Montgomery County's Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is taking steps to understand better commuting behavior within its locales. Engaging citizens directly, MCDOT has rolled out an online travel survey targeted at employees working in businesses with a workforce of 25 or more, as well as residents living in multi-family dwellings across the county's six Transportation Management Districts. These districts include Downtown Bethesda, North Bethesda, Downtown Silver Spring, Friendship Heights, Greater Shady Grove, and White Oak. The aim is to gather data to help develop more efficient and effective transportation strategies for the future.
County Executive Marc Elrich has openly encouraged participation, saying, "If you got this survey, please take the time to fill it out," per Montgomery County's press release. He accentuated the survey's role: "It helps us understand how people are getting around and where we need to do better. It’s quick, and the information can make a difference." Residents 18 and over who elect to complete the survey aren't just contributing to the county's welfare, but also have a chance to win a $25 gift card weekly, with a grand prize drawing for a $250 gift card.
Conducted biennially, this survey is a strategic part of MCDOT’s Commuter Services Section. Insights from this exercise inform approaches to managing commuting patterns and offer benefits to encourage alternative transportation. MCDOT Director Chris Conklin has illustrated the importance of this survey in developing programs such as FareShare, highlighting how collected data informs the incentive programs they create. "The survey data helps us develop incentive programs for alternate modes of transportation such as FareShare, which provides rebates for commuters and free parking for carpools," Conklin conveyed in Montgomery County's press release.
FareShare aims to assist workers within Montgomery County by providing up to $325 a month to cover commuting expenses on various public transport means, including bus and rail services. This benefit also extends to vanpools, conditional on the employee commuting to a Montgomery County workplace. It requires employers to also have skin in the game, contributing $25 per month for each participating employee. The deadline to have a say and possibly snag a gift card is May 31.
