Alternative Transportation

The following are laws, policies, and guidelines that support federal agency employees who commute to work by means other than single-occupancy traditional fuel vehicles. "Alternative transportation" modes are telecommuting, carpools, vanpools, public transportation, bicycling, walking, and running. These commute methods are relevant to employee health in two ways:

A reduction in the use of single-occupancy vehicles helps reduce environmental fuel emissions.
Employees who use "active transport" (public transportation, bicycling, and walking) to commute to work may increase their daily physical activity.

This list of policies is not meant to be exhaustive; for example, it does not include individual state policies. The purpose of this list is to inform federal agency workforce health promotion (WHP) planners about key policies related to alternative commuter methods. As federal agencies are deciding how to apply the policies, we encourage obtaining agency legal counsel to help determine what is appropriate for your workforce.

General Workforce Health Promotion
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Policies
Health and Human Services (HHS) Policies
CDC Policies

General Workforce Health Promotion

The following policies support reducing the use of single occupancy traditional fuel vehicles for reducing fuel emissions, reducing traffic congestion, and conserving energy.

Presidential Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies
Subject: Energy and Fuel Conservation by Federal Agencies. In response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, directs agencies to take appropriate actions to conserve natural gas, electricity, gasoline, and diesel fuel, and to encourage employees to carpool, telecommute, and use public transportation to reduce fuel use. Dated 9/26/05.

5 U.S.C. § 7905
Programs to Encourage Commuting by Means Other Than Single-Occupancy Motor Vehicles. The head of each federal agency may establish a program to encourage employees to use means other than single-occupancy motor vehicles to commute to and from work. Such a program may include incentives in the form of transit passes (and cash reimbursements under certain circumstances), and non-monetary incentives which the agency head may otherwise offer under any other provision of law or other authority. Dated 1/19/04.

Telework Laws
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) provides an overview of many public laws that address teleworking in federal agencies.

Executive Order 13150 — Federal Workforce Transportation
Directs federal agencies to implement a transportation fringe benefit program that offers qualified federal employees the option to exclude from taxable wages and compensation, consistent with section 132 of title 26, United States Code, employee commuting costs incurred through the use of mass transportation and vanpools, not to exceed the maximum level allowed by law (26 U.S.C. 132 (f)(2)). Federal agencies are also encouraged to use non-monetary incentives to encourage mass transportation and vanpool use. Dated 4/21/00.

Executive Order 12191 — Federal Facility Ridesharing Program
Executive agencies shall promote the use of ridesharing (carpools, vanpools, privately leased buses, public transportation, and other multi-occupancy modes of travel) by personnel working at federal facilities. Dated 2/1/80.

Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Policies

Interagency Telework Site
A Web site that provides access to telework guidance issued by both the OPM and General Services Administration (GSA). Includes information on telework policies.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Policies

HHS Telecommuting Program Policy
This policy provides implementing guidelines for carrying out the requirements of Section 359 of Public Law 106-346 cited above. These implementing guidelines apply to the establishment of telecommuting programs in HHS.

CDC Policies

Alternative Work Schedules [PDF-391k]
Allows employees to vary daily arrival/departure times within a flexible band of time and extend lunch periods up to an additional 1½ hours.

Atlanta Area Parking Policy [PDF-162k]
Guidelines for parking privately owned vehicles on major Atlanta area CDC campuses. Describes priority of parking space allocation, including van and carpools.

Fare Share Program [PDF-215k]
CDC employees may be reimbursed for expenses associated with the use of public transportation to and from work, not to exceed the maximum allowable by law per month.

Telecommuting Policy for Civilian Employees [PDF-235k]
Guidelines for allowing CDC employees to perform duties from their home or other approved work sites.

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