Listen to one of the ads featuring this winner!
(Produced and broadcast by KUOW.)

Thanks to tenacity, SOV rate 11% lower than state goal
The Cobalt Group is North America’s leading provider of automotive retailing solutions, helping automotive dealers and manufacturers market and sell automobiles more efficiently. Cobalt’s commitment to efficiency is reflected in the company’s approach to its employee commute program, which earned Cobalt a 2004 Commuter Challenge Diamond Award for Organizational Leadership.

Juanita Gardner and Omar Alvarado, Cobalt’s Program Manager and ETC respectively, have worked hard to develop a CTR program that meets the needs of their co-workers and benefits both the employees and the company. All full-time employees are eligible to receive a free FlexPass that can be used on King County Metro and Sound Transit buses or the Sounder Train. If transit is not easily accessible, the same FlexPass is worth $65 toward Vanpool fares or $20 toward Vanshare fares. Guaranteed Ride Home services and $15 in Commuter Bonus Plus vouchers are also available to each employee with a FlexPass. Carpools are eligible to use one of five free HOV parking spaces with those traveling the farthest distance, containing the highest number of commuters and greatest frequency receiving preference.

Three percent of Cobalt’s employees regularly forgo the commute altogether and telework from a remote location. Flextime is also common with many employees shifting their start times to accommodate ridesharing or transit schedules. On its most recent CTR survey, Cobalt recorded a 59% SOV rate, fully 11% lower than its state goal.

By participating in the SODO/Duwamish CTR Network group, Cobalt has been able to provide even more incentives to its employees through unique partnership opportunities. Cobalt employees participated in a 2004 CTR Performance Grant project, offered through a partnership between the Duwamish TMA and King County Metro, that provided incentives for current SOV commuters to try an alternative commute mode. Cobalt has also joined forces with some of its neighbors to install a crosswalk across First Avenue to improve safety for employees.

From the first day on the job, new employees are provided with information on their commute options and Cobalt’s CTR program. During the new-hire orientation, employees receive a packet of information including specifics on the FlexPass program and other incentives. Gardner and Alvarado work hard to promote Cobalt’s CTR program throughout the year, utilizing the company’s intranet and a variety of other marketing materials. "Tenacity is why I think this program is successful," said Gardner. "It takes time—time to educate employees, time to learn how to address the needs of the employees, and find the various fits."

Commute Program
Transit, Sounder train, vanpool and vanshare subsidy
Guaranteed Ride Home
Reserved priority HOV parking
Covered bicycle parking
Showers and lockers
Telework and flextime

*Some definitions: An "ETC" is the staff-level employee transportation coordinator responsible for the daily administration of the transportation program. "SOV" stands for single-occupant vehicle, and "CTR" for commute trip reduction.

BACK TO TOP