Berger/Ahbam Engineers Car Sharing

In an effort to convince employees to

carpool, walk, bike, or take public transit to work, Berger/Abam Engineers, a 120-person Seattle consulting firm, provides a car that employees who don’t drive to work can use during the day. According to the July 22 edition of

The Seattle Times, the hybrid Toyota Prius can be signed out at no cost and used for errands, doctor’s appointments, and lunch engagements. A nonprofit organization in Seattle, Commuter Challenge, has been working with King County companies to reduce solo commuting, and the group has been successful in convincing a number of firms to provide a vehicle for daytime use. (The need for a car for occasional daytime trips has been cited as a major obstacle to leaving the car at home.) Other incentives being used to encourage alternatives to solo commuting include subsidized bus passes, showers for bicyclists, more convenient parking for car pools, and higher charges for parking. One impetus for such efforts is Washington State’s Commute Trip Reduction law, enacted in 1991, requiring companies and other organizations with at least 100 day-shift employees to adopt plans to achieve 35% reductions in solo commuting by 2005. For further details, visit

www.commuterchallenge.org.