Duke Among Best Workplaces for Commuters

Duke University and Duke University Health System are among 231 U.S.-based employers to receive the 2017 Best Workplaces for Commuters national recognition.

The designation recognizes employers that offer exceptional employer-provided commuter benefits that meet National Standard of Excellence criteria.

“The 231 companies designated as the 2017 Best Workplaces for Commuters are part of a national movement,” said Julie Bond, program manager for Best Workplaces for Commuters. “Companies are recognizing that it makes good business sense to provide commuter benefits, such as subsidizing bus fares, designating parking for carpoolers or allowing employees to work from home.”

To be designated among the nation’s Best Workplaces for Commuters, employers must provide benefits that result in at least 14% of their employees no longer driving alone to and from work within a 12-month period.

Duke provides staff and faculty with various alternative commuting programs, including a $25 bus pass for unlimited rides and incentives for sharing the ride as part of a carpool. There is also an Emergency Ride Home option for registered commuters.

Alison Carpenter, Duke's Transportation Demand Manager, said that in a Duke commuter survey last year, approximately 8,000 University and Health System employees reported using sustainable transportation to get to work each day.

“Duke offers benefits to employees who choose to bike, carpool, vanpool, and take the bus to work, while alternative commuters in turn help the university reach its carbon reduction goals and manage parking availability for patients, visitors and other campus users,” Carpenter said.

The Best Workplaces for Commuters program is managed by the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR)  with support from the National Center for Transit Research (NCTR) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

Do you carpool or practice a car-free commute to Duke? Share your story with Working@Duke.