Walmart is rolling out a new commute

Remember learning to ride your bike in the school parking lot, or the humbling agony of a Razor scooter obliterating your ankle? Same. But dust off your helmet and hike up your tube socks, because it ...

Remember learning to ride your bike in the school parking lot, or the humbling agony of a Razor scooter obliterating your ankle?

Walmart is rolling out a new commute

Same. But dust off your helmet and hike up your tube socks, because it might be time for a new set of wheels. Walmart Inc. created a position in 2022 called the “director of workplace mobility,” per Bloomberg, and it could hint at a broader corporate trend.

Kourtney Barrett, who was hired for the role, is charged with:

  • Getting 10% of employees at the company’s Arkansas headquarters to commute to work by any means other than single-passenger driving by 2025.
  • Encouraging options like walking, biking, riding a scooter, carpooling, or taking public transportation.

To hit the 10% goal, employees must use alternative modes of transportation 2x-3x per week for a year. Currently, less than 1% of the Arkansas workforce meets that standard, so Barrett has her work cut out for her.

Riding into the future

Walmart introduced the 10% goal not only to cut carbon emissions, but also to help employees lead healthier lives and decrease local traffic congestion.

And it’s blazing a trail that other corporations will likely follow. Per a report from the IBM Institute of Business Value:

  • Seven in 10 workers say they’re more likely to stay with an employer that has a good reputation for sustainability.
  • Three in 4 say they expect their employer to take action on social responsibility issues.

Could handlebar tassels be the next big office merch category? Here’s hopin’.

Topics: Transportation

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