New Job, New Commute

December 18, 2018 11:00 AM
by Puja Thomas-Patel

When was the last time you started a new job? Did you worry about how you were going to get there? The GoSaMo Transportation Management Organization (TMO) wants to make it easier for new employees in Santa Monica to get to work.

On December 4, the TMO held a focus group with local employers to discuss and receive feedback on how new hires can be provided information on their commuting options. The group shared what their current programs look like and discussed what information is most vital and how it can best be presented.

Employers also said that there was no "one size fits all" solution. Each business and its employees are unique. What works at a tech start up might not work for a restaurant. There needs to be a customizable solution. There was also a strong consensus that the information should be digital first with printed options only as a backup.

The focus group also talked about the ubiquity of parking information and how it is baked in with every communication an employee receives. For example, all the employers who attended our focus group send out information about where to park and validation when an employee is asked to come in for an interview. No transit information was sent at this time even when an employer is easily accessible by transit. Following this realization, the employers at the focus group set a goal to share information about sustainable transportation options everywhere they share information about parking and validation.

The GoSaMo Transportation Management Organization works to reduce drive-alone trips in Santa Monica by promoting the increased use of sustainable travel options. Part of the work the TMO performs is to encourage new employees who start working in Santa Monica to get into the habit of getting here sustainably. We want to support them to make this sustainable choice.

Humans are creatures of habit and when we form one it becomes hard to break. It is important to give people information about all their transportation options—including train, bike, bus and carpool—right when they start a new job, before their commuting pattern becomes a habit. If someone learns about a new, more sustainable option a few weeks after they have started at a new job, they are less likely to change the habit they have already formed.

The TMO hosts quarterly events on different transportation issues in Santa Monica. To join us at a future event and learn more, visit GoSaMo.org/TMO—where you can sign up for our monthly newsletter and follow us on Twitter.

Authored By

Puja Thomas-Patel
Consultant for PCD