If you’re an Oregon employer with more than 100 employees working at a single site in the Portland metropolitan area, the state’s Employee Commute Options (ECO) Program applies to you. Managed by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), the program aims to reduce the number of employees who drive alone to work, in order to cut congestion and improve regional air quality.
Whether you’re in HR, Operations, or serving as a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) coordinator, this article will walk you through what’s required, how to comply, and how Ridepanda can help you support a cleaner, more flexible commute culture.
Oregon’s ECO Program was established to help meet air quality goals by encouraging employers to promote commute alternatives such as:
By reducing the number of single-occupancy vehicles (SOVs) on the road, employers help lower emissions and traffic congestion. As an added bonus, you might discover that commute benefits can boost employee satisfaction and retention, too!
The ECO rules apply to employers with 100 or more employees at a single work site within the Portland Air Quality Maintenance Area (AQMA). If your organization meets that threshold, you’ll need to:
Even if you’re a smaller or newly relocating employer, reviewing the ECO framework can still help you set strong sustainability and employee engagement goals.
Here’s a simplified roadmap to navigate ECO compliance:
Check whether your work site falls within the Portland AQMA and confirm your headcount. DEQ provides maps and guidance on its ECO Program page.
Employers must measure how employees currently get to work using an approved survey tool. The state’s Get There Connect platform makes this process simple. It helps distribute surveys, track responses, and analyze commuting patterns.
Pro tip: The ECO compliance rules state that employers must receive at least a 75% participation rate in their survey, and non-respondents are counted as “drive alone” commuters. In order to ensure you get the number of responses you need, consider offering a prize, such as a raffle entry towards an extra day of PTO, when someone finishes the survey.
Your goal is to reduce drive-alone commuting by 10% within three years of your baseline survey. DEQ provides detailed guidance on calculating your “auto trip rate” and setting a measurable target..
This is the heart of ECO compliance. Your plan must describe:
DEQ offers a helpful sample trip reduction plan (PDF) to get you started.
Employers are encouraged to get creative in how they encourage sustainable commuting. Oregon DEQ has compiled a great list of auto trip reduction ideas, including:
We may be biased, but a subsidized subscription to their very own Ridepanda vehicle seems like a great incentive towards sustainable commuting!
Every two years, repeat the commute survey to measure progress and submit your updated results to DEQ. If you’re making a good-faith effort, even if you haven’t yet hit your 10% target, you’ll remain in good standing.
Ridepanda partners with employers to make sustainable commute options easier, greener, and more affordable. Through our platform, organizations can offer employees a monthly subscription to their own high-quality e-bike, pedal bike, or e-scooter.
Integrating Ridepanda’s offerings into your ECO plan can:
Ridepanda already works with employers in the Portland and Seattle areas, and our team can also help your staff align benefit programs with DEQ requirements and integrate these perks into your overall commute reduction strategy.
Oregon’s ECO rules aren’t just about compliance, they’re about building a better commute culture. By taking small steps now, employers can create programs that support employee wellness, environmental goals, and workplace flexibility.
At Ridepanda, we’re proud to help Oregon employers make sustainable commuting both practical and rewarding. If you’d like to explore how our micromobility programs fit into your ECO strategy, we’d love to connect.
