Best Workplaces for Commuters

BWC TOP 10 LIST FOR EMPLOYERS

1.  Provide employees with subsidies for using public transit & vanpooling.

Federal government allows most employers to provide up to $125 per month tax free to employees for transit and vanpooling and up to $240 per month for parking. Employers also don’t pay payroll taxes on this subsidy.

2.  Provide employees the option of pre-tax dollars for public transit & vanpooling. 

Similar in concept to medical reimbursement but without the “use it or lose it” constraint, employees can get more buying power by using pre-tax dollars of up to $125 per month for transit and vanpooling and up to $240 for parking.  Most employers save 7.65% in payroll taxes.

3.   Reimburse employees for commuting by bicycle.

Federal government allows most employers to provide up to $20 per month tax free to employees. Employers also don’t pay payroll taxes on this subsidy.

4.   Provide employees with bike racks, lockers and showers. 

Employees are more likely to bike or walk to work with these amenities at their worksite.

5.   Reduce the number of days employees need to travel to work.

Offer a compressed work week program where employees work the same number of hours in fewer days.

6.  Offer employees a telework option.

For knowledge workers, work is what you do, not where you go.  Equip and train employees and managers to work from anywhere – telework.  Employers can also reduce overhead and see increases in productivity.

7.   Replace parking subsidies with a transportation allowance.

Cash out the value of parking and provide a transportation allowance to employees.  The employees then have a choice as how to use a transportation benefit provided by the employer.

8.   Offer employees an Emergency Ride Home.

Reimbursement for those employees who use an option other than driving alone to work so they won’t be worried about being stranded in the event of a carpool partner needing to leave work unexpectedly or that they need to stay later to complete a task.  (Many regional carpool agencies provide Emergency Ride Home programs at no cost to employers and employees for occasional use)

9.   Offer employees flexible work options.

Flexible Work Options are a valued tool for supporting employee efforts to balance the demands of work and personal life.  Happy employees are more productive.

10.  Provide employees with a Carpool Incentive programs.

Carpool incentive programs may incorporate a variety of means to encourage employees to carpool. Possible incentives include reduced cost or free parking, preferred parking, or reward programs (such as prize drawings).  Employers can help employees form carpools through rideshare matching, which helps potential carpoolers locate others nearby with similar schedules

Receive recognition for your efforts!  Become a Best Workplace for Commuters here: http://www.bestworkplaces.org/join/online-application/ .  Contact Julie Bond, BWC Program Manager at bond@cutr.usf.edu or call her direct at 813.974.9799.

 March 29, 2012 – Six Knoxville, TN, Smart Trips participating employers have earned the designation as Best Workplaces for Commuters by the National Center for Transit Research (NCTR) at the University of South Florida.

The local businesses are Elizabeth Eason Architecture, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Mast General Store, Metropolitan Planning Commission, Red Chair Architects, and Tennessee Valley Authority. These six businesses join the one other employer in the state to earn this designation.  Each business received a plaque and congratulations at a ceremony on Thursday, March 29 at Market Square in downtown Knoxville. 

Awards recognize companies who offer highest level of commuter benefits

TAMPA, Fla. (Jan. 26, 2012) – Best Workplaces for Commuters^SM, a program designed to encourage sustainable transportation innovation singled out 15 employers nationwide Thursday, January 26 during the annual “Race to Excellence”  Virtual Awards Ceremony.  The awards recognize organizations who have taken exemplary steps to offer transportation options such as vanpool and transit benefits or telework and compressed workweek for their employees.

“The annual Race to Excellence provides national recognition for employers who offer high level commuter benefits,” said Julie Bond, NCTR’s national program manager for Best Workplaces for Commuters. “Offering commuter benefits is a win-win situation for both employees and employers. Employees change their commuting habits, save time, money and stress while employers gain a competitive edge in employee recruitment and retention.” 

Best Workplaces for Commuters provides qualified employers with programs and services along with national recognition and an elite designation for offering outstanding commuter benefits, such as free or low cost bus passes. Employers that meet the National Standard of Excellence in commuter benefits – a standard established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and maintained by the National Center for Transit Research (NCTR)– can become a member of Best Workplaces for Commuters (http://www.bestworkplaces.org).

And the winners are: 

• “Best Of”
• Stanford University (Stanford, CA)

• Gold Employer/Champion
• Bishop Ranch Transportation Association (San Ramon, CA)
• Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN)
• State of Arizona (Phoenix, AZ)
• Tindale-Oliver & Associates (Tampa, FL)
• GVF (King of Prussia, PA) (Champion & Employer)
• Gold University
• Stanford University (Stanford, CA)
• University of California, Irvine
• University of California, San Francisco
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• University of South Florida (Tampa, FL)
• Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA)

• Silver Employer

• BLiNQ Media (New York, NY)
• Booz Allen Hamilton (McLean, VA)
• Central Arizona Project (Phoenix, AZ)
• Suburban Transit Network, Inc (Blue Bell, PA)

Best Workplaces for Commuter ™ is a program of the National Center for Transit Research at the University of South Florida.  NCTR is funded by Florida Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Transportation. The theme of NCTR is to make public transportation and alternative forms of transportation, including managed lanes, safe, effective, efficient, desirable, and secure.

The University of South Florida is one of the nation’s top 63 public research universities and one of only 25 public research universities nationwide with very high research activity that is designated as community engaged by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.  USF was awarded $394.1 million in research contracts and grants in FY 2009/2010. The university offers 232 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, specialist and doctoral levels, including the doctor of medicine. The USF System has a $1.8 billion annual budget, an annual economic impact of $3.2 billion, and serves more than 47,000 students on institutions/campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and Lakeland. USF is a member of the Big East Athletic Conference.

