EMPLOYER RECOGNITION AWARDS HONOR TOP BENEFIT PROGRAMS

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1 Issue 3, Volume 18 Summer 2014 WHAT S INSIDE 4 Encourage Employees to Put It Away for Car Free Day! 5 Commuter Connections Celebrates 40 Years! 5 Metro s Silver Line Opens! The Commuter Information Source for Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia EMPLOYER RECOGNITION AWARDS HONOR TOP BENEFIT PROGRAMS Three area companies, a state agency program and a local jurisdiction were honored at the 17th annual Commuter Connections Employer Recognition Awards ceremony held at the National Press Club on June 24, This annual awards event honors companies that promote sustainable, healthy, and convenient commute options for their employees. Companies are nominated in three categories. Commuter Incentives reward and encourage employees for using alternative means of commuting. Marketing Programs are an essential part of a successful commuter program and promote the merits of alternative commuting. Teleworking allows employees to dramatically reduce the time and money spent commuting. Continued on page EMPLOYER SATISFACTION SURVEY RESULTS RELEASED Commuter Connections has released a report on the results of the 2014 Employer Satisfaction Survey. Conducted every five years, the survey queries a random sample of employers that participate in the Employer Outreach program administered by Commuter Connections. Data is collected to document the attitudes, opinions, and satisfaction of employers toward the products and services provided by Commuter Connections and local member organizations that are part of the Commuter Connections Employer Services network in the Washington, DC metropolitan region. Topics covered in the 2014 survey included: company background; worksite commute programs; satisfaction with Commuter Connections representatives; communication with Commuter Connections; value of Commuter Connections employer assistance services; use of employer survey data; and interest in Commuter Connections training opportunities. Company Background 60% of companies employed fewer than 100 employees and 17% had 251 or more. 63% were private companies and 30% were non-profits. Over half said they only had one work site in the region. Worksite Commuter Services Offered 46% of respondents said employees had access to general commute info, 37% said transit schedules were available, and 20% cited Guaranteed Ride Home. 45% said they currently offered SmartBenefits, 31% offered SmarTrip Cards, and 30% offered pre-tax accounts. 53% said they offered flexibility in work schedules. Awareness and Satisfaction with Commuter Connections Network Representative Although most respondents had been involved with commuter benefits for more than two years, only 27% could name their representative. Continued on page 5

2 Employer Recognition Awards Honor Top Benefit Programs Continued from front This year s award winners have demonstrated their commitment to improving the quality of life in this region by providing programs and innovative transportation benefits that can reduce the cost of commuting for employees, ease traffic congestion, and help improve air quality, said Nicholas Ramfos, Director of Commuter Connections. We offer our thanks and congratulations to all the winners. It is estimated that, combined, they saved employees more than 570,000 gallons of gasoline and reduced more than 11 million vehicle miles traveled annually. Employer Awards The awards ceremony recognizes area companies that go above and beyond to support commuter programs. This years winners were: INCENTIVES AWARD L to R: Patrick Wojahn, City of College Park Councilmember, Chair, National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB); Ian Kline - Chief Executive Officer, The Cadmus Group; Jon Williams - Program Director, IDEA and Synthesis Studies, Transportation Research Board Incentives Award The Cadmus Group, Bethesda, MD Founded in 1983, The Cadmus Group is a leading employee-owned environmental and energy consulting firm with offices across the country. In 2006, The Cadmus Group adopted its commuter benefits program that offers its employees a wide range of alternative commuting incentives designed to accommodate an employee s individual needs while minimizing reliance on automobiles. To encourage employees to use public transit, Cadmus offers a $160 monthly transit subsidy, in addition to a shuttle service from the Bethesda Metro station to their Bethesda office. Cadmus offers a yearly $100 bicycle subsidy, as well as on-site lockers, shower facilities, and bike racks installed in safe locations for long-term storage. All employees have the opportunity to telework and/or participate in a compressed work schedule. Of its 83 employees at