Mobility Matters
Spring/Summer 2001
MetroPool Appoints New President
MetroPool, Inc., has appointed John Lyons as president, announced Jacqueline Allen, chair of the board of directors. Lyons was director of corporate sales and development for the firm since 1999.
“John came to MetroPool with a strong and diverse management background, and has formed critical relationships with employers in this region,” said Allen. “He is uniquely qualified to lead this organization in implementing our strategic plan and fulfilling our mission statement to improve an individual’s commute by promoting alternatives to driving alone.”
John most recently managed MetroPool’s six regional offices and was responsible for client outreach and service delivery to regional employers. He was a member of the senior management team that developed MetroPool’s current strategic plan, and has represented MetroPool with Connecticut and New York Departments of Transportation, transit and planning authorities, and other public and private partners.
Before joining MetroPool, John held management and consulting positions in construction and economic development here and in Russia. He headed his own firm promoting energy conservation in architectural design, and directed programs that assisted Russian businesses to operate in the post-Soviet economy.
John is a graduate of Williams College with a bachelor’s degree in American Studies and Environmental Studies.
“I am excited about taking a leadership role in the transportation management industry at a time when traffic congestion has become such a critical issue for employers and commuters in this region,” said John. “We are initiating many new programs under our new strategic plan that give MetroPool the opportunity to positively affect commuters’ experiences, and to help employers to recruit and retain the best workers by partnering with us in these programs.”
John can be reached at (203) 388-4407 or via e-mail at [email protected]
MetroPool provides free services with the support of the New York State and Connecticut Departments of Transportation.
HYPERION’S COMMUTE OPTIONS BRANCHED OUT FROM SMALL SEED
How can a company help its employees win the daily battle of high-cost, high-congestion commuting?
Hyperion Solutions in Stamford discovered it could grow a great program from one small seed. For Hyperion, that seed was a shuttle to the train station. The shuttle started life in the form of a company-owned van the employees would borrow to get to the station. Train-riding employees would share the trip to the station in the evening, with one of them volunteering as the driver. They would park the van at the train station, then meet back at the van in the morning to head to work.
“The van held up to nine folks, and made one run morning and evening” said Jamie Rude, a Hyperion employee who participated in the original shuttle. “It wasn’t very flexible from either a size or timing standpoint. So about three years ago the company launched a formal commuter program and contracted a shuttle provider with larger capacity vans, making multiple runs morning and evening.”
The professionally driven shuttle made three trips between the station and the company during the morning and evening commute hours. The free service meant more employees could escape I-95 and take the train.
Rude, who now serves as a liaison between the ridership, Hyperion, and the shuttle provider, noted that Metro-North has offered a helping hand, as well, so employees on the shuttle don’t have to wait as long for other trains to arrive. “Coordinating the shuttle to service trains arriving from both the north and south has been tricky, but it seems to be getting better,” he explained. “Metro-North has helped things out by better coordinating the express trains in bothdirections, which are now much closer together.” To provide an even bigger incentive for its commuters to choose rails over wheels, Hyperion also started offering subsidized TransitCheks. The company buys TransitCheks each month for train riders in denominations of $15, $30, and $35, and employees can receive up to $65 worth per month (the maximum tax-free commute benefit allowed by law). At last count, 87 of Hyperion’s 700 employees commute via train, and a few take the bus.
“The Connecticut Department of Transportation chips in one-third and the company pays the other twothirds,” explained Amy Goldberg, Hyperion’s employee transportation coordinator. “We also give carpoolers two $10 gas vouchers a month for use at a local gas station. Employees have to carpool a minimum of two days per week to receive the voucher.” Participating employees sign-up for either their TransitCheks or carpool vouchers on a quarterly basis.
To help employees feel more comfortable about choosing a non-drive commute mode, Hyperion also offers a Guaranteed Ride Home Program (GRHP). “If an employee who uses the commuter program is stranded and has to get home in an emergency, or has to work late, the company will reimburse him or her for a taxi ride of up to 35 miles,” said Goldberg. “They simply submit the receipt for reimbursement.” Goldberg said the program is seldom used, but it provides a sense of security for commuters.
As an unanticipated extra benefit, the gas station the company uses for its carpooler gas vouchers has shown its appreciation in return by providing discounted oil changes and free pick-up/drop-off of cars for all Hyperion employees. “The whole program is a real good ‘perk’ for employees,” said Goldberg. Rude agreed. “Between the free shuttle and subsidizing a pretty hefty portion of the monthly commute pass, Hyperion really makes it an attractive program. I get work done and respond to e-mails on the way in, so 40 minutes on the train is really useable time,” he said.