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The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT), in partnership with the University of South Florida’s National Center for Transit Research, has designated nine Fairfax County employers as “Best Workplaces for Commuters” for 2011. The employers were recognized for the range of transportation options offered to their employees. 

The “Best Workplaces for Commuters” designation acknowledges employers who have excelled in implementing green commuter programs including ridesharing, transit benefits, biking and walking, teleworking, alternate work schedules and other Transportation Demand Management strategies. The employers are: 

• National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
• Computer Sciences Corporation
• Reston Interfaith
• Energy and Security Group
• Fort Belvoir
• CALIBRE
• Cascades Technologies, Inc.
• Price Waterhouse Coopers
• High Performance Technologies, Inc.

 For information about the Fairfax County Employer Services Program, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/employer.htm.

Howard County Government has met the Standard of Excellence and is designated a Best Workplace for Commuters.  Since taking office in 2006, County Executive Ken Ulman has moved Howard County toward becoming a model green community through various policies and initiative that provide a healthier and “greener” environment for County employees and residents.  Howard County Government strongly encourages flexible work schedules and telecommuting and has transitioned the County’s fleet to hybrid whenever possible.  Recent renovations to the County Government office complex, which included building to LEED Silvers standards, have provided employees with healthy indoor air quality and exposure to natural light.  Furthermore, with its location, Howard County Government plays a major role in the provision of alternative forms of transportation in the region though the Howard Transit bus service, rideshare and connectivity through bicycle and pedestrian pathways

Howard County is conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington and is considered one of Maryland’s fastest-growing regions with a population of more than 280,000.  Over the years, Howard County has received numerous accolades including “Best Place to Raise a Family,”  “Most Digital County Government” and “Healthiest Maryland County.”  Most recently, Howard County was ranked the #2 “Best Place to Live in America” by Money Magazine for its strong quality of life, excellent public schools and libraries, and commitment to public safety.

Cambridge Systematics has met the Standard of Excellence and is designated a Best Workplace for Commuters for its Cambridge, Massachusetts location. Cambridge Systematics offers outstanding commuter benefits including a transit reimbursement program, onsite cafeteria, fitness center with shower facilities and secure bicyle storage. Bike commuters take advantage of the close proximity to the area’s extensive bike trail system. Cambridge Systematics proudly promotes and supports the Bike to Work Day event.   At the firm’s Cambridge headquarters, a major commuter station is one block away providing an easy walk to the bus and transit lines as well as local area grocers, banks, shops and restaurants. 

Cambridge Systematics is transportation specialists, dedicated to ensuring that transportation investments deliver the best possible results. They have been a leader in the transportation industry for over 35 years.

Akari Energy located in Houston, Texas has met the Standard of Excellence and is named a Best Workplace for Commuters for providing high level commuter benefits to employees.  Akari Energy provides a transit pass benefit, telework and compressed work week options. 

About Akari Energy:

Akari Energy is proud to provide America with the highest quality in commercial and residential renewable energy, hurricane readiness, back-up power, roofing, building and disaster recovery services, power plant consulting, energy efficient street lighting, skylights, smoke vents, and other engineering consulting services. They are dedicated to helping reduce our nation’s carbon emissions and improving our energy security. They help their customers become more energy efficient, save money by hedging against rising energy costs, and live more comfortably and safely.

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation, in partnership with the University of South Florida’s Center for Urban Transportation Research, have designated 10 Fairfax County employers as “Best Workplaces for Commuters” for 2010.

The employers were recognized for the range of transportation options offered to their employees. The designation acknowledges employers who have excelled in implementing green commuter programs, including ride-sharing, transit benefits, biking and walking, teleworking, alternate work schedules and other strategies.

The employers honored include the Fairfax County government, National Wildlife Federation, Booz-Allen Hamilton, the Aerospace Corp., Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Orange Business Services, ICF International, George Mason University, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Inova Alexandria Hospital.

For information about the Fairfax County Employer Services Program, see the Web site at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/employer.htm.

ERG has met the Standard of Excellence and is a Best Workplace for Commuters.  ERG encourages its employees to leave their cars at home and use alternative modes to get to work. Telework is encouraged, schedules are flexible, subsidies are offered to offset the cost of transit, and many employees bike and walk to work. In addition, ERG offsets 100 percent of its annual electricity usage with green power.

ERG is a national environmental consulting firm that delivers expert support to clients in the fields of  mobile sources emissions evaluation and controls, transportation demand management, outreach and communications, economic research and analysis, information technology, and engineering and environmental services. Since 1984, ERG has held more than 100 prime contracts and 115 subcontracts with federal agencies such as Environmental Protection Agency; Departments of Defense, Transportation, and Energy; and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. ERG has also held contracts with more than 10 state agencies. ERG’s more than 350 employees in 13 locations nationwide provide a full range of environmental services, including database development; air and mobile source engineering; economic and regulatory support; cost/benefit analysis; environmental health and risk assessment; technical writing and editing; meeting and facilitation support; graphic and Web design; and air modeling and testing.

Consumers Union (CU) has met the Standard of Excellence and is designated a Best Workplace for Commuters.  CU operates a no-cost 15-passenger van, used by at least 35 staffers each day that picks up and delivers people to a New York City subway stop and two train stations. Some 47 staffers participate in the NuRide carpooling program, and CU maintains a carpooling database on the employee Intranet. The Guaranteed Ride Home program provides free transportation home for staff unable to carpool or find an alternative commuting method.

CU allows many staff members to work from home. The organization’s enhanced Virtual Private Network (VPN) assists employees who telecommute. In addition, CU’s headquarters feature a bike rack, as well as lockers and showers for employees who cycle to work.

 Founded in 1936, Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, is an expert, independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves.