Telecommuting can play a role in combating both traffic congestion and air pollution by providing employees with an important alternative to driving alone to work at peak hours everyday.

Working from home even one or two days a week or one or two days a month, can not only ease congestion and improve employee morale, but also air quality.

A survey of 400 U.S. Teleworkers indicated that Telework provides net reductions in vehicle travel averaging 30 miles/telecommute day, and found no evidence of increased sprawl (Nilles, 1996). This study estimates that if 10% of the workforce Telecommutes on any given day, total vehicle travel would decline by 4%.

Source: Victoria Transport Policy Institute’s Travel Demand Management Encyclopedia

By telecommuting to work instead of using more conventional methods, there is a great potential to save energy. The three major areas where energy can be conserved are: Vehicle-related materials and resources; Highway-related materials and resources; and Office-related materials and resources.