Goldberg handles promotion of the program, and noted that word of mouth and Hyperion’s new-hire kit have been the most effective tools for increasing program participation. “The commuter information in our new-hire kit has even made a difference for people deciding whether or not to take a job here,” she said. “A lot of new employees have told me that our commuter assistance was the determining factor for them. Just knowing it’s out there is a relief for them.”
She also uses the company’s Web site, e-mails, and flyers posted on an employee bulletin board to get the word out. The approach has worked well: more than 200 Hyperion employees use some form of transportation alternatives, including carpoolers, train riders, telecommuters, and employees who are on a compressed work week.
Goldberg worked closely with MetroPool to achieve success at Hyperion. “Theresa Fanelle and Joe Riker have been great!” Goldberg said with true enthusiasm. “Theresa came out for a promotional event with our employees. They really bridged the information gap and made it easy for me to increase ridership.”
For more information about Hyperion’s commuter assistance program, e-mail Goldberg at [email protected]. For details on growing a program at your own company, call MetroPool at 888-399-9323. Or click on www.metropool.com
LeadMasters Finds Commuter Relief an Easy Sale
Fighting through traffic-choked highways used to be the only option for employees at Stamford-based LeadMasters. With some of its 70 people coming from as far away as Danbury and Madison, Connecticut and Rockland County, New York in addition to Fairfield and Westchester counties — the coldcalling sales experts at this business-to-business lead generation firm led lives of frustration during their congested commutes.
Unhappy employees did not make for a happy business. So, LeadMasters liberated its commuters from gridlock by launching a shuttle van in July 2000 along with two neighboring companies, Lifecodes Corporation and Fuji Medical Systems, splitting the cost three ways. The shuttle meant employees could leave their cars at home, take the train to Stamford, and get a lift on the van from the station to the front door of their office.
The companies worked hand-in-hand with MetroPool to organize the shuttle and market the service to commuters. Easy Street, MetroPool’s vanpool service provider, supplied the 12-passenger shuttle van, LeadMasters provided the primary driver, while Lifecodes Corporation was responsible for the back-up driver. The shuttle was free to employees through the first month, but employees have paid $1.00 per trip since then. Fuji Medical Systems developed a shuttle Trip Ticket, sold to commuters in sets of 10.
“We had employees who started using the program on day one,” said Scott Brown, vice president of operations at LeadMasters. “Now, almost a year later, they continue to use it on a regular basis three or more days a week. The reaction has been very positive. We have a very loyal ridership,” he said.The shuttle helped to solve more than one problem for the company. It was bad enough that traffic hurdles made retaining commute-weary employees a challenge. Congestion complicated the task of attracting new talent, as well. “We wanted to expand our recruiting base,” explained Brown. Longdistance commuting, however, made for difficult recruiting, LeadMasters discovered. “The program creates an additional advantage and selling point in our recruiting efforts.”
In addition to making employees’ commutes as hassle-free as possible via the shuttle, LeadMasters set up a pilot telework program so qualified employees could avoid traffic altogether. The LeadMasters telework (also known as “telecommuting”) program started small with two employees. It grew to three participants, and Brown said the company plans to expand it to five employees shortly.
Since telework was new territory for LeadMasters, the company again reached out to MetroPool for assistance. “MetroPool referred us to Telecommute Connecticut,” said Brown, “and we had a great experience with them.” (Telecommute Connecticut is managed by New Haven-based Rideworks.)
“They came in and gave us an outline on the program, had a human resources person plus a computer person come in with advice, all for free. That was great! It helped us work through a couple of issues we were not sure how to handle. By eliminating the barriers, they got us up and running more quickly than we had expected.”
MetroPool has helped Lead-Masters in much the same way that LeadMasters has served its own clients: by providing a service that allows the customer to concentrate on its core competencies. By generating leads, qualifying prospects, and setting appointments, LeadMasters enables its clients’ salespeople to focus on closing new business. Similarly, MetroPool has handled LeadMasters’ commuter needs so the company can get on with its business.
“MetroPool was invaluable in helping to get these programs off the ground,” said Brown. “They helped coordinate the whole process, and did an outstanding job in making this happen.”
For more information about LeadMasters, visit the firm’s Web site at www.leadmasters.com.
For assistance in establishing an employee transportation program, contact MetroPool, Inc. at 888-399-9323 or visit www.metropool.com.
