County Executive
Andy Spano (back row, third from left) with Transportation
Commissioner Larry Salley commends county employees for
taking up the commuter challenge.
County Executive Andy Spano today
recognized county employees who successfully met the county’s
ride-share challenge.
About 50 employees agreed last year to leave their “single-occupancy
vehicle” commuting behind and begin ride-sharing to work at least
two days a week over a minimum of 16 weeks. 32 of the employees
successfully met the challenge and responded to Spano’s call for
Westchester commuters to embrace different commuting alternatives.
Spano had called on public and private corporations to encourage
their employees to embrace this program, generally referred to as
Commuter Choice, and to provide them with the incentives necessary
to do so. Commuter Choice options include transit (bus and rail),
vanpooling, carpooling, walk/bike, telecommuting and flex-time work
schedules.
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The county employees who undertook this challenge work in White
Plains, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon and Yonkers for county
departments, including Information Technology, Transportation,
Health, Mental Health and Social Services.
“I am very proud of these employees who have demonstrated that this
can be done,” said Spano. “Most of them have indicated that they
will make their new commuting patterns a permanent thing.”
Commuter Choice promotion in Westchester is led by the Department of
Transportations’ SMART COUMMUTE Unit located in Mount Vernon. County
Transportation Commissioner Larry Salley explained that “these
employees who took the challenge experienced firsthand the benefits
of not driving alone everyday – less stress, better performance at
work, gasoline savings and getting back home more relaxed.”
Spano has promoted the benefits of Commuter Choice in the county by
implementing the Pre-tax Commute Benefits (Commute-n-Save) for
employees and passing Executive Order #7, which requires companies
that do more than $100,000 worth of business with the county
implement this commuter program.
Employers interested in learning more about Commuter Choice should
call Mary Ellen Burns at 914-813-7741.
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