Impact of Employer Transportation Benefit Programs and Social Factors on Commute Mode Choices in Downtown Denver

Using survey data from over 3,000 downtown Denver employees, this study explores the impact of employer transportation benefits programs on commute mode choices among downtown Denver employees. We also consider the impacts with respect to social factors such as age groups, gender, and income levels. Descriptive and data mining analyses were conducted, employing techniques like frequency distribution, Spearman correlation, and logistic regression to quantify the relationships between transportation programs, social factors, and commute mode choices. The findings of the study indicate that employees in Downtown Denver with access to free or subsidized parking are 195% more likely to drive to work. Similarly, employees with intermediate stops were 363% more likely to drive to the office. The results also suggest that employees with access to secure bike parking are 789% more likely to bike to the office. Furthermore, employees with free or subsidized public transit passes are 106% and 56% more likely to use transit to work, respectively. Finally, employees with access to a remote work policy are 188% more likely to telecommute. In terms of social factors, male respondents were found to be 217% more likely to bike, 31% more likely to use transit, and 47% less likely to telecommute. Employees in younger age groups are more likely to bike and less likely to drive and use transit. Finally, employees in high-income levels are more likely to drive and telecommute but less likely to use transit. These findings are essential in designing effective transportation programs for employees.