TRAVEL REDUCTION PROGRAM (TRP)

PRIZE DRAWINGS AND

EFFECTIVE BULLETIN BOARDS

2014 Clean Air Campaign Award Winner

Best Bulletin Board - Scottsdale Unified School District

Transportation Coordinator Webinar

May 2015

Tech Tips

• To hear us, turn up speakers or headset

volume. Your microphone is muted.

• Ask questions using the controls on your

screen.

• The symbol indicates an audience poll.

Prepare to share your input!

• If you can’t see the whole screen, adjust your

resolution to 1024 x 786 pixels or lower.

• Webinar will be recorded and a link posted

on valleymetro.org

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Overview

• Transportation

Coordinator news

• Managing and

documenting TRP prize

drawings

• Creating fun and

effective TRP bulletin

boards

• Recap

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Transportation Coordinator News

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Valley Bike Month 2015 • Various events were held

– Family and employer rides

– Grid Bike vs. Car

Lunchtime Dash

– Bike Prom

– Bike to Books

• Participation numbers

− 250 riders in Bike to Work

Day–Phoenix and County

− 13,285 bike trips were

tracked in ShareTheRide

for a total of 67,629 miles

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Team Challenge 2015

Team Challenge Winners by Size:

– 5-10 – Bicycle Coalition at ASU (419 trips

logged, 2,373 miles travelled, 2,181 lbs.

GHGs saved)

– 11-20 – Any Bicycle Commuter (1,085

trips logged, 6,783 miles travelled, 6,234 lbs.

GHGs saved)

– 21+ – I’m (IN) TUHSD (529 trips logged,

2,721 miles travelled, 2,502 lbs. GHGs

saved)

Team Challenge Stats:

– 8,993 trips logged, for a total distance of

47,714 miles

– 2,533,958 calories burned

– 2,232 gallons of fuel saved and 43,854

pounds of greenhouse gases

Thank you to the following

for donating victory parties

for our winning teams!

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TRP Online Training Expanded

• Interactive

• Always available

• Introduction to TRP

online now at

valleymetro.org/

calendar

• TRP survey

• Plan writing

Receive equal credit as the in-person class!

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October Proposed Service Changes

Valley Metro is seeking public comment

May 1–June 1, 2015 on proposed

service adjustments scheduled to take

effect on October 26, 2015.

Social Media (Twitter) - May 1–June 1

Using #vmservice, learn more about the

proposed service changes and ask

questions of @valleymetro.

Email input@valleymetro.org.

Public Hearing

• May 28 - 5:00-6:15 p.m.

City of Phoenix Public Meetings

• June 2 - 7:30 a.m.

• June 9 - 1:30 p.m.

• June 10 - 3:00 p.m.

Complete details can be found at

valleymetro.org. You can also

complete an online comment card.

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High Pollution Advisories (HPA)

Summer Season is effect – April 1 – September 30

May 1 – Ozone HPA

Find HPA dates for 2014-2015 at

www.valleymetro.org/tools_resources/hpa_advisories

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Design a Transit Wrap Unveiling

• 15th annual

contest for high

school students.

• Sofia Garcia

from Cactus

High School had

the winning

design.

• Bus and light rail

wrap for one

year.

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TCAs Become TCWs

• Old name: Transportation Coordinator Association meeting

• New game: Transportation Coordinator Workshop

• Interactive, hands on learning and sharing

• Workshop schedule at valleymetro.org/calendar

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TRP Prize Drawings

Sample ShareTheRide prize drawing

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Prize-a-palooza!

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What’s Your Point?

• Get people talking

• Build excitement

• Encourage participants

to tell their stories

See how much I’ve

saved by carpooling.

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Prize Drawing Considerations

• Employees:

- Demographic

- Interests

- Computer access

• Budget

• Resources:

- Access to event tickets

- Paid time off, company merchandise,

casual dress days

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Record Keeping

• Prove you implemented your TRP incentives

• Acknowledgment from winners and copies of

receipts for prizes are key

• Thoughtful setup eliminates last-minute scramble at audit time

• Put reminders in your calendar

• Sample forms available from

TRP library at valleymetro.org

Commute Solutions section

ShareTheRide.com

• Employees register online w/ work email

address

• Great for tracking AMUs, communicating

incentives, and managing prize drawings

• Recommended for companies with easy

internet and email access

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STR Prize Drawings

• If you can pay your bills online, you can create

a contest in ShareTheRide.

• Easy documentation for TRP audit!

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Paper Forms

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Samples available in the

ValleyMetro.org Commute Solutions

TRP Library under “Documentation

Templates.”

Other Tracking Options

• Shared Drive

– Excel runs random

drawings!

– Random.org random

number generator

• Company Intranet

• Email acknowledgment

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The Dreaded de Minimis

• A de minimis benefit is one for which value

and the frequency are so small as to make

accounting for it unreasonable or

impractical. These include:

– Occasional snacks, coffee, doughnuts, etc.

– Occasional tickets for entertainment events

– Flowers, fruit, books, etc., provided under

special circumstances

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More on de minimis

• Must be occasional or unusual in frequency.

• Must not be a form of disguised

compensation.

• If a benefit is too large to be considered de

minimis, the entire value of the benefit is taxable,

not just the amount over a designated de minimis

amount.

http://www.irs.gov/govt/fslg/article/0,,id=184791,00.html

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De minimis: De final word

• Cash is generally intended as a wage, and

usually provides no administrative burden to

account for. Cash therefore cannot be a de

minimis fringe benefit. The same is true of gift

cards that can be used for general merchandise.

• Items valued over $100 may not be considered

de minimis, even under unusual circumstances.

Source: IRS Publication 15-B

• IRS business toll-free number: 1-800-829-4933

http://bit.ly/gxS0l0

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What To Give

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Prize Drawing – Important Points

• Communicate the incentive

– What’s the prize?

– How do employees enter?

• Show that the drawing was held – put reminders

in your calendar

• Get acknowledgment from winners and keep

copies of receipts for prizes

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Effective TRP Bulletin Boards

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Bulletin Board Basics

• Communicate TRP incentives

• Transportation Coordinator contact information

• Guaranteed Ride Home program info (if offered)

• News and promotions

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Keeping Bulletin Boards Current

• Get inspiration from quarterly Valley Metro materials and TRP library

• Tie in to events within your organization

• Invite prize winners to share their stories

• Special themes can add interest

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TRP Bulletin Boards – Pro Tips

• Break the borders – let items extend beyond the edges of the board

• Pop up - Add interest with three dimensional items

• Roll em! Bulletin boards on easels can be moved around the organization for greater exposure

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Review

• TC News and Updates

• TRP prize drawings and bulletin boards

• Upcoming Webinars – June 24: Compressed Work Weeks

– July 22: Clean Air Award nominations

– August 26: ShareTheRide success stories

• In person Transportation Coordinator workshops resume in September

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