Marin transportation planners push commuter rewards program

Marin transportation officials want to get the word out that commuters can earn up to $500 in rewards annually by choosing environmentally-friendly modes of transportation to and from work.

The rewards are one aspect of the Marin Commutes program, a project by the Transportation Authority of Marin that offers incentives and resources to encourage solo commuters to use public transit, carpool, walk or bike, rather than drive.

The program has 1,189 registered users, a number that TAM staffers said they aim to increase by about 50% in 2024. A project update was presented at the Transportation Authority of Marin board meeting on Dec. 14.

“This work is really labor intensive, but it is the alternative to building more highways and infrastructure,” said Marin County Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters, a member of the TAM board.

Moulton-Peters said promoting ride-shares and transit is “an opportunity for Marin to display our live-lightly-on-the-land values.”

“It’s kind of the soft side of things,” she said. “It’s not heroic, but I do think it’s worth pursuing every way we can because it is an alternative to just more concrete.”

Originally launched in 2019, the program was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic when shelter-in place rules shifted commuting habits and work-from home options became the trend.

The program went through a relaunch in 2022, and this month, planners will be kicking off a New Year commute challenge to increase participation, said Nicole Hilaire, a Convey Inc. consultant assigned to the project.

That challenge is part of the Marin Commutes rewards program in which users can earn rewards by logging “green trips” via a smartphone app, she said. Qualifying trips include taking walks, bike rides, public transit and ride-shares to work, or even working from home.

Over a 16-month reporting period ending June 30, Marin Commutes users have avoided more than 814,100 single-occupancy vehicle miles and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 200 tons, Hilaire said.

Only about 312 of the registered users, or 26%, have been active. Planners hope to increase the number through aggressive marketing, Hilaire said.

“We’re pursuing physical advertising on buses and at bus stops,” Hilaire said. She said this year is also a good opportunity to partner with Drop Mobility, the vendor that will be managing the two-year trial of a bike share program throughout Sonoma and Marin counties.

Additionally, planners will work with community organizations to reach the underserved population, and with chambers of commerce to link up employers and their employees, Hilaire said.

The Marin Commutes program also offers users an emergency ride home in a pinch. When users take an eligible transportation mode to work, but an unexpected situation arises, TAM will provide an a ride home.

Another aspect of the project is the vanpool incentive program. New vanpools that register with TAM can become eligible for a $3,600 incentive distributed at $150 a month over a two-year period.

Hilaire said that after promoting the New Year commute challenge, the focus will shift to active modes of transportation to align with the launch of the bike-share program this year.

Planners will focus on promoting transit during the summer and ride-share activities in the fall, Hilaire said.

San Anselmo Vice Mayor Tarrell Kullaway, who is the executive director of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, said residents need the benefits the program offers.

“We are always getting asked to do this kind of work and it’s just really beyond the scope of what we’re able to do as a bicycle coalition,” Kullaway said.

She said she’s interested in seeing how the rewards program will complement the new bike-share program coming this summer.

“Hopefully we might see a big uptick there,” Kullaway said.

“Marin Commutes is a great program,” said Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz, spokesperson for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, which operates Golden Gate Ferry and Golden Gate Transit. “We welcome all efforts to get more people riding our buses and ferries.”

The program is funded through Measure AA and Measure B tax dollars, according to TAM.

Registration and more information are available at marincommutes.org.