This post is authored by TDM Practice Lead Thom Cerny, Director of Planning Alia Anderson, and Director of Strategy Andy Clarke.
After decades of experience in transportation planning, we’ve learned one crucial lesson: we cannot afford to passively let change happen. We must take the lead in shaping it. Right now, return-to-office mandates are reshaping the way millions of employees experience their daily commute, drawing them back into traffic congestion, higher commuting costs, and transit systems that need improvement. On top of that, uncertainty around federal funding has many wondering what the future holds. Yet the mission of Transportation Demand Management (TDM) remains the same: make transportation options better, more affordable, and more sustainable for everyone.
This return-to-office moment may hold the potential for a new golden age of TDM. We can harness the influx of returning commuters to create a more sustainable and enjoyable transportation system for all workers — not just for those affected by the return-to-office wave, but for the essential workers who have been navigating commuting challenges all along.
Here are 3 ways to use this moment to build TDM momentum.
1. Focus on Goals and Impact, Not Politics
Federal policy changes can be jarring, but we still have the power to make a difference at the local, regional, and state levels. Instead of dwelling on politics, we need to focus on the commuters who rely on us. Employees are feeling the pressure of long, expensive commutes, and they need real solutions. Whether someone is commuting three days a week or six, whether they’re in an office tower or on a hospital shift, we have to ensure the options exist to make their trip to work better.
We have the tools to help them, by improving access to transit and bikeways, making carpooling a viable option, or pushing for smarter infrastructure investments. This is where partnerships matter:
- Work with employers to integrate commuter benefits, improving retention and job satisfaction.
- Collaborate with local governments to ensure that transit and bicycle improvements align with real commuter needs.
- Look to community-driven solutions, such as shared shuttles, microtransit, and other grassroots initiatives, to bridge gaps that traditional transit might miss.
The next few years will require a nimble TDM approach that should include frequent assessments of real-time commute trends. Our approach should also include creative pivots to deliver fresh messages where they can do the most good: in the most traffic-congested corridors and targeting commuters with the fewest travel options or least flexibility.
2. Try Out New, Flexible Commute Strategies
The old playbook for TDM no longer applies. Instead of the rigid carpool and vanpool models that only worked for 9-to-5 commuters, we need flexible, on-demand options. Ridesharing services, vanpools, and public transit need to catch up with today’s mix of schedules. This can be achieved by:
- Ridesharing services that match commuters based on dynamic schedules rather than fixed commitments.
- Split-schedule vanpools that accommodate both hybrid employees and daily commuters.
- More pay-as-you-go and flexible pricing models for public transit.
- Employee transit benefits that support both hybrid and everyday commuters.
- Microtransit and employer-run shuttles to fill in the gaps where fixed-route transit falls short.
Biking and walking infrastructure also play an important role. Expanding bikeshare offerings, adding bike storage, subsidizing e-bike purchases, and improving pedestrian connections can make a big difference for workers at every income level.
Our industry has the tools and ingenuity to make these things happen. The pilot efforts underway at the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) are a great example of leadership in this realm. Toole Design is partnering with ARC to launch three separate pilot TDM programs to engage hard-to-reach communities and test new incentives. We’re excited to see how these and other TDM pilots add to our collection of flexible strategies that can benefit all types of commuters.
3. Bring Managers and HR Teams on board
Many managers and HR teams don’t realize the pivotal role TDM can play in making the return-to-office transition smoother for their employees. As TDM professionals, we need to step in and clearly demonstrate the impact our programs can have for companies — not just on commutes, but on their bottom line. When done right, TDM can be a powerful recruitment and retention tool that directly enhances employee satisfaction and productivity.
By providing easy-to-implement commuter benefits, we can help companies retain talent while reducing parking demand and commuting stress. Custom return-to-office assistance plans tailored to company workforce needs can support hybrid workers and full-time commuters alike. These plans can include solutions like:
- Transit subsidies that ease commuting expenses.
- Employer-provided shuttles to bridge public transit gaps.
- Flexible and improved carpooling options.
- Staggered schedules to cut peak-hour headaches.
- Parking cash-out programs and daily parking pricing.
- Guaranteed Ride Home services to provide peace of mind.
These aren’t just perks; they’re essential and time-tested tools to help businesses attract and keep workers while easing congestion and parking challenges. And for many essential employees, they can mean the difference between keeping a job and looking for a new one that’s easier to access. When company leaders, managers, and HR teams leverage TDM’s full potential, commuting becomes a better experience for employees and a competitive advantage for companies.
The Future of TDM is in Our Hands
TDM professionals are some of the most passionate, creative, and determined people out there, and we have an opportunity to reshape commuting at a critical moment in workforce history. The challenges are real — funding uncertainty, policy shifts, employer apathy — but we have the expertise and the tools to push through them.
We need to focus on what we can control and keep advocating, innovating, and proving the value of our work. Whether we’re helping a nurse get to an early morning shift with less stress, making it easier for a hybrid worker to take transit, or keeping someone employed by expanding their commute options, our impact is real.
Let’s work together to make 2025 the year we redefine commuting for the better.
