Measurable Commute Reduction and the War on SOV

The Big Picture covers: state SB375 15% per capita driving reduction goal, auto-centered Silicon Valley versus transit-centered Helsinki, Proposition 26 (Chevron spent $3.4 backing it) as barrier to protecting the climate, public policy political viability comparison, trip caps, carrot/stick, state bills, city ordinances, next generation employer commute programs. The Fair Value Commuting (FVC) carrot/stick policy stands out for political viability: Stanford University’s sophisticated commute program reduced SOV commuting from 75 to 50 percent, by charging SOV fees and offering incentives toward taking alternative commute modes. The FVC project develops a next generation system that borrows from Stanford’s. Legislation could phase in a $3.00 SOV fee and equivalent incentives, implemented at no cost to employers. System components include enterprise & smartphone apps, incentives/fees, electric scooter/bike, microtransit, and advanced ridesharing. “Fair Value Commuting is a case study for the nation - exceedingly innovative. The self-funding, financially sustainable, unsubsidized business model is unique among the FTA Mobility on Demand Sandbox projects.” – FTA MOD Program Manager Christina Gikakis.