HNTB Commute Profile

Representing HNTB (From left to right): Milton Smith, Laura Valentine.

Transportation engineers understand need for CTR
HNTB Corporation is a national engineering and architecture firm that provides planning, design, and construction management for transit, rail, highways, and airports throughout the United States. It is a company that understands the transportation problems facing the Puget Sound region and promotes alternative commute modes as a viable solution to those problems. HNTB's strong commitment to encouraging employees to commute by transit has earned it a 1999 Diamond Award.

One of the goals of HNTB's Bellevue office is to maximize the efficiency of local area transportation systems. “We know the impact commuter traffic and stress can have on both the workplace and the environment, and we strive to reduce these concerns,” says Milton Smith, vice president. “As such, we encourage employees to use alternative modes of transportation, and we support their efforts with subsidies.”

Company's decision not to relocate related to transit service
Toward the end of 1998, HNTB considered moving out of its location in downtown Bellevue, due to space needs and rising lease rates. A poll of employees found 40% commuted to work via transit. Management looked into moving to either the I-90 corridor or the Kirkland/Redmond area, but research showed the transit service was not as frequent as what they enjoyed in Bellevue. Employees voiced a strong desire to stay put. HNTB did not want to risk losing employees, and after looking closely at the cost of moving and the commuting problems a new location would cause, the organization decided to remain in Bellevue. The company also decided to bolster its CTR program.

Because of the company's location across the street from Bellevue's transit center, HNTB regarded transit as the best commute alternative for employees. A program was established that provides employees with a FlexPass, good on King County Metro and Sound Transit, at a cost to them of only $4 per month. Employees who vanpool also pay only $4 per month, with the company subsidizing the balance of the fare. HNTB claims the state B&O tax credit, available to employers that subsidize alternative commute modes, and the resulting tax savings make the commute program affordable for HNTB. Because of good planning and listening to what its employees wanted, HNTB increased its transit and vanpool ridership to 66%.

The company's fleet vehicles are available for work related trips to employees who use commute alternatives. These employees also are allowed to use fleet vehicles one time per month for personal errands. What HNTB does not do is pay for employee parking. The expensive and scarce parking in downtown Bellevue makes commuting via transit and ridesharing attractive alternatives to driving alone.

“HNTB deals with transportation issues all over the country,” says Smith. “We realize building more roads is not the best long term solution to better mobility. We also realize alternative ways of getting to work must be efficient and affordable in order to entice commuters out of their cars. The location of the company, in many cases, can make the biggest difference.”

*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.