More companies are offering a simple workplace perk to make commutes less painful as gas prices soar

In Seattle, the average price of a gallon of gas is now $5.96, a 30-cent increase from only a month ago and a $1.50 increase from a year ago. The United States and Israel’s conflict in Iran, and the constricted flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, has caused gas prices across the country to soar. That’s made workplace commutes more costly for Americans already facing an affordability crisis. For students, staff, and faculty at the University of Washington, though, they have a new way to get to work if they want to ditch their cars. The university recently set up a partnership with Ridepanda, which allows companies to offer e-bike and scooter subscriptions as a workplace perk. The partnership was in the works for a while as part of the campus’s sustainability goals. But the timing is fortuitous: Commuters could start using Ridepanda as of early April, right after national gas prices exceeded $4 a gallon for the first time in four years. Prices have only increased since then. [Photo: Ridepanda] A record month for Ridepanda subscribers Just as April was a record month for gas prices, it was also a record month for new Ridepanda subscribers, the company says. Overall, subscribers are up 46% since gas prices first began to spike in March, and up 94% compared with this time last year. Ridepanda saw a record day for orders in April, when they were 311% above the average, and has continued to see that trend play out into May. The majority of new subscribers are also new to the world of micromobility, says Ridepanda cofounder and CEO Chinmay Malaviya. It’s not yet clear how many are switching from gas vehicles because of the oil crisis, but the company says on average, its riders—many of whom have never biked to work before—replace about six car trips per week. That saves companies some 1,500 pounds of CO2 emissions per employee per year. The surge in interest now makes sense to Malaviya: “We run surveys . . . and ask, What triggered you to do this now? What incen