Culver City OKs Anti-Pollution Incentives

To reduce air pollution, the Culver City Council this week approved a plan that includes parking benefits and time off for city employees who car-pool, walk or bus to work.

Between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., there is an average of 1.23 city employees per vehicles arriving to work, and under regulations of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the city is to increase that to 1.5 employees within a year.

The city’s plan includes providing car-pool match lists and bus schedules; making a $7.50 biweekly payment to employees who walk, bicycle or car-pool to work at least three times a week; ride-sharing and van-pooling; reserved parking for employees who car-pool, and one day of paid leave each six months for those who consistently walk, bike or take public transportation to work.

City officials said the program will cost $66,000 a year.

If these incentives do not work, the city might consider measures to actively discourage employees from driving to work, such as raising parking fees, city staff said.

All employers with more than 100 workers are required by the AQMD to implement such a plan, which aims to cut pollution by reducing the number of vehicles commuting between home and work.