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Westside Transportation Alliance

WTA is a local nonprofit organization that works with employers and local governments in Washington County to reduce auto commute trips. WTA has been working in the community since 1997, but because it primarily operates through workplace services and programs, much of its work happens out of the public eye.

Employment in Washington County is expected to grow by more than 50% over the next 20 years. More jobs and more people means more congestion. By partnering with employers to promote and provide transportation options for commute trips, WTA can help get cars off the road, which relieves congestion, reduces air pollution, improves the health of our community, and benefits businesses by making it easier to move freight and attract and retain high quality employees.

WTA’s primary goal is to reduce the number of people driving alone to and from work. We focus on education and engagement around existing transportation options. These include transit, carpooling, biking, walking, and telecommuting. We work closely with employers to help them comply with Oregon Department of Environmental Quality rules about surveying employees and making plans to reduce the number of auto commute trips, and we partner with employers to provide customized information and services to engage more employees in “non-drive-alone” commute options. Many of WTA’s services are customized to the needs, interests, and challenges of individual employers.

WTA raises awareness with displays at public events

WTA also works with public and private agencies to expand the breadth of transportation choices available to commuters so that more people have the option of leaving the car at home when going to work. Examples of WTA’s past projects include piloting a small bike share program for Kaiser Permanente and Columbia Sportswear that helped employees at two sites commute by MAX instead of driving alone because they could use the bikes to travel between the MAX stop and the worksite. This project also created a guidebook intended to help interested employers set up their own simple, low cost bike share programs for their employees. WTA has also installed bike parking at Aloha-Reedville and Tigard businesses to help encourage more employees and customers to ride bikes. WTA created a suburban bike parking guide to advise employers on creating safe and accessible bike parking for their employees.

Get rewarded for not driving alone

WTA recently introduced Commuter Kickbacks—an incentive program for anyone that lives or works in Washington County. Incentives offer a timely reason for people to try something new, and WTA thinks that people that commute without driving alone deserve a chance to win prizes. Record a minimum of four round-trip commutes in a month using non-drive-alone options and you’ll be eligible to win prizes. To sign up for Commuter Kickbacks or to learn more about the program please visit https://www.wta-tma.org/commuter-kickbacks.html.

WTA is a member-based nonprofit. Some of its member organizations include Nike, Washington County, Amazon, City of Beaverton, Columbia Sportswear Company, First Tech Federal Credit Union, City of Hillsboro, Intel, Kaiser Permanente, and PGE. In addition to support from its member organizations, WTA’s work is made possible with support from Metro and the Federal Transit Administration.

If your business is interested in reducing employee auto commute trips, WTA would be interested in partnering with you. To learn more about Westside Transportation Alliance please visit their website at www.wta-tma.org.

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