KTGY Oakland – Sustainable Commuting Wins Award

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KTGY Oakland Wins 2014 Bike Friendly Business of the Year Award

Cindy Ma, LEED AP and project planner in KTGY’s Oakland office, is a member of the Bike East Bay (formerly known as the East Bay Bike Coalition) and one of KTGY’s regular bicycle commuters. Cindy submitted KTGY as a candidate for Bike East Bay’s Bicycle Friendly Business of the Year Award and KTGY was one of only three businesses that won.

KTGY recently expanded its Jack London Square office in Oakland and when the topic of better bike parking was brought up, the employees provided input. “In the expansion, much thought was put into the creation of a bicycle storage space that could meet employee needs,” said Cindy. “The final result was a one-of-a kind bike room that is central, secure, easily accessible, and incorporates a unique bike rack created by Zac Miles, another KTGY employee. We use this space every day and I love that I was able to be a part of the process of creating it.”

But it doesn’t end there: for more than 10 years, KTGY has been offering a $5 per day green commute incentive to all employees who walk, bike, carpool, or ride public transportation as part of their commute. “It makes for great lunch (or beer!) money,” says Ma, but “most of the time it goes to my baking fund to bring baked goods to the office.”

In February, Tom Werner, CEO of Sunpower Corp, co-wrote an oped for the Mercury News. “If we want to attract highly talented workers,” he said, “we need to take bold steps toward making Silicon Valley more inviting for those who want to commute, shop and dine in a bike- and pedestrian-friendly environment.”

KTGY is not only building good living environments in Bay Area cities, but also promoting a better working environment where it counts, in its own office.