Nearly 50 employee transportation coordinators (ETCs) representing major Orange County employers gathered at OCTA headquarters last week to learn marketing techniques to apply to rideshare programs and promotions. Topics included digital marketing and free tools to boost rideshare program participation. ETCs also received information and materials to promote National Bike Month to employees at their worksites.
OCTA hosts the annual event for Orange County employers who choose an Employee Commute Rideshare Program (ECRP) to comply with requirements to reduce mobile source emissions generated from employee commutes. Coordinators are required to attend a two-hour marketing class and present a marketing certificate along with the rideshare plan they submit to the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SQAMD), the agency that oversees the program.
OCTA partners with Orange County employers to promote and encourage bus, train, and vanpool use, in addition to carpool and active transportation options. OCTA services includes employer and university bus pass programs, a vanpool program that offers a monthly subsidy, ride matching services, and a Guaranteed Ride Home Program that provides a transportation safety net when an emergency arises on a rideshare day.
OCTA also helps coordinators complete average vehicle ridership surveys to comply with Rule 2202, which governs on-road motor vehicle mitigation options. All services are free to employers and are designed to help promote public transportation and ridesharing at companies throughout Orange County.
