RTD and Lyft have a shared vision of reducing single-occupancy vehicles on the road to improve traffic flow and decrease congestion. Initially joining together for the “Ditch Your Car” effort in Fall 2018, that encouraged Denver area residents to try alternate forms of transportation for 30 days, the collaboration has expanded to help riders find more ways to get to their first- and last-mile destinations.
Source: Denver Post – Letter to the Editor
Waking up to the reality that our air quality is unhealthy for more than half the year is a great reason to want positive change in how we manage our air. Sue McMillan makes a good point in that the basis for creating positive change comes from “political will, an engaged citizenry, and business and industry support,” but how those changes are converted into actions is where it gets difficult.
Our region has rightfully focused on refineries for several years. Further restricting these facilities will offer the immediate gains we need for cleaner air, but further gains must engage businesses in addressing how employees commute. Local experience has shown that employers who support an array of commute options such as biking, transit, carpooling, vanpooling and teleworking can reduce single person car travel by as much as 15%.
The state of Washington saw employer engagement as an opportunity for positive change in cleaning their environment and reducing congestion. The state developed the Commute Trip Reduction program that asks more than 1,000 businesses with 100 or more employees to make more travel choices available to employees. Some employers began by offering transit passes in lieu of free parking for employees who wanted to use the train or bus; other employers created preferential parking for carpoolers; and some formalized telework programs reducing the need to commute altogether. The effort removed 34,500 cars from the roads in 2017 and that number is growing.
We should consider commute trip reduction programs here. There is no doubt we need it.
Kendra Black and Stuart Anderson,
Denver Editor’s note: Black is a Denver city councilwoman from District 4; Stuart Anderson is chief executive director of Transportation Solutions.
When he worked as an occupational therapist in community mental health, Robin Mazumder once met with a man in Edmonton who had survived a suicide attempt.
When Mazumder asked him what had prompted him to try to end his life, the man replied, “I’m lonely.”
As an occupational therapist, a key part of Mazumder’s job was to assess how people’s environments affected their well-being. He suggested they go for a walk in the man’s neighbourhood, to look for places where he might be able to connect with other people. Read more
There seems to always be a discussion on what constitutes as a social determinant of health, such as nutrition or housing. However, transportation needs to be equally considered, according to Uber Health chief Dan Trigub. Read more
Colorado lawmakers hear from people with disabilities as RTD struggles to provide service. Read more
