Clean Air Commuters are Going Green in Roswell

Rising gas prices and the current trend of “going green” have helped encourage many metro-Atlantans to reconsider just how often they walk through the office door. Instead, many are finding new ways of doing business.

The average commute for a Roswell resident is 29 minutes, according to Simplyhired.com. That works out to more than 250 hours annually that a Roswell worker spends potentially fighting rush hour traffic.

Thanks to efforts by organizations like The Clean Air Campaign, the number of hours metro-residents spend in the car is sharply declining. Since 2007, the number of commuters who telework at least occasionally has increased by 35 percent; up to 27 percent overall, according to the 2010 Metro Atlanta Regional Commuter Survey, which asked more than 4,000 workers about their commuting patterns. Of the commuters who participated in the survey, seven percent telework at least three days a week.

These findings have come just in time for many Roswell workers who are feeling the pinch at the pump as gas prices climb quickly. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel is currently about $3.33, up from $2.89 in December 2010.

Kimberly Johnson, a Woodstock resident who works in communications for the , began to telework after the birth of her second child late last year. After eight weeks of maternity leave, Johnson spent about a month telecommuting four days per week. Johnson said the telecommuting arrangement not only helped her save on gas, emissions and car expenses incurred during her 40 mile round trip commute, but also allowed her to feed and take care of her new baby while will honoring her professional commitments to the city of Roswell.

Johnson said that the City of Roswell began implementing flexible commuting options in 2008 for two reasons. One was from recommendations received through the BEST program. BEST, an acronym for Building Excellence through Strategic Teams, is a program implementing the use of committees to focus on quality of life and quality of organization aspects to improve the city for workers and residents.

The other reason was as a requirement within Roswell's process for approval as an Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) Green Community.  According to ARC literature, the program was developed “to assist local governments in reducing their overall environmental impact. Local governments earn points in 10 categories by implementing specific policies and practices that contribute to overall sustainability.” 

The city was approved for the silver level status in 2009, achieving at least 230 points out of a possible 400.

Johnson said that using commute alternatives has become a popular option at the administrative offices of the city of Roswell, adding that it depends on an employee’s particular job responsibilities and how alternatives can be implemented into each position. To date, approximately 50 out of 600 City of Roswell employees participate in the program.

“Telecommuting (lends itself) to positions where the employee can accomplish tasks without having to interact with the general public,” Johnson said.

“And absolutely there’s a checks and balances system, productivity is always in check, especially with government,” she said.  

Roswell resident Earlene Ross has enjoyed the benefits of telecommuting since beginning the alternative arrangement last May. Ross estimates that by working from home four days a week, she’s saving $132 each week on gas, public transportation costs like a MARTA card and meals out. She’s also completely eliminated her dry cleaning bill and feels she’s in better health since she’s able to make her own breakfast and lunch and able to walk in her neighborhood during a mid-day break.

Ross, who works for an insurance company, said that during her two years of commuting from Roswell to Alpharetta each day she’d often spend more than two hours in the car just to get home.

“Fridays are the worst day,” Ross said.

She did say that despite the financial benefits of telecommuting, adjusting to life outside the office was a challenge initially.

“I’m a people person,” Ross said, “When I started, I missed the interaction with other people. I had to get used to it and to not being in the office.”

Ross also added that the Clean Air Campaign Commuter Rewards program helps her stay motivated to continue going green when it comes to telecommuting and carpooling. Through Commuter Rewards, workers are rewarded for green habits like teleworking, carpooling and vanpooling, taking public transit, biking and walking to work. The program offers monetary incentives, cash rewards and gas cards. More than 70,000 Georgians are currently taking part in the program.

As for Johnson, despite how much she’s enjoyed the four-days from home schedule, her teleworking days are numbered and she’s transitioning back to a more traditional schedule since her job requirements include a lot of face to face interaction.

But, she said even the short-term arrangement has given her extra time with her family that she wouldn’t have had otherwise.