Sustainable Atlanta Initiative Gets a Boost with Emory Study

Student-researcher Jessica Wang works on a study as part of a partnership between the Department of Human Resources, Office of Sustainability and Emory University.

In a recent study conducted by the Emory University Service Learning in Environmental Studies program, student-researchers found that Atlanta City Government could become a leader in environmental sustainability by increasing awareness of and accelerating employee participation in its existing alternative commute programs. The study was intended as a pilot for future commute alternative programs to be implemented by the Atlanta Office of Sustainability. Emory worked with the Atlanta Department of Human Resources (DHR) to investigate how the City of Atlanta could encourage its employees to use its current alternative commute programs. The City partners with the Clean Air Campaign to provide the following alternative commuter programs to its employees:

• MARTA Card Subsidy and pre-tax deductions for Gwinnett and Cobb County public transit


• Guaranteed Ride Home program (up to five free taxi-rides home per year for employees needing an emergency ride home on a day they use an alternative mode of transit)


• Cash for Commuters (earn money for each time you carpool, tele-work, use transit, walk or bike to work for up to 90 days)


• Car Pool Rewards (earn money by carpooling with three or more people. Ride to work together and log your trips online to receive gas cards

From March 14 – April 4, 2008, Emory students conducted research with GIS mapping, mini case studies and interviews with City employees in the Departments of HR; Planning and; Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. Their research showed that more than 70 percent live outside of Atlanta and 78 percent drive alone to work. High gas prices are the main factor encouraging people to get out of their cars (58 percent), and nearly one-third of employees (31.6 percent) surveyed were concerned about climate change as a reason to switch to carpooling, vanpooling, biking, walking, or public transit.

About Sustainable Atlanta: This program is aimed at making our city more sustainable by improving “green” programs and policies, such as water and energy conservation, reducing solid waste and emissions, and improving the rates of recycling. For the first phase of Sustainable Atlanta, the City has focused on government operations and policies. By mid-year 2008, Sustainable Atlanta will shift to an external focus with public policies and programs designed to make the entire city a model for sustainability. Information for this article was provided by Emory student-researcher Gary Eddy.