Parking is a challenge at Los Alamos National Laboratory, so it is critical to effectively manage the parking that is available. I led the team that changed the parking policy to increase fines and add consequences for not paying. I oversee the parking enforcement operations and have added officers to the staff. We have also created incentives to encourage employees to share a ride, such as dedicated parking spots for carpools and vanpools. We have added bus stops in lots where there is available parking and shuttling people in to their work locations and meetings.
A commuter program can help attract and retain talented staff, as well as improve overall employee satisfaction. My team worked with employers to survey their employees, develop trip reduction plans and change the commuting behavior of their employees. Generally, employers who worked with us were able to reduce their drive alone rate by 10%.
Every year SANDAG celebrates the achievements of employers in our region who have made an effort to reduce the drive alone rate at their worksites. The Diamond Awards program recognized employers as they worked through stages of their commuter benefits program. The program is based on a points system tied to elements of the employer's commute program, its annual commuter events and activities, and shifts in employee transportation choices. In addition to recognition earned at each point level, all Diamond Awards employers were recognized at an annual SANDAG Board Meeting and in an agency press release.
My TDM team managed and operated a subsidized vanpool program that had more than 600 vehicles. A vanpool is when 5 or more people share a ride and split the lease of van. SANDAG provides a $500 per month subsidy to help offset the lease costs.
When arriving at Los Alamos National Laboratory, I partnered with the New Mexico Department of Transportation to launch the first vanpool program at the Lab. This program continues to grow and helps save parking spaces and reduces traffic congestion and vehicle emissions.