The Commuter Information Source for Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia Issue 4, Volume 18 Fall 2014 WHAT S INSIDE 2 Metro s Silver Line Shines 3 2015 Employer Recognition Awards Call for Nominations 3 Metroway Offers Rapid Transit 4 Carpoolers Huddle with Washington Redskin Kirk Cousins 5 MTA Commuter Bus Improvements 6 How Do You Stack Up? NEW EMPLOYER CASE STUDIES Every day, employers like you rely on Commuter Connections for free guidance and support to start, or enhance commute programs at the workplace. They count on the unmatched reputation of Commuter Connections because our free services enrich the quality of life for employees, increasing recruitment and retention, and ultimately improving your company s bottom line. Over the years, our experience has found that one of the most effective tools we have is to share success stories of other Washington metropolitan region employer commute benefit programs. Because what works for another employer might be beneficial for your company as well. Working with Commuter Connections is advantageous to your organization as we talk to a lot of employers to gather and share tips on what works, and what doesn t, to make your employees commuting lives better. Reducing traffic congestion and improving employee commutes, is good for everybody! One of the ways Commuter Connections shares such information is through employer case studies focusing on a wide variety of individual programs. We put together short briefs that highlight what your fellow employers are doing. A newly issued Commuter Connections case study profiles Lockheed Martin Federal Systems, a government contractor with many employment sites throughout the DC region, providing technical, aerospace, and security support to federal agencies. More than 1,500 employees work at Lockheed s campus within the Prince William technology corridor in Manassas, Virginia. That s a lot of people trying to get in and out of one place at the same time. The Manassas campus has few transit options and limited parking for their ever growing workforce. That amounts to traffic congestion and stressed commuters. Continued on page 2
New Employer Case Studies Continued from front Lockheed Martin put together an internal group to determine what could be done for current and prospective employees and their commutes. By looking at other work sites in the region, they were able to customize benefits for their Manassas location. Lockheed Martin expanded their pre-tax transit/vanpool benefit to the full IRS allowable limit of $130 per month. Lockheed also expanded telework eligibility, and implemented a flextime schedule. Lastly, preferential parking was offered for carpools and vanpools. others just released include the United Nations Foundation in Washington, DC, and Wells Fargo in Frederick, MD. To read the full case study, and those of other area employers, visit commuterconnections.org, click on Employers, then on Commuting Solutions. If you got a good story to tell, we d love to hear all about it at 800 745-7433, or share it with us on our LinkedIn page, search for Commuter Connections. The result is that Lockheed has been successful in getting fewer employees to drive alone to work, and more taking advantage of other available transportation options. For example, telework participation has risen to 24% of the total employee population. Additionally, several new vanpools have been started. Through these commute program modifications, Lockheed s workforce has reduced more than 750,000 vehicle miles traveled and more than 22,000 gallons of gas per year. The Lockheed Martin story is just one of the many case studies that Commuter Connections has prepared, and we re happy to share them all. In addition to the Lockheed Martin case study, METRO S SILVER LINE SHINES Metro s new Silver Line, the largest expansion of Metrorail since 1991, has exceeded ridership expectations. Metro estimates that the Silver Line is currently adding approximately 6,000 new riders to the Metrorail system each weekday. The balance, approximately 9,000 riders, are primarily former Orange Line riders who have switched to the Silver Line. Boardings at the Wiehle-Reston East station have already exceeded first-year ridership projections with 8,400 boardings, or 16,800 weekday entries and exits. Tysons Corner station, the second busiest, has about 5,300 entries and exits on weekdays and is the only station with higher ridership on the weekends with approximately 7,500 entries and exits. Encourage your employees to give the new Silver Line a trial run. For more about the Siver Line visit silverlinemetro.com 2
METROWAY OFFERS RAPID TRANSIT There s a new way to commute along route 1 between Arlington and Alexandria. It s called Metroway, the first bus rapid transit system in the Washington metropolitan region. The modern blue colored buses hum through dedicated bus-only lanes between Crystal City and Braddock Rd Metrorail stations, via Potomac Yard. Encourage your employees to use this premium and fast service with great features that include, brand new buses with vaulted ceilings, large windows with panoramic views, and bike racks. For more information on Metroway, visit metrowayva.com. The service runs seven days a week from 5:30am to 10:00pm, Monday through Thursday, 5:30am to midnight on Friday, 6:30am to midnight on Saturday, and 7:30am to 10:00pm on Sunday. The buses run every six minutes during rush hour, every 12 minutes during daytime off-peak hours, and every 15 minutes in the evenings. Metroway bus service costs $1.75 for each ride and can be paid with a SmarTrip card or cash. Transfer discounts are given for SmarTrip payments. In 2015, Metroway will expand to include stops at Pentagon City, 33rd & Crystal Drive in Arlington, and Fayette Street in Alexandria. The stations will also feature real-time bus arrival screens and off-board fare collection. 