City of Austin

In its ongoing effort to reduce rush hour congestion and increase visitor and workforce parking vacancy downtown, the City of Austin is launching a pilot program to encourage its 450 downtown employees to choose alternatives such as bus, carpool, vanpool, bike, walking, or telework.

The City hopes to reach a goal of 20 percent participation among employees who volunteer to leave their cars at home. In return, the City will pay participating employees $50 per month, making available those parking spaces to downtown visitors.

As part of the pilot, the City will also provide a free Capital Metro transit pass, personal commute advisors, guaranteed rides home for emergencies, and trip reduction training classes.

With more than 450 employees located at City Hall, 301 W 2nd Street, Faulk Central Library, 800 Guadalupe Street, and Austin History Center, 810 Guadalupe Street, the City is actively seeking to reduce its impact on rush hour congestion, improve air quality, and increase parking for downtown visitors and customers.

“We’re excited to see the city, as an employer, taking the initiative to help reduce congestion and get more people into downtown. Encouraging new ways to commute, like transit or carpool, is a great approach to reducing traffic.  That it can also help companies manage costs while resulting in healthier and less frustrated employees is an added benefit,” said Glenn Gadbois, Executive Director for the new Downtown Austin Transportation Management Association.

The nonprofit association was recently formed to help alleviate traffic congestion and works in coordination with the City of Austin, the Downtown Austin Alliance, Travis County, and Capital Metro.