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MetroPoolMetroPool Pays Tribute to Connecticut Employers
For Urging Environmentally-Friendly Commuting
Transportation Deputy Commissioner Albert Martin
presents awards at ceremonies in the State Capitol Building
Stamford, CT, June 30, 2009 —MetroPool, Inc.—the area’s leading commuting solutions company – honored 36 Connecticut employers for helping improve the region’s air quality by successfully participating in the 2009 Earth Day Commuter Challenge to reduce drive-alone commuting.
The awards were presented by Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) Deputy Commissioner Albert Martin during ceremonies held today, Monday, June 30th at the State Capitol in Hartford. Commissioner Joseph F. Marie also offered congratulations and addressed winners prior to the presentation of awards.
The 2009 Earth Day Commuter Challenge took place from May 2008 to April 2009 to encourage commuters to take greener forms of commuting through Earth Day (April 22). Organizations encouraged employees to commute to work with a friend or co-worker using NuRide.com—an online community that allows commuters to track their savings and earn rewards for taking "greener trips.”
Taking place in Connecticut and New York’s lower Hudson Valley counties, the Challenge tracked all forms of ‘green’ commuting including carpooling, vanpooling, telecommuting, biking, walking and taking public transportation.
By all accounts, the Challenge surpassed every expectation. In the combined states, more than 13,000 commuters shared 223,331 rides and drove 6,229,518 fewer miles, which resulted in a savings of 281,887 gallons of gasoline and prevention of 2,740 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
In Connecticut alone, commuters took 161,483 fewer car trips, taking 4,160,818 miles off the roads and prevented 1,851 tons of emissions.
Participation by both commuters and employees also jumped. Some 1,859 companies took part in the Challenge in both states – a 24 percent increase over the first event held in 2008, as 12,756 NuRide commuters contributed to a whopping 30 percent increase in participation.
Conn DOT Commissioner Marie launched the final leg of the 2009 Earth Day Commuter Challenge last January. “In these tough economic times,” he said, “it is important to help Connecticut commuters save money while getting the most out of our transportation infrastructure.”
Further driving the event, NuRide – which allows participants to earn rewards such as gift cards for restaurants, gas or events by tracking points for trips completed – added a new reward. Participants in both New York and Connecticut were eligible to take part in a weekly drawing for a $100 gift card in groceries from Peapod by Stop & Shop.
Peapod gift cards winners in Connecticut were: Sergey Menshikov, Hewitt Associates; John Wolfe, Fuel Cell Energy, Inc.; Joseph Wojtczak, Sikorsky Aircraft; Laura Boccardi and Asadoor DerBoghosian, United Illuminating; James Smith, Boehringer Ingelheim Corp.; Kathleen Brown, Patricia Smatt and Kara Kennedy, The Hartford Financial Services Group; Helen Gruschow, Cartus; Jim Guyette, Aetna, Inc., Barbara Check, Travelers; Noreen Clough, Bigelow Tea; and Brian Tomasino, Valassis.
“What’s great about the Challenge is that everyone can participate – just by sharing a ride to work, to the mall or any other kind of trip,” said John Lyons, president and CEO of MetroPool, Inc. “It proves that everyone can play a part in our global effort to reduce greenhouse gases. Everyone matters. Every trip reduced counts. Everyone wins.”
Deputy Commissioner Martin presented awards to the Challenge winners in four categories:
- In the category of organizations whose employees took the largest number of reduced car trips, the first place goes to Cartus with 21,457 trips. Aetna scored second place with 13,016 trips and third place was won by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. with 12,211 trips.
- For the highest percentage rate of employees who participated in NuRide, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s whopping 69 percent participation rate snagged the first place. Coming in at second place was Citation Shares with a 61 percent participation rate. Third place went to MBI, Inc. with a 57 percent participation rate.
- In the total enrollments category for organizations that enrolled the greatest number of employees in NuRide over the past year since the Challenge began, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. captured the first place with 193 total enrollments. Yale University, which already had a number of employees enrolled in NuRide, added another 140 for a second-place finish. Third place went to The Hartford Financial Services Group with 137 total enrollments.
- Among those employers who sped to the finish line with the largest number of new enrollments, UBS of Stamford took top honors with 66 new enrollments. The Hartford Financial Services Group took second with 59 new enrollments. And Third Place went to the Department of Environment Protection with 44 new enrollments.
Additionally, Honorable Mention Awards will be presented to the following 24 employers who merited special recognition for their performance: The Travelers Companies, Inc., Pfizer, Pitney Bowes, the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the State of Connecticut, ASML, Louis Dreyfus, the Connecticut Department of Mental Health & Addiction, UTC Power, People’s Bank, United Technologies Corp., ESPN, Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.; the University of Connecticut Health Center, Hartford Steam Boiler, Health Net, Central Connecticut State University, Sikorsky, Northeast Utilities, the Connecticut Department of Social Services, Hamilton Sundstrand, MassMutual, Pratt & Whitney, and the University of Connecticut.
Winners received environmentally friendly awards designed from blue recycled glass. Awards for winners in New York were presented June 17th at the MetroPool Board of Directors Meeting.
About MetroPool
Serving both the New York State and Connecticut Departments of Transportation, MetroPool, Inc. is the area’s leading commuting solutions company. Since 1980, MetroPool has provided employers and commuters with free services to encourage transportation options –car/vanpooling, walking/biking, bus/train/ferry travel, telecommuting, compressed work weeks and pre-tax commuter benefits. Services are available in Fairfield County, Connecticut; and in Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, Dutchess, and Ulster Counties in New York. For more information, call 1-800-FIND-RIDE or visit www.metropool.com.
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