Travel
Information Bulletin
January and February 2003
Commuter
Choice is still the way to go!
At
the dawn of a new year we find that roadway congestion continues to beg
for mitigation measures.
We continue to marshal significant resources to combat this
continuing crisis and its attendant air pollution.
The goals remain the reduction of vehicle emissions through better
traffic flow, and the elimination of commute stress.
In
this episode of economic uncertainties, every employer – public or
private – expects employees to work with whatever resources that are
available and still perform at high efficiency.
But how far is the employer willing to go to respond to the quality
of life needs of these employees? Quality
of life issues revolve around the right balance between employment and
family/home demands. The
commute to and from work represents a critical segment of the employee’s
daily activity. It represents a chunk of the employee’s financial
burden. It is calculated that, going forward, as much as 25 per cent of
income will be spent by U.S. households on car travel; i.e. more than is
spent on food or housing. Commuting distances continue to increase as employees
continue to straddle the balance beam of good homes and good jobs.
The stress of daily commuting is increasingly impacting the
efficiency and the quality of life of these employees.
With
the foregoing as backdrop, it becomes incumbent on all concerned to
aggressively promote programs that make non-single occupancy commuting
very acceptable in the least. Non-single
occupancy commuting reduces the number of vehicle on our roadways, and
this equates to stress relief. The
advantages of commuter choice initiative programs have been well
documented: helping businesses by saving money; increasing employee job
satisfaction; assisting recruitment and retention efforts; helping reduce
road congestion and vehicle emissions; etc.
The often-cited impediment by employers – administrative
hassle/burden – pales in comparison to the benefits resulting from such
programs. Senate committee
hearings resonate the need to ease congestion in metropolitan areas
“which presently effects the economy and vitality of the U.S.
economy”, and noted that in order to ease congestion and improve our
transportation system, we must look at options.
At
the forefront of commuting options is public transit. The benefits of
public transportation are manifold: stimulates economic development;
creates jobs; eases traffic congestion, fosters more livable communities;
improves air quality,
reduces energy consumption, etc. Other
commute options come to play, where public transit is not a viable option:
car- and vanpooling; telecommuting and proximate commuting; compressed
work-week; etc. Commuter
Choice benefits (pre-tax benefits) have been further simplified and
increased to support transit and vanpool use.
Emerging technologies are increasingly helping demand-oriented
programs deliver information on conditions and available services to
travelers more timely. Electronic toll collection is helping to increase traffic
flow, and road pricing systems are being studied for deployment across the
globe.
During
the coming moths, the SMART COMMUTE Program will continue to bring
valuable information to Westchester County employers on available transit
as well as other commute options for the benefit of their employees.
It is quite evident that employers can significantly influence the
travel behavior of their employees.
Studies show that employer involvement greatly improves the use of
commute alternatives among employees.
And the benefits are many: improved employee productivity and
morale; reduced absenteeism and late arrivals; reduced commuting time and
expense; less stress; easier travel on streets and highways; improved
overall quality of life, etc.
Commuter Choice surely remains the way to go, and the SMART COMMUTE
Program is here to help!
As
always, for more information and for any of your commute needs, please
call Westchester’s SMART COMMUTE Program at (914) 995-4444, or e-mail us
at
tvo1@westchestergov.com |