two DC-area work sites, 80 percent have found alternatives to drive-alone commuting. MARKETING AWARD L to R: Patrick Wojahn, City of College Park Councilmember, Chair, TPB; Walter Harris - Deputy Commissioner for Operations/Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Daniel Flores - Vice President, Regional Government Relations, Greater Washington Board of Trade Marketing Award Food and Drug Administration, White Oak, MD Beginning in 2005, the FDA began promoting its commuter benefits program and alternative commute options to employees, and now leverages both traditional and new methods to promote transportation alternatives. In addition to the bulletin boards displaying the latest transportation activity and commuter information stationed in the cafeteria, the FDA communicates regularly through blasts to employees announcing new alternative commute options, bus schedules, new vanpools, and current vanpools with vacancies. Every two weeks, the FDA conducts new employee orientations with a presentation highlighting information on Commuter Connections alternative commuting programs. To encourage bus use as a commuting option, the FDA provides all new employees with complimentary trial bus passes. Of the FDA s 5,800 employees, over 500 use vanpools or carpools, more than 250 use public transit, and more than 2,500 telework an average of five-plus days per month. Telework Award USDA Forest Service, Washington, DC In 2011, the USDA Forest Service merged two DC area offices in an effort to reduce its carbon footprint. To ensure all employees fit comfortably within the reduced office space, the agency expects at least 30 percent of its employees to telework on a regular basis. Mandatory telework training sessions identify employees who are eligible to telework. Teleworkers are provided with equipment to perform their jobs from home offices. New technologies, both in the offices and available for mobile commuting, have resulted in more employees considering a variety of eco-friendly options for meetings, collaboration sessions, and daily operations. Of its 666 employees in the Washington metropolitan region, almost half Continued on page 3 2

3 Employer Recognition Awards Honor Top Benefit Programs Continued from page 2 TELEWORK AWARD L to R: Patrick Wojahn, City of College Park Councilmember, Chair, TPB; Lenise Lago, Deputy Chief of Business Operations, USDA Forest Service; Albert A. Grant - Retired Director of Transportation Planning, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments participate in the telework program and more than one third are equipped and prepared to telework if the need arises. Telework hours for 2013 doubled from 3,700 to 7,300 hours over the year. Also honored were organizations that work to foster employer partnerships and provide support to those employers for their commute benefit programs. Two awards were given. Employer Services Awards Beltway Express Lanes and Dulles Metrorail projects. With 112,000 commuters traveling into Tysons each day, the potential for the twelfth largest employment center in the country to be stuck in constant traffic snarls was great. The Solutions Team was formed to help employers continue to operate as normally as possible during the adversity, by offering transportation options that would make working in the area more palatable for employees. The team set clear-cut goals and related objectives to persuade employers to help change engrained employee drive alone commute habits. The Employer Solutions Team held 275 new employer meetings, 547 follow-up meetings, participated in 124 on-site transportation fairs and employer events, and held 266 vanpool meetings. Their diligence put in place over 60,000 vanpool passenger rides per month, and signed 34 new Telework!VA contracts. The efforts of the team have enabled employers in the Tysons area to either start or expand commuter benefit programs that have led to reductions in traffic congestion before, during and after the construction period. The Employer Solutions Team is sponsored through the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. Employer Services Sales Team Achievement Award EMPLOYER SERVICES ORGANIZATION ACHIEVEMENT AWARD L to R: Patrick Wojahn, City of College Park Councilmember, Chair, TPB; Chris Arabia, Manager of Mobility Programs, VA Department of Rail and Public Transportation and Susan Shaw - Regional Transportation Director, VA Department of Transportation; Tim Lovain, City of Alexandria Councilmember, and second Vice Chair, TPB. Employer Services Organization Achievement Award Virginia Megaprojects, Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation Over the last five years, despite major construction projects in Northern Virginia, traffic congestion has been manageable and auto accidents minimal. This is in part due to the efforts of the Virginia Megaprojects Employer Solutions Team. The three-person team was formed in June 2008 to help mitigate potential gridlock due to construction of the I-495 Capital EMPLOYER SERVICES SALES TEAM ACHIEVEMENT AWARD L to R: Patrick Wojahn, City of College Park Councilmember, Chair, TPB; Holly Morello, TDM Specialist, PRTC; Tim Lovain, City of Alexandria Councilmember, and second Vice Chair, TPB. Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission During the past year, with a full time sales staff equivalent of one representative, over 1,200 contacts were made with employers within Prince William County and 13 meetings were held. As a result, Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission s Employer Services Program has added 35 new clients of various levels and expanded their total list of high-impact employer commute programs to 14. The Prince William County sales team also attends employer transportation fairs and related on-site events, as well as conducts seminars and workshops. Continued on page 4 3

4 Employer Recognition Awards Honor Top Benefit Programs Continued from page 3 Selection of the 2014 Sales Team Achievement award recipient was based on information provided by the Employer Services sales teams as part of their required monthly reports to COG/TPB, and through on-going database verifications. The Employer Services Sales Team Achievement Award is given to the Commuter Connections Employer Services sales team that has most successfully met its goal of partnering with employers to develop and expand commute benefit offerings. There are a total of ten Employer Services sales teams with twenty-nine full time equivalent representatives in the Washington metropolitan region who cultivate and support employer based transportation programs. For more information on Commuter Connection s Employer Recognition Awards, visit commuterconnections.org. Encourage Employees to Put It Away for Car Free Day! Put it away, Uncar for a day! That s the theme for this year s Car Free Day. On Monday, September 22, 2014 join Washington region employees and residents and millions of people around the world in getting out of cars during international Car Free Day! Car Free Day encourages everyone, not just commuters, to get out of cars and enjoy the world around them. People are urged to take the pledge to bicycle, walk, telework, use transit, or go car-lite (carpool), for just one day. Organizers hope that, by putting it away for a day, participants can get an idea of how they can make going car free or car-lite a part of their everyday life. Participants are encouraged to go car free to work, as well as for trips outside of their daily commute such as taking transit to the movies, walking to a restaurant, riding a bicycle to the park, or sharing a ride to a special event. There are many ways to travel other than a car, even if it s just for one day. - Encourage your employees to take the pledge at and let them know about the prizes. - Help your employees see how getting out of their car on the weekends can translate to the workday. - Inter-department or inter-office participation challenges There are also many events happening during the month of September that you can practice going car free or car lite to including PARK(ing) Day (9/19), Capital Home Show (9/19-21), Korean Festival (9/19-21), Fiesta DC (9/21) and many others. For a list of the many events happening around Car Free Day, go to The local occasion, sponsored by Commuter Connections, offers those who take the pledge at the opportunity to win great prizes, such as a Kindle Fire, transit passes, sport and health memberships and more. For more information on Car Free Day in the Washington area, have your employees take the pledge to go car free, or to get help promoting Car Free Day at your site, go to or call RIDE. How can you spread the word about Car Free Day to your employees? - Download a poster at - Let them know about available regional resources that can help them go car free: ridematching service - Washington Metro ( - Washington Area Bicyclist Association ( 4

