Today, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Commuter Connections’ program honored three area employers at its 22nd annual Employer Recognition Awards at the National Press Club. Commuter Connections recognized Toole Design Group of Silver Spring, MD, Washington Headquarters Services of Washington, DC and Alexandria, VA, and Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Frederick, MD with awards for their incentives, marketing, and teleworking programs respectively.
The winners were praised for their exceptional commitment to promoting innovative and sustainable commute alternative programs that help reduce commuting expenses, traffic congestion, and auto emissions, and improve the quality of life for their employees and the region. Together, the three employers commuter benefits programs reduced more than 163 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and collectively saved more than 8 million gallons of gasoline per year.
“The employers we are honoring today have implemented innovative and successful commuter benefits programs. We hope that through their example, other organizations will embrace similar initiatives, creating more like-minded workplaces for the betterment of employers, employees, and the region,” said Martin Nohe, National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board Chairman. “An employer’s role in helping to shape the commuting methods of their employees cannot be underestimated and Commuter Connections and its jurisdictional partners look forward to continuing to assist employers in developing and implementing effective programs."
A selection committee chose winners for their abilities to offer measurable commuter benefits that reduce gasoline consumption and emissions through fewer vehicle trips and miles traveled and for implementing policies that have improved the commutes of their employees.
“Employers that support daily commute alternatives such as ridesharing, bicycling, walking, transit, teleworking, and alternative work schedules, help create better morale and work-life balance for employees. The Commuter Connections Employer Services program is a comprehensive regional network dedicated to assisting employers in setting up and expanding commuter initiatives for their employees,” said George Clark, Commuter Connections Subcommittee Chairman.
“We are pleased to honor these employers for their incredible dedication to promoting alternative commuting at their worksites” said Commuter Connections Director Nicholas Ramfos. “For the past two decades, the Employer Recognition Awards have honored employers who are taking the lead in offering commute options that foster improved quality of life for both employees and communities through programs that reduce drive-alone commuting.
INCENTIVES AWARD
Greg Billing, Dan Goodman, and Kelly Russell
Toole Design Group, Silver Spring, Maryland, has supported alternative commuting since 2009 by providing employees with a robust set of commuter incentives. Toole Design Group strategically established its headquarters in Silver Spring within short walking distance of the MARC train, Metrorail, bus stops, bike sharing, and dedicated bike lanes. Lockers, showers, and secure bicycle parking are provided, and the number of employees who regularly bike to work has tripled since 2016. Toole Design also offers free bike tune-ups, hiring a mobile mechanic to visit the office and serve employees on-site. To encourage employees to use mass transit, Toole Design Group provides a $125 debit card for use on transportation. Employees are also offered $25 towards annual Capital Bikeshare memberships. In December 2018, they added a healthcare benefit rewarding staff up to $1,095 per year towards their Health Savings Accounts for walking. All full-time employees are issued laptops to maximize flexibility for work and telework. The company offers flexible hours and compressed work weeks, allowing employees to take advantage of off-peak commute times and shortened work weeks, contributing to a better work-life balance and improved employee morale. In 2018, commuter incentives helped to keep employees off the road for more than 803,000 commuting miles and saved 40,515 gallons of fuel.
MARKETING AWARD
Kelly Russell, Yolanda Creal, Regina Grant, Annette Lam, and Nicholas Ramfos
The Washington Headquarters Services (WHS), Washington, DC and Alexandria, VA, began its commuter benefits program in 2010 to facilitate mobility and reduce traffic impacts at its new location at the Mark Center. Of 27,000 employees in the Washington, DC metropolitan region, approximately 77 percent use alternative methods of commuting; 50 percent use transit; 13 percent carpool, 8 percent telework; 5 percent walk; and 1 percent bike. WHS is a member of Commuter Connections, with a private label Ridematching portal, and offers transit subsidies up to $265 monthly through its Mass Transportation Benefit Program. WHS has made it easy for employees to acquire information about alternative commute options through outreach at transportation fairs and events, and through continual communications such as transportation advisories, air quality and traffic alerts, website postings, signage, social media, and a monthly newsletter. WHS has also developed custom brochures on its various programs and services, a transportation hotline, and dedicated Transportation Management Program offices at the Pentagon and Mark Center. In 2018, heavy marketing of commuter programs helped keep employees off the road for more than 162,377,800 commuting miles and saved 8,200,900 gallons of gas.
TELEWORK AWARD
Kelly Russell, Greg Cohen, and Harriet West
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Frederick, Maryland, launched its Work-Life Balance (WLB) program in 2010 and has 91 participants. There are 25 teleworkers who work remotely full time and are equipped with the same tools available to employees working within the office. They are given a stipend for cell phone and internet service. Another 42 employees telework one to four days a week and 24 employees have flexible schedules or compressed work weeks. Most employees may telework sporadically during inclement weather. The organization continually gauges feedback through surveys and during exit interviews. Also, managers are given telework and remote working guidelines to help evaluate the success of employees in the program. In 2017, AOPA consolidated an out of state office into the main Frederick campus and was able to retain the talent of most employees remotely, in large part due to its telework program. In another case, one department that had been experiencing high employee turnover was able to dramatically reduce their attrition rate after the WLB program was introduced. In 2018, the program helped keep employees off the road for more than 355,000 commuting miles and saved 18,000 gallons of gas.
Commuter Connections partners with local employers to promote, educate, and formulate transportation solutions that help reduce gasoline consumption, improve traffic mobility, and direct initiatives to strengthen the region’s quality of life. With free assistance from Commuter Connections, employers can provide a variety of commuter options.
MORE: Commuter Connections Employer Awards