For staff and students, H-B Woodlawn’s location on Vacation Lane in Cherrydale had been home for several decades. Relocating the program, along with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Program, to The Heights building in Rosslyn brought about many changes, and transportation was one of them. Staff now have easy access to the Rosslyn Metro Station, numerous bus routes, multiple multi-use trails, protected bike lanes, and several Capital Bikeshare stations. All of the different transportation options staff learned about through Champions were suddenly at their fingertips.
Internalizing Champions
H-B Woodlawn has enrolled in Champions every year since Arlington Transportation Partners’ cornerstone recognition and rewards program came to Arlington Public Schools (APS). Throughout the years, H-B Woodlawn staff have learned about their commuter benefits, reasons to embrace carpooling, the beauty of biking, and why Guaranteed Ride Home is a great bargain. Knowing the school would move to Rosslyn, ATP hosted a walking tour of Rosslyn, along with WalkArlington and the Rosslyn BID, to showcase the available transportation options in the area.
Living Champions
It’s been almost two months since H-B Woodlawn staff moved into their new building and started their new commutes. So how’s it going? A staff travel tally revealed a dramatic switch in commuting behavior. From almost everyone driving alone to school, staff are now biking, taking transit, carpooling, and walking in larger than expected numbers.
Some students are participating in an APS-led ART bus pilot program, while eyewitness accounts suggesting even more are riding Metro buses and Metrorail to and from Rosslyn.
Choosing Their Best Option
Not to toot our own horn, but at ATP, we like to think that our Champions program is solely responsible for this change in travel behavior. But let’s be real—it has as much to do with the built environment as it does the encouragement and incentives. Parking in Rosslyn is in nearby office buildings, rather than on a surface lot next to the school, or on neighborhood streets. With many other options around, staff have many more options to make their best choice. Pretty soon, H-B Woodlawn staff will be so transportation-savvy that they will lead the way and inspire new Champions!
Photo Credit: Reema Desai/ReemaDesai.com for Arlington Transportation Partners
