Trendwest Commute Profile

Turning challenges into opportunities
Trendwest Resorts, Inc., one of the world's largest vacation ownership companies, is an innovator in the timeshare industry with a vacation credit system that allows for maximum vacation flexibility. The company used the same skills to develop a creative employee commute trip reduction program, earning it a 2001 Commuter Challenge Diamond Award for ridesharing. Trendwest Resorts, with approximately 525 employees at two Redmond locations, increased the percentage of employees who use alternative commute modes from 15 percent to 25 percent.

Jan. 30, 2002 Awards Ceremony

Accepting Trendwest's Diamond Award is Employee Transportation Coordinator Brodie Williams, pictured here with Redmond Mayor Rosemarie Ives.

Since moving to its corporate headquarters on Willows Road in Redmond in February 1999, Trendwest Resorts has leased additional office space in Redmond and Bellevue to accommodate the company's rapid growth. Faced with a serious parking shortage, Trendwest explored the option of leasing offsite parking and running shuttles to the office. However, the cost was prohibitive and locating available parking space in the Redmond Willows Corridor was difficult. Instead, Trendwest applied for RTRIP grant funds, a City of Redmond program, and coupled those funds with its own budget to implement an innovative package of rideshare benefits that helped solve their parking problem.

“While many employees may have started ridesharing because of our parking situation, the wide range of incentives our program offers makes ridesharing a positive commute option for our employees,” said Brodie Williams, employee transportation coordinator.Trendwest Resort's commute reduction program includes monetary incentives, flextime, showers and lockers, and a guaranteed ride home when an employee needs to leave work for an emergency or work overtime. Employees using any alternative commute mode receive a one-time $50 cash gift. In addition, participants who use an alternative commute mode three or more times a week receive $50 a month and those who use an alternative commute mode less than three times a week receive $25 a month.

To address the issue of employee's need to go offsite for lunch, Trendwest management decided to provide free brown bag lunches to employees on the days they use alternative commute modes. On an average day more than 100 lunches are delivered to the employees at the worksite.

“Our employees really appreciate being provided with lunch. It is a major selling point of our commute reduction program,” said Kristin Collins, corporate services manager.

*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.