Russell Investments embarked on a journey from their longtime home in Tacoma to their new headquarters in downtown Seattle in the fall of 2010. Early in the process, management recognized the need to assist associates in changing their commute patterns from relatively short distances to the significantly longer distance into downtown Seattle.

Throughout 2010, Russell associates were provided with innovative trip planning tools to ease the transition process. Russell Management and consultants from Transportation Management Services collaborated with commute staff from Sound Transit, King County Metro, Pierce Transit and the City of Seattle to provide associates with maps, personalized workbooks and event planning to allay the fears of moving to a new worksite. The preplanning efforts paid off extraordinarily well with a smooth transition. Associates now enjoy ORCA passports with all the benefits. Additionally, five new vanpools were formed heading to downtown Seattle.

The baseline survey recently completed demonstrates that the drive alone rate is 6.9% with the majority of associates taking the bus and train or teleworking. The outstanding commitment and foresight of Russell Investments to their commute program has resulted in an effective program with outstanding results.

*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.