• Connecticut and New York State DOTs expand SMART Ride Stuff Program.
  
  
• Rockland looks to the rails for congestion relief.
  
  MetroPool's Third Annual Leadership Awards.
  
  
• Winners of the Fourth Annual Earth Week Challenge.
  
  
• Results of the Third Annual Great Train Race.
  
  
• Compressed Work Week is a win-win situation at Raytheon.
  
  
• New tax relief for employers with traffic reduction plans in Connecticut.
  
  

The MetroPool Board of Directors presented its third annual Leadership Circle awards to a total of 15 Connecticut and New York companies at its 1999 Annual Meeting, which was held at Warburg Dillon Reed headquarters in Stamford on June 16.

Recipients of MetroPool's 1999 Gold Tier Leadership Circle awards include: Pitney-Bowes, Inc. of Stamford, receiving its third leadership award from MetroPool; Goodrich & Sherwood of Norwalk, a first-time honoree; and ML Media Partners of Bridgeport; Cronin & Company, Inc. of Glastonbury ;and WEZN Radio, of Bridgeport. To qualify for a Gold Tier award, a company must have contributed $10,000 or more in cash and/or in kind services during the past year.

Fifteen companies were presented with Silver Tier Leadership Circle awards from their contributions of at least $5,000 in cash and/or in-kind services. Connecticut honorees include: Champion International Corporation, Xerox Corporation, and Warburg Dillon Read, all of Stamford; The Perkin Elmer Corporation, of Norwalk; and Boehringer Ingelheim, of Ridgefield. New York companies honored with Silver Tier awards are: The Journal News, of White Plains; PepsiCo Inc., of Purchase; Kraft Foods, Tarrytown; IBM Corporation of Armonk; and Pamal Broadcast, of Fishkill.

The companies were recognized by MetroPool President and CEO Marsha Gordon and MetroPool Chairman Ellen Lynch for "their commitment to improving mobility, maintaining economic vitality and preserving air quality in the region." In addition to providing financial support for MetroPool programs, the recognized companies actively support the use of commuter alternatives by their employees. Corporate programs include: on-site Commuter Information Centers, where employees can get information about commuting alternatives; "Guaranteed Ride Home" Programs, which ensure that employees who don't drive to work have a means to get home in an emergency; and incentives and subsidy programs, designed to encourage use of commute options.