trips per year.
Weyerhaeuser conducts business worldwide. As a result many corporate representatives are required to travel from SeaTac Airport to various domestic and international destinations. Corporate management saw yet another opportunity to reduce commute trips and employee SOV use by providing an average of 275 shuttle trips per month between the corporate headquarters campus and SeaTac Airport.
Vanpools are 100% subsidized so long as three quarters of the van's seats are occupied. Should 25% or more of the available seats be consistently unoccupied, each vanpooler contributes $10 per month toward the cost of the program. Carpoolers, bikers, and walkers are eligible for $25 per month depending on how frequently they use each alternate commute mode. Weyerhaeuser provides preferred parking near campus buildings to rideshare vehicles.
“Our employee transportation program meets a variety of different needs: it meets the employees' need for efficient transportation at a minimal cost to themselves and it provides the company a way to positively address regional mobility issues,” Employee Transportation Coordinator and key implementer of Weyerhaeuser's transportation program Katy Taylor said. “It also allows us to respond to the CTR law and participate as a good corporate citizen in the communities where our employees live and work.”
Weyerhaeuser continues to look for other elements to incorporate into their transportation network in anticipation of a growing future work force.
Commuting
program
Results 23% SOV reduction at the corporate campus, 21,000 shuttle trips per year |
*Some definitions: An “ETC” is the staff-level employee transportation coordinator responsible for the daily administration of the transportation program; “PM” is the transportation program manager; and “CEO” refers to the top management-level person at the worksite. “SOV” stands for single-occupant vehicle, and “CTR” for commute trip reduction.