EastRidge Properties stays competitive with commuter-friendly amenities.
Tenants of Ashforth Management’s EastRidge Properties in White Plains, New York are well equipped for the daily battle against traffic tie-ups. EastRidge tenants get gridlock warnings, transportation options, and total commute security for their employees.
“We have 90 percent of our tenants in an e-mail database,” explained Ellen Lynch, managing director/senior vice president, Ashforth Management. “So when we get information from MetroPool alerting us to highway construction and other traffic delays we can quickly broadcast e-mails to tenants. We just started the service in the last month or so.”
Lynch said MetroPool’s traffic warnings are especially helpful because of the I-87 construction project at Exit 8 on the Thruway. “The work going on there closes traffic at different times of the day, so when MetroPool provides that information we get it out to our tenants right away via e-mail.” Fortunately, employees of EastRidge tenants can simply bypass all the traffic by riding transit. Transit is an easy-to-use option for EastRidgebound employees thanks to the company’s investment in shuttle service.
“We ran a morning and evening commuter shuttle between the train station and the office park from 1992 to 1995,” said Lynch. “We originally developed our shuttle in response to a lagging real estate market. Our properties are office park locations about 10 minutes by car from downtown White Plains, so the shuttle provided us with a competitive edge by enabling people to get to their building without a car. Plus, it helped the considerable number of reverse commuters from Westchester County.
We were paying for the commuter shuttle for quite some time,” Lynch explained. “Then the Westchester Department of Transportation basically said, ‘You know, we really should be doing that,’ so they took over the shuttle and put it into Loop B of the Bee-Line system. It provides wonderful, wonderful service. But we were the first to set that up and we did it in conjunction with MetroPool.” While connecting commuters with the train is invaluable, EastRidge knows its tenants need mid-day mobility, too, for maximum convenience. “We still provide a lunch-time shuttle service that picks people up and takes them to downtown White Plains,” said Lynch. “That way they can get out and back within their lunch hour.”
Tenant employees' transportation choices also include carpooling. “People are coming from further and further away as Westchester becomes more expensive,” Lynch observed. “They’re coming from further north, so some people are carpooling to save money, sharing the driving and the expense.
To offer transit riders and carpoolers total commute security, EastRidge provides a Guaranteed Ride Home program. “It fits in nicely, because they know if they need to they can get home,” Lynch said. MetroPool administers the Guaranteed Ride Home program.
To make commuting to EastRidge as user friendly as possible, the company has turned the office park into an information-rich environment for commuters. It developed transportation stations in five buildings, and installed commute information kiosks in other locations throughout the office park. EastRidge keeps the stations and the kiosks stocked with transit schedules and ridesharing information.
In addition, Eastridge Properties regularly hosts “transportation days” in building addilobbies. For her part, Lynch has become a true transportation leader. She is about to conclude 12 years of service on the MetroPool board of directors, which included stints as board chair and as a member of the executive committee. “The whole experience of putting the shuttle together with MetroPool kind of bonded us for life,” Lynch laughed, “and we just kept going.”
“MetroPool has changed over time to respond to what’s going on,” Lynch said. “The congestion problem is in your face, it’s a real business issue, and it affects the viability of the area as a place where businesses want to move and grow. People don’t want to move to a place where their employees get annoyed because they can’t get there. The fact that MetroPool is a regional organization makes a lot of sense to me, because traffic is regional — it doesn’t just stay in one county. So I think we’re addressing the problem in the right way with the right approach.”
Lynch encourages businesses to boost their own competitiveness — and their ability to attract and retain good employees — by working closely with MetroPool. “It’s simpler to put some of these things into effect for your employees than you think,” Lynch advised. “There is a hesitancy for businesses to get involved because everyone is so busy now. But my advice is: MetroPool has been doing this for years and has the people who know how to help. They do it for you — and the service is funded by your state — so invite them in and hear how it works!”
For more information about Ashforth Management’s EastRidge Properties, visit the firm’s Web site at www.ashforthmanagement.com.
For assistance in establishing an employee transportation program, contact MetroPool, Inc. at 888-399-9323 (www.metropool.com).
NAMES LEADERSHIP CIRCLE AWARD RECIPIENTS
Regional Companies Commit to Increasing Mobility
Twenty-five companies in Fairfield, Westchester, Dutchess and Rockland Counties were named to the MetroPool Leadership Circle in a recent awards ceremony honoring the firms for their contribution to MetroPool and their commitment to increasing mobility and improving the quality of life in the region.
