• Ferry Service Opens Up New Choice for Commuters to NYC
  
  
• MetroPool Announces Staff Appointment.
  
  
• Fairfield Company Finds Four-Wheeled Stress Reduction Tool.
  
  
• Pre-Tax Deduction Cutting Commute Costs for Aquarium Employees.
  

  Transportation Organizations Joined Forces To Reach Commuters.
  

• Summit Laid Foundation for New View of Transportation Options.
  
  
• "Transportation and Jobs: Overcoming Obstacles" --a successful collaborative effort in Ulster County, NY.

Metropool provides free services with the support of the Connecticut and New York State Departments of Transportation.

Transportation Organizations Joined Forces To Reach Commuters

This past fall commuters in New York's Hudson Valley and Fairfield County, Connecticut were encouraged to use public transportation, carpools, and vanpools through a coordinated radio campaign on WCBS NEWSRADIO 88 featuring eight of the region's transportation organizations.

This regional radio partnership, arranged by MetroPool under its contract with New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and coordinated through New York Metropolitan Transportation Council's Metropolitan Mobility Network and the Travel Alternatives Committee of the Mid-Hudson South Transportation Coordinating Committee, was designed to provide broad exposure to the group's message to use an alternative to driving alone. By pooling their resources in a single campaign, the partnership was able to take advantage of regional advertising vehicles such as WCBS Newsradio88 and receive a more cost effective package than if they had advertised separately-while reaching a broad audience with sufficient frequency to get the message noticed. The following organizations participated in the $70,000 campaign, which ran from the beginning of September through the beginning of November: MetroPool, Westchester DOT, Transport of Rockland, CommuterLink Long Island Transportation Management/LITM and Metro-North (each under their contracts with NYSDOT); CTTRANSIT, and Connecticut DOT.

Each agency "tagged" ten :50 campaign commercials with a ten-second message and received a package of traffic and weather sponsorships. The campaign commercial pointed out the cost of driving alone (due to the high cost of gasoline, maintenance, and wear and tear) and emphasized the benefits of using public transportation-including the ability to receive a Commuter Choice tax break. In addition to the radio exposure, each agency received a listing and hyperlink on www.cbsnewyork.com.

For additional information on the campaign, contact Peggy Hetherington at MetroPool at [email protected] or 203-388-4409.