LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - is the U.S. Green Building Council's widely-recognized standard for Green building. LEED provides standards for both new construction and existing building, incorporating aspects of energy efficiency, sustainable development, indoor air quality, and others. The U.S. Green Building Council provides a comprehensive set of tools, measures, for developers who are interested in obtaining LEED certification.

Receiving LEED certification requires a significant and worthwhile investment of money and time to obtain the appropriate equipment and materials as well as undertake the necessary reporting and regular follow-up that maintenance of the certification requires. However, RIDE Solutions can help you obtain or maximize the impact of several LEED credits at no cost and with no administrative burden on the part of the development.

• 4.1: Alternative Transportation - Public Transportation Access. Sites within 1/4 mile from a public transit route can receive this credit. RIDE Solutions can, through education and computerized mapping assistance, help your employees learn the routes and timetables so that they feel comfortable replacing single-occupancy vehicle trips with transit trips. We can assist in implementing tax-deferred transit benefits, either subsidized by the employer or paid by the employee, and users of public transit who register with RIDE Solutions receive the benefits of our Guaranteed Ride Home program.
  
  
• 4.2: Alternative Transportation - Bicycle Storage and Changing Rooms. Through our RIDE Solutions Bike Rack Donation Program, companies are eligible for one or more free bike racks plus installation assistance. To help commuters move to bicycle commuting as a regular option, we can provide maps of bicycle routes in the area, online assistance, and training assistance to help potential cyclists with the challenges specific to bicycling as a commute option.
  
  
• 4.4: Alternative Transportation - Parking Capacity. This credit requires the development to limit or reduce the number of available parking spaces and reserve spaces for carpools, reducing vehicle trips to the site. We can provide "Reserved for Carpool" parking signs and work with the employer to create other approriate incentives. Of course, all these services are free, and we handle all the adminstrative work of matching carpool partners and communicating with members.

Interested employers shoud contact us for more information or simply go ahead and complete a Workplace Profile to explore becoming a RIDE Solutions Workplace!

Several groups in the Roanoke and New River Valleys have distinguished themselves as leaders in Green building practices and are experts in the LEED process.

• SmithLewis Architecture: Designers of the Claude Moore Education Complex and founder of the nationally recognized C2C Home competition.
• Breakell, Inc.: With over 50 years in the business, Breakell, Inc. has dedicated itself to taking the lead in sustainable building, including maximizing LEED standards whenever possible.