Today, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Commuter Connections’ program honored three local employers for their exceptional commitment to offering and promoting innovative and sustainable commute alternative programs at its 23rd annual Employer Recognition Awards. For the first time, the awards were streamed virtually from the National Press Club with participants joining via livestream to celebrate.

Commuter Connections recognized Abt Associates of Rockville, MD, United Therapeutics Corporation of Silver Spring, MD, and ANA Enterprise of Silver Spring with awards for their incentives, marketing, and teleworking programs respectively. These programs help reduce traffic congestion, personal expenses, auto emissions, and improve the quality of life for their employees and the region. Together, they reduced a total of more than 2.1 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and collectively saved more than 113,000 gallons of gasoline per year.

“The employers honored during this year’s event have implemented innovative and successful commuter benefits programs. We hope that through their example, other organizations will embrace similar initiatives, creating more environmentally conscientious employers and those that show concern for work-life balance. These types of organizations provide betterment for their employees, the local community, and the region, especially during this trying time in the face of COVID-19,” said Kelly Russell, National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board Chair and City of Frederick Alderman. “Commuter Connections and its jurisdictional partners assist employers in all such areas; an employer’s role in helping to promote commute alternatives for their employees cannot be underestimated.”

A selection committee chose winners based on 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. These collective efforts by employers’ help reduce traffic congestion and air quality emissions in the region.

“Employers that support daily commute alternatives such as bicycling, walking, teleworking, public transit, ridesharing, and alternative work schedules, help create better morale and work-life balance for employees, while simultaneously bettering their environments,” said Marcus Moore, Chair, Commuter Connections subcommittee and Employer Outreach Specialist and Transportation Planner, Fairfax County Department of Transportation. The Commuter Connections Employer Services program is a comprehensive regional network dedicated to assisting employers in setting up and expanding commuter initiatives.

“We are pleased to honor Abt Associates, United Therapeutics Corporation, and ANA Enterprise for their incredible dedication to promoting alternative commuting,” added 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.”

The 23rd annual Employer Recognition Awardees are listed below along with the organizations’ mission and a summary of their efforts to improve employee commuting.

INCENTIVE AWARD

Abt. Associates, Rockville, MD
Abt Associates’ mission is to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of people world-wide by incorporating social and environmental responsibility into all its operations, from committing to de-carbonization to taking a comprehensive approach to employee wellness. Abt’s commuter incentives program is an important part of this effort.  Over half (57 percent) of the 400 Abt employees in the metropolitan Washington region participate in the various commuter programs the company offers. A transit benefit equaling 75 percent of employees’ monthly costs, up to $100, is provided, saving employees an average of $900 per year. To encourage use of public transit, Abt runs a free employee shuttle from the White Flint Metro station to the office, every 15 minutes, from 7:30 am to 6:30 pm. To promote bicycling to work, Abt offers showers, indoor bike racks, and Fixit stations. Abt also helped to secure a Capital Bikeshare docking station next to the office and offers a subsidy of $120 per year to cover bike maintenance, equipment, and bikeshare memberships. To encourage ridesharing, Abt reserves nine front-row parking spaces for its employees who carpool and implemented an internal carpool sign-up sheet in addition to using Commuter Connections’ ridematching system. For work-life balance, they offer telework, flextime, and compressed work weeks. Employees who telework at least three days per week are equipped with a laptop, docking station, webcam, softphone technology, and headset. Teleworkers are also reimbursed for monitors, keyboards, printers, printer ink, a mouse, and internet expenses. As a result of its various commuter benefits and amenities, Abt reduces 1,047,807 employee vehicle miles and saves an estimated 47,627 gallons of gasoline annually.

MARKETING AWARD

United Therapeutics Corporation, Silver Spring, MD
United Therapeutics Corporation is a publicly traded biotech company focused on quality and innovation, the power of their brands, entrepreneurial culture, and bioinformatics leadership. This commitment, coupled with their determination to have a positive impact on their patients, the environment, and society, drives and sustains the company’s long-term successes. United Therapeutics employs 236 people in the Washington, DC region and its SmartBenefits program offers up to $130 towards the price of monthly commuting. Employees commute to and from the office by transit, carpool, bike, walk, and even Segway. Bike racks, showers, dressing rooms, and lockers are provided, and employees driving electric vehicles are given free access to electric charging stations. A public shuttle is available from the Metro station just a block away. The option of flextime or telework is also available to qualifying staff with manager approval. To help spread the word about commuter benefits, United Therapeutics invites SmartBenefits coordinators to attend an annual Health & Wellness Fair and offers displays of information across company bulletin boards. United Therapeutics utilizes Facebook’s “Workplace” to distribute real-time alerts and relevant transit and commuting links.  Screens in two buildings display, up to the minute, transportation information and commuting options such as MTA and Montgomery County Ride On buses, Metrorail, MARC, Bikeshare and Uber, as well as current weather forecasts. United Therapeutics’ cafe & coffee bar houses brochures and information from Montgomery County Commuter Services and Commuter Connections regarding various commuting modes. Regional and local special events such as Bike to Work Day, Car Free Day, and the Walk & Ride Challenge are also promoted to staff. United Therapeutics commuter marketing programs have helped reduce employee vehicle miles by 242,200 and save an estimated 11,009 gallons of gasoline annually.

TELEWORK AWARD

ANA Enterprise, Silver Spring, MD  
The ANA Enterprise strives for excellence in practice to ensure the voices and vision of nurses are recognized by policy leaders, industry influencers, and employers. From professional development and advocacy to credentialing and grants, ANA Enterprise is the leading resource for nurses to equip themselves with the tools, information, and networks they need to excel in their individual practices. Of 262 employees in the metropolitan Washington region, 232 employees (88.5 percent) telework, most at least once a week. ANA Enterprise equips employees with laptops and offers the opportunity to use flextime schedules to commute before and after the organization’s standard business hours of 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Employees may begin as early as 6:30 AM and end workdays as late as 7:00 PM. Compressed work schedules are also made available, empowering employees to work longer hours and fewer days per week. Approximately 234 employees (89 percent) participate in work schedule alternatives, which have saved the organization 11 percent in real estate costs. ANA Enterprise employees are provided SmarTrip and Flexible Spending Accounts to help them save money on their daily commute. This allows employees to pay for qualified commuting expenses using pre-tax dollars. Bike racks are provided, and employees have access to Capital Bikeshare stations within the surrounding blocks. ANA Enterprise’s telework and work schedule alternatives programs have helped reduce employee vehicle miles by 832,000 and save an estimated 54,458 gallons of gasoline annually.

Commuter Connections partners with employers throughout the Washington, DC region 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 from transit subsidies, bicycling, telework, and alternative work schedule and ridesharing programs.

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