5 COMMUTER CONNECTIONS CELEBRATES 40 YEARS! On July 16th, elected officials and dignitaries from across the region gathered to celebrate Commuter Connections 40th year! Started in 1974 in response to the 1973 gas shortage and oil crisis, Commuter Connections began as the Commuter Club providing ridematching services to help the region s commuters find more cost-effective, environmentally friendly commute alternatives. In the four decades since, Commuter Connections introduced a wide range of regional alternative commute programs, including ridematching, Guaranteed Ride Home, Bike to Work Day, Car Free Day, Employer Recognition Awards, and Pool Rewards. Commuter Connections now assists more than 30,000 commuters annually. Continued on page 6 METRO SILVER LINE OPENS! On July 26, 2014, Metro s Silver Line opened to much fanfare as the introduction of the Silver Line represents a significant service increase for Metro. Metro now runs more trains and rail cars than at any point in its history. Silver Line trains operate between Reston and Largo at the same frequency as most other lines. During rush hours, trains run every 6 minutes; at off-peak times, trains run every 12 to 20 minutes. Five new stations were added to the system: McLean, Tysons Corner, Greensboro, Spring Hill and Wiehle-Reston East. About 37 percent of existing Metrorail riders are benefiting from shorter wait times. Metro riders can now purchase new SmarTrip cards, or add value to existing cards, at four Walmart stores in the Washington region. For more on SmarTrip cards visit wmata.com. For information on the new Silver Line go to silverlinemetro.com. Did You Know? 79% of commuters in the region said they work a standard full-time schedule, defined as five or more days per week.* *2013 Commuter Connections State of the Commute Survey 2014 Employer Satisfaction Survey Report Released Continued from page 1 50% said they had contact with their representative within the last year and 73% said they were satisfied with their level of contact. Finally, more than 80% rated their representative as excellent. Use of and Satisfaction with Commuter Connections Services 58% of the respondents gave an overall rating of either satisfied or very satisfied. More than half of the employers said that the services had either been useful (21%) or very useful (37%). stated that their organization had used the employee survey in the past year. Interest in Training Opportunities Sponsored by Commuter Connections Finally, the survey asked respondents how interested they would be in workshops, seminars, or other training opportunities offered by Commuter Connections. At least one quarter expressed substantial interest in training. 5 Employee Commute Survey Offered by Commuter Connections, the Employee Commute Survey helps employers identify how employees travel to work and which types of commute benefit programs employees may be interested in using. About a tenth of respondents Results from the survey help to better structure Commuter Connections programs and services for employers. To contact your Employer Services representative, call RIDE.

6 National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments 777 N. Capitol St., NE, Ste. 300 Washington, D.C RIDE commuterconnections.org For subscription information or to change your mailing address, contact Commuter Connections at RIDE Commuter Connections is a publication of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. This program is funded by the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and U.S. Departments of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, under MAP-21. For information or to change your mailing address, contact Commuter Connections at RIDE, or (TDD). We invite your comments and suggestions. Please send to: Commuter Connections Editor, c/o Commuter Connections, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments 777 N Capitol St, NE, Ste 300 Washington, D.C or us at nramfos@mwcog.org. Printed on recycled paper Commuter Connections SUMMER 2014 COMMUTER CONNECTIONS CELEBRATES 40 YEARS! Continued from page 5 Commuter Connections continues to develop and move forward to find new ways to improve mobility in the region and respond to the needs of today s commuters, said Nicholas Ramfos, Director of Commuter Connections. We re addressing commuter needs and looking at new, innovative ways to continue making a positive impact on the region s transportation infrastructure and to enhance the lives and health of commuters in the region as we move into our next decade. See Commuter Connections 40-year history at: commuterconnections.org/about-us/digital-timeline. THEN VS. NOW (A LOOK BACK): AVERAGE COMMUTE: 1977: 11 miles / 35 minutes; 2012: 36 miles / 63 minutes. TRANSIT MODE: 1977: drive alone ~50%; 2012: transit ~52%. REASON TO CHANGE MODE: 1977: save money 63% and save time 38%; 2012: save money 16%, save time 11%, avoid driving 10%. HEARD ABOUT COMMUTER CONNECTIONS: 1977: from employer 70%; 2012: word of mouth 31%, employer 19%. RESULTS: 1977: 1,200 vehicle trips reduced, 408 gallons of fuel saved daily; 2012: 1,677 vehicle trips reduced, 1,853 gallons of fuel saved daily. PRESORTED FIRST CLASS National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments 777 N. Capitol St., N.E., Suite 300 Washington, D.C U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No Washington D.C.