MetroPool president John Lyons applauded the companies for supporting the economic vitality of Fairfield County in Connecticut and the Hudson Valley in New York. “These corporations have stepped up to help us improve the individual’s commute by promoting alternatives to driving alone.”
The contributions of this year’s winners will support MetroPool’s work with a growing list of employers, and will help us expand public awareness that mobility matters across the region. For example, these contributions help us support our regional offices, giving us seven locations to bring us closer to employers in the Hudson Valley Region of New York and in Southwestern Connecticut.”
MetroPool works to improve the quality of an individual’s commute through programs that include car and vanpooling, train, bus, telecommuting, bicycling, walking and alternative work-hour programs.
Jaci Allen, MetroPool chair, called the 25 donors of cash and in-kind services the “trend setting corporate citizens” of the region. “Improving mobility and reducing ride-alone commuting are among the most significant ways we can impact the quality of life in this region,” said Ms. Allen. “The recipients of these awards have recognized the value of becoming a partner with MetroPool in improving transportation options.”
“The goal is to keep Westchester, Fairfield, Rockland, Dutchess, Orange and Ulster Counties desirable places to work. MetroPool works with companies and their employees to create commuter mobility programs that, as an added benefit, help employers attract and retain employees, improve productivity and boost their bottom line.”
Among this year’s Gold Tier Leadership Award winners, donating cash or in-kind contributions of at least $10,000, was LeadMasters, a business-to-business lead generation firm that offers its employees a train station shuttle and telecommuting options to keep its Stamfordbased business running smoothly. Pitney Bowes, also a Gold Tier winner, was recognized for the fifth time for its commitment to commute programs for employees. The company’s Deduct-A-Ride pilot program served as a model for other companies in the region. Rockland County Department of Planning and Transportation, Housatonic Area Regional Transit, UBS Warburg, Cox Radio Group, Clear Channel Radio and The Journal News also contributed at the Gold Tier Level.
Silver Tier award winners contributed at least $5,000 in cash or in-kind services. Among the top winners in this category was EastRidge Properties of White Plains, whose leadership in the area of employee mobility led to the development of a comprehensive shuttle system in Westchester County. The firm hosts MetroPool’s Westchester Regional Office and is a strong supporter of commuter education programs.
Another Silver Tier winner was Purdue Pharma in Stamford, which offers its 900 employees an enticing package of commute alternatives, including shuttle service to the train station, paid train station parking and TransitCheks. MasterCard International of Purchase received its third Leadership Circle Award. The company supports its workforce with a comprehensive train station shuttle service and on-site transportation days. Other Silver Tier recipients included Kraft Foods, International Paper, Transamerica Leasing, Verizon, North Castle Communications and WEBE-FM.
Bronze Tier Leadership Award recipients donated from $2,500 to $4,999 in cash and in-kind services. IBM in Hopewell Junction was among the recipients. This location supports several thousand employees with a complement of commuter programs that include new bus service as well as transportation days to encourage responsible commuting.
Other Bronze Tier recipients included PepsiCo, Inc., Swiss Re, Ferrero & Associates, First Union National Bank, WCBS Newsradio 880, WLAD/WDAQ Radio and WTIC AM/FM Radio.
Because of Leadership Circle members, thousands of employees at hundreds of companies throughout this region are enjoying the benefits of a commute-friendly workplace,” added Lyons. “We hope to add to the Leadership Circle in the next year, delivering improved commuter mobility programs to new corporate partners in Fairfield County and the Hudson Valley.”
MasterCard International Helps Employees Get to Work
When MasterCard International moved its global headquarters from New York City to Purchase in Westchester County in 1995, the company recognized that it would need to take extra steps to sustain one of its most important relationships — the one with its employees. Some of its people — being New York City residents, after all — did not even own a car, much less drive one to work.
To help smooth the transition to a suburban commute, MasterCard implemented a temporary shuttle bus service to connect employees in the city with the new site in Purchase. The service was set to run for three years.
“We needed to provide a way for people in the city without cars to get here,” explained Bettye Hill, senior vice president global staffing & development, MasterCard International, and a recent new member on the MetroPool board of directors.
As the end of that three-year program drew near in 1999, MasterCard turned to MetroPool to help arrange a long-term solution. MetroPool’s suggestion: use a connector shuttle to get MasterCard-bound commuters to work from the train station 10 minutes away in Rye.
The Rye shuttle has been running since January 2000. Employees pay $100 for a monthly pass, or they can buy a 10-trip ticket for $40. The shuttle makes two trips to and from MasterCard daily, timed to meet the express trains bound for Manhattan or Connecticut.
