BEST WORKPLACES FOR COMMUTERS
Best Workplaces for CommutersSM named 231 U.S.-based companies to receive 2017 Best Workplaces for Commuters national recognition. This designation recognizes employers that offer exceptional employer-provided commuter benefits that meet National Standard of Excellence criteria.
To be designated among the nation’s Best Workplaces for Commuters, employers must provide benefits that result in at least 14% of their employees no longer driving alone to and from work within a 12-month period.
“The 231 companies designated as the 2017 Best Workplaces for Commuters are part of a national movement,” said Julie Bond, program manager for Best Workplaces for Commuters. “Companies are recognizing that it makes good business sense to provide commuter benefits, such as subsidizing bus fares, designating parking for carpoolers or allowing employees to work from home.”
The Best Workplaces for Commuters program is managed by the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) with support from the National Center for Transit Research (NCTR) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The program offers workplaces of all sizes access to a range of support services to promote non-driving commuting, including online organizational assessment, webinars, staff trainings and an online business calculator. These resources help workplaces understand which commuter benefit options offer the best financial savings and employee value while ensuring they meet Best Workplaces for Commuters national designation requirements.
“We are extremely proud of our progressive transportation program that benefits our employees and residents,” said James Paxson, general manager of Hacienda, a San Francisco Bay area mixed-use community named to the 2017 Best Workplaces for Commuters list. “Our benefits certainly give us a competitive edge.”
To earn national designation, workplaces, through an online application submitted annually, must demonstrate that they meet the National Standard of Excellence. To achieve this standard, workplaces can choose from a wide variety of commuter-support programs such as subsidized transit or vanpool passes, compressed workweek schedules, or secured bicycle parking. All workplaces must have a point of contact internally to address employee questions and provide access to an Emergency Ride Home program.
“The Best Workplaces for Commuters benefit programs are encouraged or even required by many states, local municipalities, or government agencies,” said Bond. “Just last year, New York and Washington, DC enacted an ordinance mandating employers with 20 more employees must offer commuter benefits. And, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) encourages workplaces participation by underwriting the Best Workplace for Commuters application fee.”
For more information about the Best Workplaces for Commuters program and to learn more about qualifying to be nationally designated as a great workplace for commuters, click here.
Best Workplaces for Commuters partnering organizations work with local employers to promote and carry out commuter-friendly programs. They also assist BWC with membership recruitment in their communities: Arlington Transportation Partners – Arlington, VA; Chittenden Area TMA (CATMA) – Burlington, VT; Club Ride Commuter Services – Las Vegas, NV; Commuter Services of Pennsylvania – York, PA; Commuter Services – Bartow, FL; CommuterLink – New York, NY; Fairfax County; Government DOT – Fairfax, VA; GVF – King of Prussia, PA; GoTriangle – Durham, NC; MetroPool/511NY Rideshare – White Plains, NY; New North Transportation Alliance – Tampa, FL; reThink – Orlando, FL; SANDAG – San Diego, CA; SLO Regional Rideshare – San Luis Obispo, CA; Smart Trips – Knoxville, TN; Pierce Transit – Lakewood, WA; South Florida Commuter Services – Fort Lauderdale, FL; Suburban Transit Network – Blue Bell, PA; Tampa Downtown Partnership- Tampa, FL;Â Transportation Agency (TBARTA) – Tampa, FL; TDM Specialists, Inc. – Sacramento, CA; Triangle J Council of Governments – Research Triangle Park, NC; WeDriveU, Inc. – Burlingame, CA.
About Best Workplaces for CommutersSM
Best Workplaces for CommutersSMÂ is the national authority on recognizing and assisting workplaces that provide exceptional commuter benefits to employees. More than a recognition program, Best Workplaces for Commuters provides support needed to create and sustain an employer-provided commuter benefit program, including online assessment tools, advisory services, case studies, tool-kits, Web-based tools, webinars and training. Best Workplaces for Commuters represents more than 230 workplaces with Best Workplaces for Commuters designation representing over 515,000 employees. Best Workplaces for Commuters partner organizations work with local employers to promote and carry out commuter-friendly programs. The Best Workplaces for Commuters program is managed by the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR)Â at the University of South Florida with support from the National Center for Transit Research (NCTR) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). For more information: http://www.bestworkplaces.org/
About Center for Urban Transportation Research
The Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida, established in 1988, is an internationally recognized resource for policymakers, transportation professionals and the public. CUTR provides high quality, objective expertise in the form of insightful research, in-depth policy analysis, comprehensive training and education, and effective technical assistance that translates directly into benefits for CUTR’s project sponsors. CUTR’s faculty of 37 full-time researchers, and 57 students combines academic knowledge and extensive “real world” experience in developing innovative, implementable solutions for all modes of transportation. The multidisciplinary research faculty includes experts in economic, planning, engineering, public policy and geography. CUTR receives over $13 million per year in contracts and grants to support its research, education, training and technical assistance missions. CUTR also is the home for the National Center for Transit Research and the National Bus Rapid Transit Institute.
