If you’re frustrated by the time and expense of driving alone to work, finding and using the region’s network of commute alternatives is about to become even easier. Today’s launch of Georgia Commute Options puts metro Atlanta commuters and employers in the fast lane, providing them with a single source for services that encourage carpooling, vanpooling, telework, riding transit, bicycling and walking.

Georgia Commute Options is a new program from The Clean Air Campaign, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), the Atlanta Regional Commission and metro Atlanta’s transportation management associations (TMAs). It combines the region’s alternate commute resources - incentive programs, ridematching, employer services, telework consulting and more. These services, some of which were previously offered through different organizations, are now bundled together under one umbrella as a free resource for Atlanta commuters and employers.

Services will be provided by The Clean Air Campaign and local TMAs, who, combined, work closely with more than 1,600 Georgia employers to encourage more workers to use commute alternatives. These options reduce the number of cars on the road and have a positive, immediate impact on traffic and air quality. They also offer cost savings for commuters and employers.

“As we look for efficiencies in how our agency works,” said Georgia DOT Commissioner Keith Golden, “we are pleased that Georgia Commute Options will provide the region’s commuters and employers with a more efficient way to reduce single-occupancy vehicle travel on our busy roadways.”

Commuters have everything they need to make the switch from driving alone, including financial incentive programs, ridematching and Guaranteed Ride Home services. The financial incentives pioneered in Atlanta more than 10 years ago are designed to encourage commuters to try out various commute alternatives, which typically results in long-term adoption. To date, more than 85,000 Georgia commuters have participated in these programs.

Through Georgia Commute Options, employers have access to a wide range of services and receive support for creating customized commute options programs at their worksites, such as telework and compressed work week programs. These types of programs are proven to improve morale and productivity while reducing facilities costs, and many of Georgia’s top companies incorporate them into their workplace strategies.

“With 50 percent of metro Atlanta’s air pollution coming from tailpipes, the travel choices we make have a sizeable impact on the air we breathe,” said Tedra Cheatham, executive director of The Clean Air Campaign. “Georgia Commute Options makes it easy for both commuters and employers to capitalize on the benefits of choosing commute alternatives, both for the region and themselves.”

To learn more about Georgia Commute Options, visit GACommuteOptions.com or call 1-877-9-GA-OPTIONS.

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