Atlanta Financial Center Presentation

The Buckhead Area Transportation Management Association (BATMA) works cooperatively with community partners to improve mobility, accessibility and air quality in Buckhead by sponsoring programs and providing incentives to encourage commuters to take transit, carpool, vanpool, telework, bike and

walk to work.

Over 60 businessesOver 60 businesses

Over 20 property management firmsOver 20 property management firms

Over 3,000 commutersOver 3,000 commuters

Our MissionOur Mission

What we doWhat we do• Community Services

• Commuter Services

• Employer Services

Community ServicesCommunity Services

PIEDMONT ROAD @ LINDBERGH DRIVE (SOUTHBOUND)PIEDMONT ROAD @ LINDBERGH DRIVE (SOUTHBOUND)

PIEDMONT ROAD @ PIEDMONT ROAD @ TOWER PLACE DRIVE TOWER PLACE DRIVE

(NORTHBOUND)(NORTHBOUND)

A fast, frequent and FREE way to make tracks around Buckhead.

*Commute Calculator

Why?Why?• Save money

– Metro Atlanta has of the most expensive commute in the country– Metro Atlanta commuters spend about 22% of their income on

gas and other car related expenses

• Save Time– Atlanta experiences 7.8 hours of

"Rush Hour" per day

• Save your health– Every additional 30 minutes30 minutes a person spends in a car translates

into a 3%3% greater chance of being obeseobese– 44% say that rush-hour traffic is the most stressful part of their

life

Hidden Costs of Commuting

Environmental ImpactEnvironmental Impact

• Air quality is a metro-wide problem – you can even say it’s a statewide issue

• Currently 28 counties in GA fail to meet air quality standards

Health Impacts of Air Pollution• It triggers asthma

attacks in our vulnerable populations

• It causes difficulty breathing for many otherwise healthy people

• Atlanta ERs report a 37% increase in asthma related visits following Smog Alert days

• Carpool• Vanpool• Transit• Telework• Alternative Work

Schedules• Bike• Walk

Alternative commute options…Alternative commute options…

CarpoolCarpool• It only takes two or more commuters riding

in a personal vehicle to form a carpool• Carpools are flexible• You don’t have to carpool everyday –

Carpooling 1 day a week will reduce your commute costs by 20%

• BATMA will help find you find a partner

VanpoolVanpool• An arrangement by which a group of 7 –

15 people commute to work in a van leased by a 3rd party provider

• Vanpools operate like mini-transit services & run on a set schedule

• Have a flat fare of

The price includes gas, insurance and maintenance

$75 $90 $100

Can’t find one that works for you?Can’t find one that works for you?

• A new van can start at any time from any place

• 11 people are needed to start a new van, including those who volunteer to drive

• BATMA will work with you using the regional database to find riders

TransitTransit

Alternative Work ScheduleAlternative Work ScheduleYour commute will look like this…

Instead of this

TeleworkTelework• Teleworking replaces travel to and from work with working at home or another location on a full or part time basis

• Many employees telework only once or twice per week

• Teleworking is the only commute option that completely eliminates air pollution and significantly reduces traffic congestion

• Georgia was the first state in the country to offer employers a tax credit for teleworking

• Essential for emergency business continuity plans

Bike / WalkBike / Walk•Bikes are allowed on MARTA and the buc

•Discounted Confident City Cycling classes taught by the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition

•On average, every minute of walking can extend your life by 1.5 to 2 minutes

•Walking an extra 20 minutes each day will burn off 7 pounds of body fat per year.

It must have been something I ate…It must have been something I ate…Guaranteed Ride Home provides commuters who carpool, vanpool, bike or use transit with a reliable ride home if an unexpected event occurs up to 5 trips home or to their car each year. 

  • Provided by the RideSmart division of the Atlanta Regional Commission

• Provided if you or your carpool partner/vanpool driver need to work mandatory unscheduled overtime

• Provided if you or your carpool partner/vanpool driver need to leave work early unexpectedly for personal situations

• www.myridesmart.com

Federal funding for the GRH program is provided through the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT).

IncentivesIncentives

• Provide you with marketing materials

• Conduct onsite events; lunch and learns, lunch room displays, etc

• Help starting or expanding a telework program with free consulting from a nationally recognized consultant with over 25 years experience

• As a tenant in Atlanta Financial Center, our services are freefree to you

Employer ServicesEmployer Services

Employer ServicesEmployer Services

Tax BenefitsFederal Tax Code – Commuter Choice

•Federal Tax Code allows employers to provide tax-free transit and vanpool benefits for their employees up to $230 a month

•Tax incentive programs can have a positive impact on your payroll tax liability

•An organization of any size is eligible

•The “benefits are exempt from anti-discriminatory requirements.” Employers do

not have to offer the program to all sites and employers can even specify which

employees can receive the benefit.

•Employers may start the program at any time.

I85 / 400 Connector Ramps

I85 Express Lanes

Livable Buckhead, Inc.Mission: Livable Buckhead, Inc. strives to ensure the long term vitality and prosperity of the Buckhead community by working cooperatively with individuals, public entities and private businesses to integrate into everyday life and business sustainable strategies that improve the environment and  quality of life in the community.Programmatic Overview:

• Sustainability

• Resource Conservation

• Social and Cultural Vibrancy

• Access + Mobility

• Greenspace

• Public Health and Safety

• Housing

• Innovation

Livable Buckhead, Inc.Buckhead Greenspace Action Plan:

• Buckhead is the lowest “parked” district in the entire city

• City Councilman Howard Shook spearheaded the initiative for change

• Working cooperatively with BCID, Buckhead Coalition, and BATMA

Buckhead Eco Collection:

• A two day event that was open to Buckhead businesses and residents

• Safely disposed of electronics, unused paint, expired medicines and other items that could not safely be placed in the regular trash pick up

• Collected over 20,000 lbs of paint

• Collected over 25,000 lbs of electronics

ResourcesResources•www.batma.org BATMA•www.facebook.com/buckheadtma •www.bucride.com “the buc” •www.livablebuckhead.org Livable Buckhead•www.buckheadcid.com Buckhead CID•www.myridesmart.com Ridematch •www.itsmarta.com MARTA •www.gctransit.com Gwinnet Co. Transit•www.xpressga.com Xpress Bus•www.cobbdot.org/cct.htm Cobb Co. Transit

•tony@livablebuckhead.org Tony Peters•scott@batma.org Scott Cantrell

Questions?Questions?Special thanks to:

Hines

&

City Club of Buckhead