Category: Ridesharing

Korry Electronics Company,
Seattle

• CEO*: Alan Cornell, President
• PM: Nancy LaBree, General Accounting Manager
• ETC: Tonya Peck, Human Resources Administrator;
  Jamie Mitchel, Human Resources Administrator

Ridesharing seen as solution to parking shortage

This electronics manufacturing company makes electronic panels and switches for the cockpits and other parts of commercial and military aircraft. It is located on the west side of Lake Union where parking is limited and becoming more scarce as the company grows. Korry Electronics has resisted pressure to build a parking garage or to lease parking spaces, which would cost approximately $100 per space per month. Instead, the company opted to promote vanpools and carpools.

Human Resources Administrator Tonya Peck and General Accounting Manager Nancy LaBree display Korry's Diamond Award for Ridesharing.

Alan Cornell, President, and other management-level personnel, several of whom are vanpool drivers, are strong supporters of the CTR program. They endorsed adoption of the FlexPass, which has become the main element of the Korry program. The FlexPass, which is given to employees at no charge to them, covers the cost of vanpool commutes, as well as transit. This “free ride to work” is listed in employees' benefits packages and mentioned in recruitment advertising.

The other vital element of Korry's CTR program is flextime, which provides employees with the flexibility at the beginning and end of their work day to make it possible for them to commute in carpools and vanpools or by bus.

Promotions bring good results

Through e-mails, brochures, transportation fairs, and new employee orientation, Tonya Peck and Jamie Mitchel, Employee Transportation Coordinators, encourage employees to look at ways to commute to work other than driving alone. The results are very encouraging. In 1998 the number of vanpools increased by six, making a total of 18, with 110 riders; bus ridership increased from 8% to 17%; and the number of carpoolers grew to 66.

Never an organization to sit on its laurels, Korry Electronics has more trip reduction plans in the works. In 1999, while continuing to promote ridesharing and transit, Peck and Mitchel plan to focus on bicycling. A Bicycle Committee has been formed, and the members' first task is to arrange for the construction of secure bicycle storage, and an incentive that will encourage bicycle commuting.

*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.