King & Spalding Commuter Options Program

King & Spalding, a leading U.S. law firm with 1,000 employees in its Atlanta office, started its Clean Air Campaign program in the spring of 2001. Firm leadership was motivated to start a program not only by the environmental benefits, but also because they recognized that a viable commute options program represented an effective recruiting tool in the downtown Atlanta market and in the legal industry. Commute options would allow employees an alternative to expensive downtown parking.

King & Spalding utilizes the federal TEA-21 tax benefit program to offer a pre-tax deductions to employees to purchase transit passes, as well as a mass transit subsidy for people who take MARTA, CCT, Gwinnett County Transit and C-Tran. To jumpstart the program, the firm offered a $25/month subsidy for the first couple of months. The monthly subsidy is currently $18, making the employee’s out-of-pocket cost for MARTA just $30 per month, for example.

The firm also encourages participation by offering Guaranteed Ride Home for those who use alternative commuting options, a database of carpoolers to assist with ridesharing and on site shower facilities for cyclists and walkers. King & Spalding employees benefit from bike racks for cyclists provided by the building and onsite transportation fairs that allow for easy sign-up for ridesharing. To reward participants, the firm routinely holds drawings for gift certificates, oil changes, tickets to sporting events, concerts, and other local entertainment opportunities.

King & Spalding’s mass transit subsidy has proven to be a great boon to the firm