We have a pretty green group here at Fluid Studio, meaning ecology “green.” Our application of green principals falls short of our goals like everyone, bur hearts are in the right places and we all expend energy to stay on the right side of the issue, or the left side depending which way you are facing. We talk regularly about improving our workplace with recycling, compact fluorescent bulbs, car pooling and mass transit. I have been pushing for our parent company to find a way to get cheap passes for UTA so we can ride the bus, TRAX or Frontrunner to work. Well, someone finally called my bluff and asked me to check into it. Here’s what I found out…
I had a conversation with Ryan Taylor at UTA. He explained there are two methods for an employer to facilitate mass transit passes for their employees.
Eco Pass is a little complicated, but has deep discounts. It depends on the level of service available in our area, which Ryan guesses is the lowest “D”. The company must buy passes for ALL their employees. They can resell them to employees only and for no more than what they paid. On the positive side they are only $42. for bus/trax and $51. with Frontrunner included for THE WHOLE YEAR! (jan to Dec)
It’s an amazing price. ($12,600./$15,300. for 300 passes per year).
Co Op is for monthly passes, the company must buy passes for 20% of their employees, with a minimum of 35 employees. Passes are reduced in cost to the company 20% (bus/trax $74.50 to $59.60, w/Frontrunner $100.50 to $80.40).
The pass is discounted 20% ($14.90/$20.10),
the company must pay 30% ($23.35/$30.15),
the employee pays 50% ($37.25/$50.25).
($1,401./$1,809. for 60 passes per month) or ($16,812./$21,612. for 60 passes per month for a year).
None of these numbers were supplied by UTA. I extrapolated based on the cost of a monthly pass and made some basic assumptions to extend them logically for my purpose. It requires a hefty contribution by the company and probably will need some boosters in the Human Resources area, but with increasing gas prices and greater mass transit service available the time is right.
What do you think?