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STATUS TRACKING REPORT
FOR TELECOMMUTING CENTERS IN CALIFORNIA



Prepared for

The California State Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
and the Federal Highway Administration
under Interagency Agreement No. 60T381/A-4

by

John Ebeler
with Carol Buckinger
and Patricia Mokhtarian

Institute of Transportation Studies
University of California
Davis, California 95616

September 1995

This report is the latest in a series that outlines the status of known telecommuting centers in California. Previous reports were issued in December of 1993 and 1994.

The telecommuting centers contacted are administered by a variety of governmental agencies (normally a municipality or regional Transportation Management Agency) and private concerns; they are situated in commercial, industrial, and residential areas; and they range in size from six workstations to more than 30 workstations. A few of the centers expressed optimism that they will become self-sufficient within the next year; however, only the Antelope Valley Telebusiness Center reported that it is now self-sufficient and is operating with no outside support.

Most center administrators view the key to self-sufficiency as a combination of increased awareness and acceptance of telecommuting as a concept, and development of additional revenue-generating services. Efforts designed to increase awareness and acceptance of telecommuting include:


  • Advertising using all forms of local media. Ads are targeted primarily at potential telecommuters: a popular approach is radio advertising scheduled to be broadcast during the heaviest morning and afternoon commute traffic.
  • Erecting billboards along main commute arteries, and erecting posters in mass transit facilities.
  • Networking through activities in local chambers of commerce, community groups, etc., to establish contact with potential telecommuters and their employers.
  • Giving presentations to community or business groups.
  • Identifying key people within companies who can help promote the concept of telecommuting to managers and potential telecommuters. In particular, some employers have transportation coordinators whose sole responsibility is ensuring that their companies comply with air quality regulations. These regulations normally include requirements to reduce the number of work trips made by employees.
  • Bulk mailing letters or brochures to entire neighborhoods or to all employees of a specific company or government office.
  • Distributing brochures or door hangers at public parking lots (especially at malls or park-and-ride lots) and at private residences.


    Among the strategies for diversification being researched or implemented at these centers are:


  • Providing videoconference facilities.
  • Forming partnerships with community colleges or universities to provide distance learning facilities.
  • Serving as training centers for various groups in their communities. Some examples include providing computer training to local residents, offering preparatory training for high school aptitude tests, and forming partnerships with groups of parents to make their facilities available to middle school and high school students.
  • Providing local residents and hotel patrons with drop-in use of office equipment, including computer hardware and software, CD ROM libraries, printers, copiers, and facsimile machines.
  • Providing support for home-based telecommuters.

    The nine telecenters involved in the Residential Area Based Offices Program will first be discussed as a group. These centers are: City of Chula Vista Downtown Telecenter; City of Chula Vista Eastern Telecenter; Coronado Telecenter; Grass Valley Telework Center; East County San Diego Telecommunity Center in La Mesa/El Cajon; Modesto Neighborhood Telework Center; Three Oaks Telecenter in Vacaville; and the Moorpark Community College Telecenter and Ventura Community College Telecenter in Ventura County.

    This will be followed by updates of 21 other telecenters currently operating in the state. Included in this group are: Landmark Telebusiness Center in Anaheim; Antelope Valley Telebusiness Center Phase I; Antelope Valley Telebusiness Center Phase II; Antelope Valley Fair Telecommuting Center; Apple Valley Telebusiness Workcenter; Birch Lane Telecenter in Davis; Davis Telebusiness Center; Highland Telework Center; Long Beach Telebusiness Center; Los Banos Telecenter; Ontario Telebusiness Workcenter; Pomona Telebusiness Workcenter; San Juan Capistrano TeleBusiness Center; Santa Clarita Telebusiness Center; Santa Clarita Valley Telecommuting Center (US GSA); Simi Valley Telework Center; Sonoma County Transit Telecommute Center at Sonoma State University; Auburn Telecenter, Rocklin Telecenter, and Roseville Telecenter of the South Placer Transportation Management Association; and Valencia Corporate Telecommuting Center.

    The final sections incorporate brief descriptions of the eight telecenters that are being planned and the five that have closed since December 1994.


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