Program on the Environment

In the city of Seattle, 72% of carbon emissions come from transportation, and with the rise of carbon comes the threat of climate change and the irreparable disruption of the environment. Alternative transportation such as public transportation, bicycling, and walking, are effective methods to help reduce the carbon impact single-occupancy vehicles incur and promoting alternative transportation can be done through environmental awareness, incentives, and personal desire to help the environment. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that cause employees at Town and Country Markets to choose the transportation methods they do, and what can be done to encourage employees to choose alternative transportation methods instead of driving single-occupancy vehicles. To accomplish this, I conducted a company-wide survey, asking questions about previous environmental education, personal transportation choices, and employee commuting methods. Results concluded that employees who lived over 5 miles from work, did not live near major bus lines, worked a non-regular shift (a shift early in the morning or late at night), or had little to no previous environmental education were more likely to use a single-occupancy vehicle to travel to and from work. Results also showed that company-wide incentives such as a subsidized ORCA pass are only effective in urban areas, where metros are centrally located. It can be concluded that to encourage people to choose alternative transportation methods, environmental awareness should be promoted through opportunities such as classes, incentives should be made available, and easy access to alternative transportation should be present.