Live closer to work

Expanding the use of flex time for state workers seems a no-brainer, but I wonder if the governor isn’t missing an opportunity here.

As reported around Michigan, the governor wants to ease the suffering of state employee commuters by having more of them work four-day weeks. The obvious gain: No round-trip on that fifth day.

Four-day weeks are fine, as long as state agencies remain accessible to Joe and Jane Taxpayer. Another possible option is to stick with a five-day week, but with different starting and ending times.

The 13th Floor blog of Governing Magazine commented on new information about traffic congestion and the role of work hours. Big surprise, traffic speaks early in the morning and after 5 p.m. If you adopt a staggered work day, though, you can ease the daily crunches.

An even greater advance, though, would be for the state to address the underlying cause of commuting costs: suburban sprawl.

I recall Sparrow Hospital offers incentives to employees who purchase homes near its East Michigan Avenue campus. Could the state come up with something similar: Incentives for Lansing workers to live much closer to the government complex downtown? Such a program would fit with the governor’s cool cities/urban redevelopment mantra.

There would have to be costs, of course. Would they be worth it?

Comments

[rukidding]

All are reasonable ideas to consider, though I am quite weary of the whiny attitude of some taxpayers. You cannot get everything you want for nothing! Perhaps shuttered offices and lost services might wake up a few of the anti-tax and anti-government conservative corporatists. Unfortunately, they would probably prefer anarchy and chaos.

[Willi the Pimp]

We have chaos already in the capitol.

[Michael Motta]

Good ideas Derek. I like the staggering all the way around, not just for state workers, but for the private sector too. It only makes sense that some people work while others are on their leisure time, and vice versa. That way people don't have to make a special thing out of taking off work in order to do errands like going to appointments and so on. Also it makes a lot of sense in terms of traffic, as you said.

Living close to work is a great idea, but since I've started telecommuting as a freelancer, I see how underused telecommuting is as of yet. I bet plenty of state workers could do most, if not all, of their work from home! Maybe a monthly trip into the office, or if need be, weekly, but I think today with cell phones and fax machines, texting, the internet . . . who needs to actually be AT WORK ALL THE TIME? Only if your work involves things more physical than communications related - and so much now is about communications and "intellectual" work.

[JRS]

Speaking for myself I don't want a staggered workday. I will gladly deal with the traffic as it is (the Lansing area is not exactly Los Angeles or Atlanta)

[boots2]

It would be a great idea to offer state workers incentives to live downtown. However, there aren't that many affordable apartments for younger workers. For that matter, there aren't many apartment buildings with the amenities that older workers want. If a more diverse array of housing were available, Lansing could attract more workers and really become "cool."

Just imagine if all our great downtown restaurants were able to stay open after 5.00 p.m.!

[Mike Sears]

Lets build more housing with tax abatements for a few developers while many are loosing their homes in forclosure. We will need more homeless shelters to go along with all these "up scale" condos and lofts.

[boots2]

The operable word in the argument for more downtown apartments is "affordable," not the up scale condos and lofts Mr. Sears refers to. Not many young state workers I've known can afford those.

[John M.]

The magic words for downtown should be "rental housing".

[Kerri]

My son has always worked a three days a wk and every other wkend. That's one of Sparrow's option for it's workers. You can work 4 or 5 days a wk, for your schedule if you want. So, with his choice,he gets a lot more time with his boys. It's very flexible. It would be nice if more private sector jobs could go to that. I'd much rather work a 10 day, and only 4 days a wk. The three days off would be great. But, there are some who would never cut that. It's more productive, as it's like a built in deadline. Regarding the downtown area, it's not going to grow,unless it puts affordable housing down there, decides to go to evening hours for it's businesses, and offers plenty to do,i.e.~~restaurants, theaters, etc. Some nice places to view the river. Everyone should visit Minneapolis, and see what they have downtown. Lots and they are open every night of the wk.