Port of Seattle Commute Profile

Creativity leads Port of Seattle down different road
More than 300 employees commute to the Port of Seattle's Pier 69 office. Located on the waterfront near downtown Seattle, the Port faces some unusual transportation challenges. It could have implemented a standard transportation program and settled for average results. Instead, the organization's dedication to its employees and transportation issues has resulted in the implementation of creative solutions that have earned it a Commuter Challenge Diamond Award for Organizational Leadership.

Jan. 30, 2002 Awards Ceremony

Accepting the Port of Seattle–Pier 69's Diamond Award are Program Manager Silver Reynolds, Assistant Director Tom Tierney, and Employee Transportation Coordinator Charlene Rogers.

Pier 69 is located right on the edge of downtown Seattle where there is ample bus service and expensive parking. The Port's location, however, is just out of comfortable walking distance from much of the downtown bus service and parking is free.

The Port of Seattle offers employees a FlexPass that subsidizes all alternative commute options. In addition, it has reserved parking for carpools and vanpools and provides ridesharing employees with a guaranteed ride home if they need to leave work for an emergency or work overtime unexpectedly.

“We could have implemented our FlexPass and left it up to employees to get to the buses,” said Employee Transportation Coordinator Charlene Rogers. “But, it wouldn't have solved the problem.”

To address this challenge, Port of Seattle partners with King County Metro, Real Networks and Microsoft to fund bus route 97, which takes employees to and from the central downtown area, giving them access to extensive bus service.

The Port is also a leader by being one of the first businesses in the Puget Sound region to make FlexCar a part of its employee transportation program. FlexCar allows members to reserve a car for use when they need it. The Port pays FlexCar membership fees for 15 employees who use an alternative mode to commute and use the vehicles for personal errands during the day. Rogers expects the program to grow as commuters become more familiar with this new transportation concept.

“Management support is key to our program,” said Program Manager Silver Reynolds. “When we present new ideas, they listen and support us. They make the funds available, and they keep the Port Commission informed.”

The Port of Seattle's innovations have paid off. Since 1993, the Port at Pier 69 has reduced its single occupant vehicle commuting rate by 16 percent and the vehicle miles traveled to its worksite by 37 percent.

*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.