Sustainability Spotlight: St. Luke's
This month, City Go is proud to spotlight St. Luke’s as a leader in sustainable transportation.
St. Luke’s employs over 15,000 people at hospitals and clinics throughout Idaho. Of that number, 11,000 people work at the medical campuses in downtown Boise, Meridian, and Nampa. As a major employer in the Treasure Valley, St. Luke’s leads the way in providing an array of sustainable transportation options and incentives to employees through City Go membership, which allows employees to ride the bus for free and access reduced fares on vanpool and carpool.
St. Luke’s is committed to encouraging active transportation such as biking and walking in Boise’s downtown core and promoting sustainable transportation through community discussions, ACHD Commuteride’s May in Motion, and bike events throughout the year.
Keep reading to learn the latest about St. Luke’s positive impact initiatives and find out the drivers behind their commitment to sustainable transportation.
What does “sustainable transportation” mean to your organization?
Crystal Olson drives a van for Commuteride
Transportation and parking are inextricably linked; incorporating both ideas creates a more successful, sustainable program. St. Luke's looks at transportation and parking from the persepctive of our employees and our patients.
Moving toward more sustainable transportation means incorporating ways to reduce the impact of employee single-occupancy vehicles (SOVs) by increasing awareness of alternative forms of transportation such as bus, van, carpool, and active transportation like biking and walking. It also means incentivizing alternatives to SOVs on the road. St. Luke's accomplishes this by promoting its walkable and bikeable downtown campus and providing various transportation options like reduced bus passes, vanpool, and carpool. This, in turn, helps free up access and spaces for our patients.
From a patient perspective, St. Luke's assists with alternative forms of transportation through programs like Rides2Wellness, Mountain Rides (Wood River and Magic Valley), Metro Community Services (Canyon County), and Connecting U (McCall). Additionally, the expanded capacity and availability of televisits - virtual visits with caregivers - removes the need for patient travel and parking while also providing quality care. And when quality care necessitates in-person visits, SLHS meets the needs of the communities we serve locally with clinics in more rural areas–meeting patients where they are.
What inspires and drives your organization’s work on sustainable transportation?
Limited parking, saving employees additional costs through carpool and vanpool incentives, and broadly supporting community transit. We recognize that not all employees can participate but know that some can and that some patients can. And the more people that can and do participate, the greater the benefits our communities gain in reduced stress, traffic, emissions, and parking pressures.
Dr. Eric Elliot rides his bike to and from the clinic
In what ways does your organization promote sustainable transportation options?
We recognize our presence in Boise’s downtown core and the Treasure Valley. Incentivizing public transportation helps us strive toward our broader sustainability goals. Through St. Luke’s Sustainability Office and our City Go membership, St. Luke's employees gain an array of transportation benefits. We also help shape the future of transit through community discussions about transportation, accessibility, and parking.
As a leader in community health, we also encourage our employees to walk or bike to work, where we have secure bike cages. Additionally, our employees participate in several challenges to earn rewards on the SLHS network within ShareTheRideIdaho.com.
In looking ahead, St. Luke's continues to innovate with electric vehicle technology. There are two EV charging stations at SLHS sites in the Treasure Valley.
What transportation initiatives are most exciting for your organization?
We're most excited about opportunities for engagement with existing organizations within our communities to expand active travel, smart commuting, and parking strategies. These collaborations will benefit both employees and patients at our facilities.
“Participation gives us a greater voice in downtown Boise’s transportation initiatives. It also allows us to work with other organizations concerned about transportation and parking in the Treasure Valley.”
Why is your organization’s participation in City Go important?
Participation gives us a greater voice in downtown Boise's transportation initiatives. It also allows us to work with other organizations concerned about transportation and parking in the Treasure Valley.
Additionally, City Go streamlines outreach by providing materials about transportation options on and around our campuses, making it easier for employees to understand how to use various transportation options. Together, we have access to transportation experts, surveys, GHG emissions data, and incentives that help us coordinate parking and transportation.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with fellow City Go members?
Conversations about future growth, sustainable transportation, and parking options help improve our community. Through a shared commitment to connecting our community and supporting sustainable transportation options, we're creating better access for patients, customers, staff, and visitors.
Collaboration with other businesses on these issues is essential as Idaho's population continues to rise along with the demand for road space and smart commuting.
About Sustainability Spotlights
The benefits of a City Go membership go beyond access to discounted passes and services.
Members get expert advice, planning, and program development aimed at promoting sustainable transportation. Members help shape the future of growth management and transportation infrastructure in Boise and the Treasure Valley through relevant programming, outreach, and advocacy.
Each month, we feature a different member organization and highlight their contributions to creating a more connected community through supporting sustainable transportation.