Transportation

Transportation Demand Management

Traffic congestion and the resulting air pollution pose significant challenges for the nation. More and more, local and state transportation agencies are developing policies and strategies to mitigate the growth in traffic by focusing on moving people and goods, not simply accommodating more vehicles. We can no longer build our way out of traffic congestion. Instead, one of the solutions is transportation demand management (TDM).

TDM seeks to alter the demand for roadway capacity and increase transportation system efficiency by moving more people in fewer vehicles. A series of strategies are used to decrease the use of the single occupancy vehicle and encourage the use of alternatives such as transit, carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, walking, teleworking and alternative work schedules.

The Passport Program is one such strategy that gives local employers and schools the opportunity, at a discounted rate, to provide employees and students with free city bus service.

Way to Go! Commuter Club

Blue Ridge Commuter Connections, a Western North Carolina commuter assistance program that is co-sponsored by the City of Asheville and the North Carolina Department of Transportation, has designed the "Way to Go! Commuter Club. The purpose of the club is to help promote healthier lifestyles and alternative commutes for employers and employees in downtown Asheville that in turn helps reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. Participants will be encouraged to walk or bicycle when taking lunch, breaks, or running errands. 

Commuters/employees who commute to downtown Asheville via bicycling, walking, transit, and car/vanpooling two or more days a week are eligible to register to receive a Commuter Club card and also win prizes. Discounts may be offered at participating downtown businesses.

For additional information or to register online to join the club, please visit the Way to Go! Commuter Club page of the Blue Ridge Commuter Connectionswebsite.

Emergency Ride Home

Another TDM strategy is the Emergency Ride Home (ERH) program. It provides registered participants (commuters who regularly vanpool, carpool, bike, walk, or take transit) with a reliable emergency ride home on the day the person has used an alternative mode of transportation to get to work. See the following eligibility requirements to find out if you can take advantage of this service:

* Participants must be pre-registered; live and/or work in Buncombe County or work for an ERH registered employer.
* Permanent part-time or full-time employees.
* Alternative mode must be used on day ride is needed.
* Must be 21 or older.
* Participants may take an ERH ride up to twice a month but not more than four times in one calendar year.

The following are approved alternative modes of transportation to be eligible for this service:

* Transit - monthly and yearly bus pass holder or employer that participates in the PASSport program.
* Ride-sharing - carpool & vanpool.
* Bicycling.
* Walking.

Only registered participant who are using those alternative modes and who have a true emergency can take advantage of a free ride. The following are considered emergencies:

* They or an immediate family member suffers from an illness or severe crisis.
* They are required to work unscheduled overtime.
* Their ridesharing driver has to stay late or leave early.

The program cannot be used for:

* Personal errands.
* Pre-planned medical appointments.
* Business related travel.
* In place of an ambulance.
* Non-emergency side trips on the way home (the only allowed side trip is when picking up a sick child at school).
* Inclement weather or unexpected acts of nature.

To sign up for the program and if you agree with the General Release and Waiver of Liability statement, please contact the TDM Coordinator or sign up online. (You will be directed to the Blue Ridge Commuter Connection's web site.) The following information will be needed to register:

* Name
* Home address
* Phone
* Email
* Number of miles you live from worksite
* Employer's name
* Employer's address
* How do you currently travel to work? (Bus with route number, carpool, vanpool, bike or walk)
* If you use a wheelchair or would otherwise require an accessible vehicle
* If you would like assistance in forming or joining a carpool
* How did you learn about ERH?

Once you have registered with the sharetheridenc.org for the ERH program, you will be able to download your six coupons as needed. Coupons are valid for one calender year. Abuse of the ERH will result in the termination from the program.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view the following documents:

General Release and Waiver of Liability Statement

Contact Information
TDM Coordinator: Kathy Molin
Location: 45 Wall Street, Asheville, NC 28801
Mailing: P. O. Box 7148, Asheville, NC 28802
Office Hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday
Office: (828) 232-4564
E-mail: kmolin@ashevillenc.gov