As Tenants Trade Cars For Bikes And Trains, Buildings Adjust To Keep Up

As more commuters choose to ditch their cars and opt for sustainable methods to get to work, building owners and developers are asking how they can support a more flexible, mobile way of life. 

“New technologies and evolving trends are altering where people work and how they choose to get to the office each day,” Arlington Transportation Partners Business Development Manager Dagmawi Alemayehu said. “It’s crucial for owners and developers to understand how these shifts will impact their tenants. They can make changes to help them work with ease, whether they bike, walk, take public transit or work from home.”

Every year, Arlington Transportation Partners’ Champions program recognizes properties that are supporting flexible, sustainable travel. Explore the properties below to see why they received honors for connecting employees to transit and resources for remote work.

Designated Remote Workspaces: Ten At Clarendon 

The rise of cloud technology and collaborative platforms have given more employees the option to work from homes, which studies have shown boosts worker satisfaction while saving companies millions of dollars in office space costs.

In response to this growing trend, some multifamily buildings are going above and beyond to support residents who work remotely. Ten At Clarendon, a project from CRC Cos., offers residents access to decked-out workrooms and study pods as part of its premium amenity packages. Ten At Clarendon won a Gold Level Champion award for letting tenants work in the comfort of their own home while enjoying the use of a personal, professional office space.

Sleek, Comprehensive Bike Facilities: Ballston Exchange

City commuters are increasingly choosing active transportation options like biking and walking over driving into the office each day. To encourage this green practice, Ballston Exchange, an office building from Jamestown Urban Management, has a designated bike lane that guides office tenants through the garage to the bike room. 

Once there, commuters can park their bikes in a controlled-access space, make minor repairs and lock their belongings away while they shower and prepare for the workday. The office also regularly holds bike tune-up events to get tenants comfortable with the idea of biking to work. The bike program earned Ballston Exchange a Platinum Champion recognition from Arlington Transportation Partners.

Real-Time Transit Displays And Tech: Central Place

Property managers can remove the uncertainty of wondering when trains will arrive with smart displays. JBG Smith’s team at Central Place invested in a well-placed live transportation display near building exits, which gives tenants updates on their transportation options at a glance on their way out. 

These screens earned the building Platinum Level Champion recognition. Tenants can also download a desktop plug-in to see live updates of their options before leaving their seats.

Geo-Fenced Ride-Sharing: 3001 And 3003 Washington Blvd. 

While it’s becoming increasingly easy to commute without a car, sometimes business travel demands the use of a vehicle. The team at KBS’ 3001 and 3003 Washington Blvd., a Platinum-level Champion, wanted to make ride-sharing a little easier for its tenants’ employees and their clients, so the building team purchased geo-fenced Lyft codes, which give tenants free rides from the office to selected destinations.

Transportation Education Program: Lenox Club 

Of course, new Arlington County residents will have a hard time taking advantage of the area’s many public transit options if they are unaware they exist. Brookfield Residential’s Lenox Club earned Platinum Champion status by inviting Arlington Transportation Partners to train its staff on how to introduce residents to local transportation resources like nearby running trails, bus routes and Capital Bikeshare that can be used to get to the places they care about even beyond work.

“At multifamily properties especially, what makes the difference is the level of care the management team takes to make transportation amenities work for residents,” said Claudia Pors, business development manager for multifamily services at Arlington Transportation Partners. 

This feature was produced in collaboration between Bisnow Branded Content Studio and Arlington Transportation Partners. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.