2015 EMPLOYER RECOGNITION AWARDS CALL FOR NOMINATIONS Nominations are now being accepted for the 2015 Employer Recognition Awards. This annual event recognizes Washington metropolitan region employers with outstanding employee commute benefit programs. Employers can be nominated in three categories: Incentives employers who provide commute benefits making alternative transportation modes more advantageous than driving alone. Marketing employers who successfully promote commuting options. Telecommuting employers who initiate or expand effective telework programs Applicants are evaluated and winners are chosen for their ability to offer measurable commuter benefits that reduce automobile fuel consumption and emissions through fewer vehicle trips and miles traveled. Continued on page 4 3
CARPOOLERS HUDDLE WITH WASHINGTON REDSKIN KIRK COUSINS How does a pro quarterback get to work? Commuter Connections and Comcast Sports Network held a Carpool with Football Star Kirk Cousins contest to promote carpooling in the Washington DC area. Open to all carpoolers in the Washington region, even to Dallas Cowboy fans, contest entrants had to like Commuter Connections Facebook page before entering. The lucky winner was Curtis Midkiff from Landover, MD. He and three additional carpoolers commuted via limo ride to work with the Redskins quarterback! We had an amazing time! said Mr. Midkiff, Thanks a million to you and your team for making this process seamless and making today super memorable! Breakfast was provided by Dunkin Donuts and all carpoolers received autographed Redskins footballs tossed to them from Kirk Cousins. Overall, the promotion was a great success. Mr. Midkiff said that even my wife (a Dallas fan which she was told NOT to mention in the car) had to admit she enjoyed spending time with Kirk and said she might even cheer for the Redskins a little this year! See how Commuter Connections can help your professional team of employees score big by saving time and money carpooling. We ll help form your company s game plan, just visit us at commuterconnections.org or call 800.745.RIDE. 2015 Employer Recognition Awards Call for Nominations Continued from page 3 In addition, winners are selected for their altruistic policies that have improved the lives of their employees and the region. Our region has a strong presence of employer focused support of commuter benefit programs through the assistance of Commuter Connections network members, said Nicholas Ramfos, Director of Commuter Connections. The awards program is our opportunity to highlight the successful outcome of these efforts. The 2015 Employer Recognition Award application is available online at www.commuterconnections.org. The Application deadline is January 31, 2015. Winners will be honored at an event in June 2015 and also through an advertisement in a major publication, press releases, newsletter articles, and online at www.commuterconnections.org. 4
MTA COMMUTER BUS IMPROVEMENTS The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) introduced several commuter bus service enhancements as part of their comprehensive plan to build a better system that will conveniently carry workers to business campuses and connecting transit. The changes aim to improve the Maryland commuter bus network s reliability, efficiency and accessibility. MTA provides express commuter bus transit service from suburbs that include Western and Southern Maryland into Washington area business centers. Some of the MTA commuter buses are serviced through private contractors. The goal of the Bus Network Improvement Project is to deliver meaningful and substantive improvements to our buses the heart and soul of our transit system, said MTA Administrator Robert Smith. These proposed changes will improve service and reliability to our customers, while connecting residents to jobs. Improvements to the MTA commuter bus network effective November 1, 2014 are: Route 991 was renamed with new route patterns including: Route 505- Hagerstown/Myersville to Shady Grove Metro/Rock Spring Business Park Route 515- Frederick/Urbana to Shady Grove Metro/Rock Spring Business Park Routes 903, 905, and 909 were renamed with new route patterns including: Route 705- Charlotte Hall/Waldorf to Washington D.C. Route 715- Charlotte Hall/ Waldorf to Washington D.C. Route 725- California/Charlotte Hall to Washington D.C. Route 735- Charlotte Hall/Waldorf to Washington D.C. For more information on how these MTA improvements can assist your employees daily commutes, visit mta.maryland.gov. 55% of respondents who work for employers with 101-250 employees said that their employer offers any commute services. Source: 2013 Commuter Connections State of the Commute Report 5
National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments 777 N. Capitol St., NE, Ste. 300 Washington, D.C. 20002-4290 800.745.RIDE commuterconnections.org For subscription information or to change your mailing address, contact Commuter Connections at 800.745.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 800.745.RIDE, or 202.962.3213 (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. 20002-4290 or e-mail us at nramfos@mwcog.org. Printed on recycled paper Commuter Connections FALL 2014 HOW DO YOU STACK UP? % EMPLOYERS OFFERING COMMUTE INFORMATION TO EMPLOYEES 41 59 12 27 # Employees 1-100 101-250 251-999 1000+ Source: 2013 Commuter Connections State of the Commute Report