Three Cheers for These Stellar Achievements

Best Carpooling Project – AERO Insiders Carpool Parking Pilot Program at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (HJAIA) (Atlanta, Georgia)

Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (HJAIA) is consistently named one of the world’s busiest airports. The key to its 24/7/365 operations is its dedicated team of employees, who are tirelessly supported by the City of Atlanta and the Department of Aviation. To ensure employees have options to get to work, the City and Department of Aviation created the Airport Employee Ride Options (AERO) program. AERO is managed by UrbanTrans.

After collecting multi-year data about employee commuting behaviors at the airport, AERO uncovered a unique problem: Lower-wage employees often pay more out of pocket for their transportation and parking costs than employees who earn higher incomes. Even more, these lower-wage employees typically lacked access to transit and would depend on a car to get to work.

AERO partnered with the HJAIA Parking Operations department to develop the AERO Insiders Carpool Parking Pilot Program to extend a more cost-effective and convenient option to these employees while reducing the number of single-occupancy vehicles (SOVs) traveling to the airport. The program gives carpoolers direct-to-Terminal access with upfront “VIP” parking spots at a deeply discounted parking rate.

The carpool program was an instant success, gaining over 65 employees for 30 carpool spots within a matter of weeks.

Best Transportation Management Association (TMA) – Transportation Solutions (Denver, Colorado)

Transportation Solutions is a TMA focused on making things happen for over 200,000 residents and employees in Central Denver. The program is an integral part of the community, helping expand transportation choices beyond the single car driver, reduce the miles people drive alone, and create walkable places that connect communities.

One important way Transportation Solutions has helped the community during the COVID-19 pandemic is by partnering with the Regional Transportation District (RTD) to provide transit riders with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at high-traffic train stations in Denver. The team showed up for riders during their time of need to ensure they were equipped with everything they needed to travel safely.

Transportation Solutions is also dedicated to making it easier to access three of Denver’s mobility hubs: University Station, Cherry Creek North and Cherry Creek Shopping Center, and Colorado Station. To meet the travel needs not currently addressed by rail or bus service, Transportation Solutions created a pilot shuttle and explored additional opportunities, such as ride-hailing services. In the future, Transportations Solutions will support the development of curbside management and active transportation infrastructure at the hubs.

Best Development – Zocalo Community Development

We had the pleasure of collaborating with the Zocalo Community Development’s latest multifamily residential development, The Quayle. From the very beginning. Zocalo’s vision was to create a vibrant and connected building that reduced the need for on-site parking while also keeping the local neighborhood association happy.

To meet these needs, The Quayle was developed with a large secure indoor bike and scooter parking area along with an adjacent bike repair room, fully stocked to provide residents with tools and equipment to maintain their bikes.

The Quayle set up clearly defined parking areas for shared micromobility near building entrances, encouraging residents and visitors to use shared micromobility devices to get around the neighborhood. The building is also positioned next to a bus stop, providing residents with another option to explore the wider Denver area car-free.

The result: The Quayle is now a standout example of multifamily affordable housing that places an emphasis on sustainability. Through its multimodal connections, convenient site location, and innovative building design, The Quayle encourages residents to move into the building without a car and fully embrace a sustainable lifestyle.