A commuter fair is a great way to promote clean air commute alternatives – anything but driving alone to work! Employees can speak directly with representatives of the transportation agencies and services in your area.

Step 1: Determine a date and time.
Determine a date and time that would work for a majority of your employees – ideally when your employees can take 30 to 60 minutes to visit the fair. Your fair should run one to two hours at most for a reasonable time commitment from the participating organizations.

Step 2: Look at your options.
Review what commute options and transit systems are near your workplace. Be sure to consider:

• Bicycling,
• Carpooling,
• Vanpooling,
• Public transit (buses, trains and ferries), and
• Your own pre-tax commuter benefit programs.

Step 3: Reach out to transportation agencies and services.
Reach out to the local transportation agencies and services that you would like to invite to participate. Take a look at The Ultimate Commute Program Resource for contact information. Don’t forget that some of your employees may commute from outside your county lines. Estimate your attendance, so the agencies can commit appropriate resources to the event.

Step 4: Promote your event.
Once you have the time, location and participants confirmed, start promoting the event at least two to three weeks in advance. Send out a reminder a day or two before and be sure to include any incentives like food or raffle prizes.

Additional Tips for Success

Placement: To generate interest and make it worth your employees’ time to visit, you should have at least three tables of information. If you only have one or two tables, consider downscaling and setting up in a location at a time people are walking by already, e.g., in the lobby or cafeteria at lunchtime.

Incentives: Consider a special incentive or competition (such as an iPad for the commuter with the most transit or HOV commutes in a month) for the fair. Announce it in the fair invitations, so employees know to visit the table to find out more about participating in the program.

Food: Food is always a draw! Refreshments can be lunch or as simple as coffee and cookies, ice cream or a popcorn machine.

Tables: To encourage carpooling, set up tables labeled with city names or zip codes, so employees can sit with fellow commuters who come from the same area.

Vanpools: If your company has vanpools, invite your vanpoolers to recruit riders at the fair. They can set up a table with information about where their vanpool(s) originate and provide contact information for prospective riders.