Employer Commute Workshop Comes to Hacienda on September 12

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Nationally-known transportation consultants Stuart Anderson and Elham Shirazi will be joined by 511 Rideshare's LaShawn Martin for a special event, "Responding to Traffic Crises: An Employer Commute Workshop," to be held Tuesday, September 12 in Hacienda.

The seminar, which will be held from 8:30 am to noon at Shaklee's 4747 Willow Road headquarters, is designed to provide employers with detailed information on the benefits of employee transportation programs, including tax savings, increased attendance, and enhanced productivity. The workshop will also educate employers about programs that can increase the use of alternative commutes and to include transportation issues in company emergency preparedness plans.

"We really want people to understand that they have options here," explains Martin, 511.org's employer services representative for Alameda County. "I think some employers have the impression that it can be very difficult to put together a commute program, but it's rather simple and along with that, they have resources like the 511 Regional Rideshare Program that can assist them in every step of the way."

The workshop, which is sponsored by 511.org, will be led by Stuart Anderson, president of Denver-based UrbanTrans Consultants, and Elham Shirazi, principal of the Los Angeles consulting firm e-planning. Anderson has 19 years of international experience in developing and implementing successful Transportation Demand Management (TDM) and other alternative transportation programs and has extensive national and international experience in TDM Program and Transportation Management Association (TMA) feasibility assessments, having worked for over 60 TMAs internationally. Shirazi sits on the board of directors of the U.S. Association of Commuter Transportation (ACT) and is the chair of the ACT Telework Council. Her consulting practice has implemented 25 programs and deployed 2,200 remote workers in 2005 and recently conducted the launch and implementation of the Atlanta Telework Project.

The day's program begins with registration and a continental breakfast between 8:30 and 9:00 am, followed by a session entitled "Maximizing Tax Savings for Your Commute Program," which will be led by Anderson. Shirazi will follow from 10:00 to 10:50 on "Using Commute Solutions to Address Emergency Preparedness." Both speakers will be joined by 511's Martin from 11:00 to 11:50 for "Making the Most of Commute Program Management."

Martin notes that the workshop is geared towards companies at all levels, from those that have no commute programs that are interested in how to begin to those with fully-implemented programs that just want to be aware of the latest developments in the field. "Even if they have just some components in place, there may be others that may be beneficial to them that they may not have a lot of information about," she says. "Our aim is to get those people educated, to let them know that we're here and where their resources lie."

Registration fees of $25 per participant are due by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 6. To register or for additional information, contact event coordinator Jim Smith of Community Focus at (415) 975-2955 ext. 7 or at jsmith@communityfocus.org.

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