Title | Evaluating Commuter Benefits Reforms at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Publication Type | Conference Paper |
Year of Publication | 2019 |
Authors | Adam Rosenfield, John Attanucci, Jinhua Zhao |
Conference Name | Transportation Research Board 98th Annual Meeting |
Conference Location | Washington, D.C. |
Abstract | In 2016, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) introduced a series of commuter benefits reforms for its ten thousand employees. Motivated by aging parking facilities and pressures for alternative land uses, as well as the Institute's climate goals, MIT sought to reduce parking demand by ten percent through a series of enhanced benefits. Branded as AccessMIT, the program included providing each employee with a fully subsidized local transit pass built into their MIT ID card, paid for by MIT on a per- use basis to the transit agency. For drivers, monthly and annual parking permits were replaced with daily, pay-as-you-park pricing. Subsidies for commuter rail were increased, and a new 50% subsidy on parking fees at transit stations was introduced to encourage last-mile transit commuting. An online commuter dashboard was launched with incentives and gamification to aid with program outreach. |