Access
Part of Coworking location and access
Choosing a location from employee travel needs
Gather employee travel needs, compare complete journeys and identify difficult trips before shortlisting a coworking location.
Shortlist coworking locations from the journeys employees must make on attendance days. Compare outward and return trips for each candidate, then flag any essential journey that becomes unworkable. A geographic midpoint alone cannot settle the choice.
Gather the travel needs
Ask each employee privately for a broad starting area, usual travel mode, expected office days and required arrival and departure times. Invite regular stops such as childcare or a client site if they affect the trip. A precise home address is unnecessary for an initial area comparison.
Record the busiest shared day as well as an ordinary day. Ask what would make a trip unworkable for that person, such as an unsuitable late service or parking that ends before their workday. Share a comparison with decision-makers without circulating more personal detail than they need.
Employee Travel Needs Assessment Checklist
- Broad starting area (e.g. suburb or region)Provided by employee
- Usual travel mode (e.g. train, car, bike)Confirmed by employee
- Expected office days per weekRecorded for each employee
- Required arrival and departure timesNoted for planning purposes
- Regular stops (e.g. childcare, client site)Identified if impacting trip
- What makes a trip unworkable?Documented (e.g. late service, no parking)
Compare complete trips
For each candidate area, check an outward and return journey at the relevant times. Use the applicable transport planner for public transport services and disruptions, then examine the route from the stop to the building. For drivers, include the proposed parking place and final walk. For people who cycle or walk, consider the route and arrival needs.
Planner results are estimates, not a promise that a journey will work every day. Transport for NSW's Trip Planner offers filters, real-time tools and accessibility support options. These tools cannot establish whether the street route or coworking building suits an individual.
| Need | What to compare |
|---|---|
| Regular arrival | Whole journey at the actual start time |
| Return | Service or driving arrangement at the usual finish time |
| Shared team day | Difficult journeys for required attendees |
| Disruption | A practical alternative when the usual route fails |
| Entry | Whether the person can enter and work at the needed hour |
Comparing Complete Trips for Coworking Location Shortlisting
- Regular arrival
- Whole journey at actual start time
- Return
- Service or driving arrangement at usual finish time
- Shared team day
- Difficult journeys for required attendees
- Disruption
- Practical alternative when usual route fails
- Entry
- Ability to enter and work at needed hour
Build a shortlist with visible trade-offs
Agree what counts as workable, uncertain or unworkable before judging sites. Show the pattern across employees, but identify an essential requirement even if only one person has it. An average can conceal a severe problem.
If a site helps many people but makes a regular attendee's essential trip unworkable, look for another area or a practical attendance arrangement. Compare occasional attendees on the days they actually travel. Finish with a shortlist and specific journeys to check during a site visit, rather than calling one suburb convenient for everyone.
Shortlisting Coworking Locations Based on Employee Travel Needs
- Define 'workable', 'uncertain', 'unworkable' criteriaAgreed across decision-makers
- Map travel patterns across employeesIdentify essential requirements even if only one person has it
- Flag unworkable trips for any regular attendeeDo not accept compromise if essential journey fails
- Compare occasional attendees on actual travel daysAvoid assumptions about infrequent travel
- Finalise shortlist with specific journeys to verify onsiteNo general claims like 'convenient for everyone'