As a fortunate complement to the shuttle, transit riders can travel to MasterCard’s Purchase office via a Westchester County Bee-Line Loop bus. “The Loop bus comes right through our campus and takes people to the White Plains Train Station,” said Hill.
Other commute options are available, as well. Several MasterCard employees opted to join a vanpool that had been started 18 years ago by neighboring Texaco employees. The 13-passenger vanpool—which is leased from and professionally driven by a transportation firm called Marathon — picks its riders up in Manhattan and drops them off at MasterCard’s door. Participating employees pay their own way, and the monthly fare averages $260 to $300 for a reserved seat.
“I live in downtown Manhattan and take the subway to 68th Street and 3rd Avenue where I meet the van,” said MasterCard employee, Rhe Kennedy. A 26-year MasterCard veteran, Kennedy handles licensing of the MasterCard brand. “We leave at 7:00 a.m. and it’s a 45 minute trip. I joined the group about a year and a half ago. It’s a very nice van and the convenience of being picked up and dropped off is less of a hassle than dealing with Grand Central Station at rush hour! Plus you develop a sense of camaraderie with the other riders.”
Partnering with MetroPool was natural for the firm, because cooperative relationships are central to MasterCard International’s business model. As a global company with one of the most recognized brands in the world, MasterCard manages a wide range of payment programs and services, including MasterCard® credit cards, MasterCard® debit and Maestro® online debit cards, Cirrus® ATM cash access, and related programs.
With nearly 15 million transactions each day denominated in more than 179 currencies worldwide, the company describes its role as “facilitat(ing) transactions among those who use our payment cards, those who accept them, and the member financial institutions that manage these relationships.” After managing its relationships with more than 20,000 member financial institutions and with the approximately 2,900 employees working in more than 38 offices around the world, working with MetroPool to help employees in the New York metropolitan area master the daily commute just comes naturally.
For more information about MasterCard International, visit the company’s Web site at www.mastercard.com.
For assistance in establishing an employee transportation program, contact MetroPool, Inc. at 888-399-9323 or visit www.metropool.com.
CONSTRUCTION MATTERS
Several important construction projects are continuing as we head into the summer season. In Connecticut, progress continues on the Stamford Train Station Enhancement Program, Sikorsky Bridge Replacement Project, the I-95 Bridgeport reconstruction program and in Greenwich on the Arch Street/Metro- North Railroad improvement project. In New York, a 30-month project that will reconstruct the area surrounding Interchange 8 in Tarrytown is underway with significant progress already made.
The Departments of Transportation in Connecticut and New York are working with MetroPool to keep you informed on the projects’ progress and of any impacts to the daily commute. (see insert for construction details)
Matters MetroPool’s Leadership Circle Award Recipients for 2001
5th Annual Leadership circle awards
June 20, 2001
These companies have made significant contributions to MetroPool to support its work of improving the quality of life for commuters. The recipients were honored at a ceremony on June 20, 2001.
GOLD TIER
LeadMasters
Clear Channel Radio
Cox Radio Group
Pitney Bowes, Inc.
UBS Warburg
The Journal News
Rockland County Department of Planning & Transportation
HART (Housatonic Area Regional Transit)
SILVER TIER
International Paper
Kraft Foods, Inc.
MasterCard International
Purdue Pharma
Verizon
EastRidge Properties
North Castle Communications, Inc.
WEBE 108-FM
Transamerica Leasing, Inc.
BRONZE TIER
Swiss Re
Ferrero & Associates
First Union National Bank
IBM Corporation
PepsiCo, Inc.
WCBS Newsradio 880
WLAD/WDAQ Radio
WTIC AM/FM Radio
Mobility Matters is published quarterly by MetroPool, Inc., with the support of federal and state funding from the Connecticut and New York State Departments of Transportation.
Your comments and suggestions are welcome.
Call Peggy Hetherington at (203) 388-4408 or e-mail at: [email protected]
Editor: Peggy Hetherington
Writers: Peggy Hetherington, Mark Wright, Nora Madonick, Paula Sakofs, Cliff Cole
MetroPool, Inc. is a private, non-profit commuter transportation management company that serves Southwestern Connecticut and New York’s Hudson Valley.
One Landmark Square
Stamford, CT 06901
(203) 324-6700 Telephone
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www.metropool.com
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The views expressed in Mobility Matters are not necessarily those of MetroPool, Inc.’s funders, Board members, nor supporting agencies or organizations.