ROCKLAND COMPANIES ON THE ROAD TO CHANGE
Innovative commuter benefits improve
traffic and air quality in Metro NY-NJ-CT
New York area commuters suffer the longest commute in the nation, and a regional coalition of leading transportation and business organizations is working in partnership with area companies to do something about it.
At a recent reception, Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef recognized Rockland County companies that have qualified for the first annual list of the Metro NY-NJ-CT Best Workplaces for CommutersSM, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognition program, coordinated locally with a regional coalition of transportation and business organizations, which spotlights employers that have made a commitment to providing commuter benefits packages that help reduce traffic and air pollution and improve the quality of life for commuters.
Dress Barn, Inc., New York State Thruway Authority and the County of Rockland are among the 63 employers in the region that were recognized for achieving a national standard of excellence in commuter benefits packages, including such features as employer-provided transit passes, vanpool subsidies, on-site housing, bicycle commuter facilities, on-site day care, and telework programs.
"These companies have achieved a national standard of excellence in commuter benefits that helps reduce congestion on our roads," said Vanderhoef. "By improving commuting choices for employees, they also increase job satisfaction and productivity, and position themselves to recruit and retain the best possible workers. We are honored that the County of Rockland has been named on this list, and we congratulate Dress Barn and the NY State Thruway Authority for their commitment to their employees. We also put forth a challenge to other employers in Rockland to learn more about being a Best Workplace and start providing commuter benefits to become Best Workplaces themselves."
A recent study published in HR Magazine indicated that nearly 50 percent of workers describe their commutes as unsatisfying or stressful and that more than one-third of all workers would be willing to take a 10 percent pay cut or more for a shorter commute.
"Commuters in the NY-NJ-CT metro area spend almost 80 minutes every day -- or nearly a full week a year -- getting to and from work," said Jane M. Kenny, EPA Regional Administrator. "Millions of people every day are sitting in traffic, increasing air pollution, wasting gasoline and increasing their own stress. These companies have made an extraordinary effort to reverse this trend, and to help their employees find a better, faster way to get to work."
"Best Workplaces for Commuters(sm) companies demonstrate that a healthy balance sheet and a healthy environment can go hand in hand," said John Lyons, MetroPool President. "We want Mid-Hudson employers to know that offering commuter benefits makes good business sense. The return on a small investment is more satisfied, productive workers, improved tax benefits and cleaner air."
Dress Barn commuter vans enhance recruiting & retention
Ten years ago, when The Dress Barn, Inc. announced that it would be moving its corporate offices from Stamford CT to Rockland County, NY, employee Dottie Suttile, a lifelong Stamford resident, thought she'd have to leave the job she loved - she did not feel comfortable driving 50 minutes over the Tappan Zee Bridge to get to work.
Dress Barn, intent on retaining existing employees, teamed with MetroPool, Inc., a New York State Department of Transportation-supported, non-profit, regional transportation management company, to operate commuter vans for employees. As a result, Dottie remains happily employed with Dress Barn, which currently runs three commuter vans for its employees.
"The vanpooling started as our commitment to our associates," said Denise Burns, a human resource administrator for Dress Barn. "Then it became a vehicle for retaining people and for attracting people."
Rockland County walks the talk
Rockland County brings mobility solutions to local companies -- and to its own employees. In partnership with MetroPool, the County has implemented a whole range of commuter benefits aimed at reducing ride-alone commuting.
Bus-commuting employees, for instance, receive a half-price ticket subsidy, a compelling incentive to opt out of their cars and into public transportation. More than 600 Rockland County employees now use some form of alternative transportation for their daily commute, including carpools, bicycles and transit. Plus, for those employees who use public transportation or other alternatives, the County offers a Guaranteed Ride Home Program.
"The Rockland County SMART Commute Group is dedicated to providing information to Rockland County Government employees about the commute options available to them," explains Irwin Cohen, Transit Demand Management Coordinator. "We are always looking for new ways to promote the use of public transportation, car- and vanpooling and other alternatives, which is why we were interested in the Best Workplaces program."
Commuter program part of drive toward cleaner air
The commute alternatives package at New York State Thruway Authority’s New York Division has reduced single occupancy vehicle commutes by Thruway staff, helping reduce traffic congestion and clean the air. A planned headquarters move across the Tappan Zee Bridge, from Tarrytown to Suffern, prompted Division Director Ramesh Mehta to team with the Rockland County Department of Transportation and MetroPool to identify ways to improve the commute for his staff.
"We are responsible for encouraging our employees -- as well as our customers -- to choose commute alternatives that can help reduce congestion and clean the air," said Mr. Mehta.
Some Thruway Authority employees have joined carpools, while others have chosen to ride Rockland County's TAPPAN ZEExpress bus service, courtesy of a Thruway Authority subsidy that pays their round-trip ticket cost. The service started with just two employees, and has grown to accommodate 10 commuters to and from Tarrytown each day.
"We promote this service to our employees, and support their use of transit -- that serves as a strong incentive to use public transportation," added Mehta.
Organizations that offer employees choices about how they get to work report improved employee recruiting, job satisfaction, and retention. They can also save on taxes (since they pay no federal income taxes or payroll taxes on these benefits), and enhance their corporate image and community relations.
MetroPool supports the employers' efforts through ridematching, on-site promotion, vanpool set-up and other services through a program sponsored by the New York State Department of Transportation. Thirty-two of the Metro NY-NJ-CT Best Workplaces for Commuters are supported by MetroPool's commute management services. For more information about Best Workplaces for Commuters, contact MetroPool.
Rockland County employers recognized. Employer-based commuter mobility programs and the free employer support provided by programs sponsored by the New York State Department of Transportation provide a region-wide, long-term, environmentally-sustainable solution to move commuters through the corridor to worksites in the Mid-Hudson Region in a program that saves time, money and stress. From left, Ramesh Mehta, New York Division Director, New York State Thruway Authority, Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef and Dr. James Yarmus, Rockland County Department of Transportation. New York State Thruway Authority and the County of Rockland are among this year’s Best Workplaces for Commuters.
Dress Barn Commuter -- and Community -- Friendly. The Best Workplaces for Commuters list is a "good commuting seal of approval" that says, this is a commuter-friendly company. Because Best Workplaces for Commuters companies are committed to improving their employees’ commutes, they are also community friendly, in that they help reduce congestion and improve air quality. From left, Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef, Denise Sabo and Denise Burns of Best Workplaces for Commuters recipient Dress Barn, Inc. and Connie Ruth, US Environmental Protection Agency.
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