Travel Information Bulletin
May and June 2004
   

Spano Honors 15 Westchester Companies Named Best Workplaces For Commuters
 Innovative employer-provided commuter benefits improve traffic  and air quality in the Metro NY-NJ-CT

At a reception in White Plains, May 25th 2004, County Executive Andy Spano recognized 15 Westchester companies that have qualified for the first list of the Metro NY-NJ-CT Best Workplaces for Commuters, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognition program. 

The program, coordinated locally with a regional coalition of transportation and business organizations, 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.

The 15 companies are among 63 regional organizations representing more than 100,000 employees in Metro NY-NJ-CT that are being 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 show that good business and a safe environment go together,” said Spano.  “The companies we honor today have achieved a national standard of excellence in commuter benefits that help reduce traffic and keep the air clean.  By improving commuting choice for employees, they also increase job satisfaction and productivity, and position themselves to recruit and retain the best possible workers.  We congratulate this year’s Best Workplaces for Commuters in Westchester.”

“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. The organizations we’re recognizing today have made an extraordinary effort to reverse this trend, and to help their employees find a better, faster way to get to work.”

Employers who provide commuter benefits save on taxes since they pay no federal income taxes or payroll taxes on these benefits.  A recent study showed 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.

“In 2002, more people drove alone than took mass transit to work in the Metro NY-NJ-CT region,” said Gerry Bogacz, Planning Director, NYMTC.  “More than 2.2 million commuters here drove alone to work, and 1.9 million took transit.  The Metro NY-NJ-CT Best Workplaces for Commuters list recognizes employers that are committed to reducing drive-alone commuting to save their employees time and money, while reducing the congestion and pollution caused by so many cars on our roads.”

The complete list of Westchester companies named Best Workplaces for Commuters is attached.  For more information on becoming a Westchester Best Workplace for Commuters, call Tony Offurum at (914) 813-6006 or email tvo1@westchestergov.com.  For general information regarding NY-NJ-CT Best Workplaces for Commuters, visit www.bwc.gov or call the Best Workplaces for Commuters Information Request Line at (888) 856-3131.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Workplaces for CommutersSM  Employers In Westchester County,
New York 2004

Employer

Commuter Benefits Highlights

Central Seafood

Hartsdale, NY

 
  • Central Seafood is another small business helping its employees get to work. 
  • They pay $106/employee to subsidize a vanpool, on which any employee may ride for free.

Golden Wok Restaurant

Ardsley, NY

 
  • All ten Golden Wok employees commute together in a vanpool that is fully subdized by the restaurant’s owner. 
  • Pay $140/month per employee to get her staff to work .  They’re never late!

IBM

Somers, NY location

 

White Plains, NY location

 

North Castle location

Armonk, NY

 

Hawthorne, NY location

(T.J. Watson Research Center)

 IBM Corporate Headquarters

Armonk, NY

 

  • IBM is a leader in the area of telework.  They have significantly reduced car trips by enabling many employees to work from home regularly – a significant number do so full-time.
  • Employees can take advantage of on-site amenities like ATMs and cafeterias, and avoid the need to hop in their cars at lunchtime
  • Many employees enjoy compressed work schedules
  • White Plains facility provides transit to and from the worksite from the local train station

Master Card International

Purchase, NY

 

 

  • MasterCard provides employees with shuttle service to/from the train station
  • Transit Reimbursement Incentive Program (TRIP) which allows employees to set aside dollars from their paychecks on a pre-tax basis.

New York Life Insurance Co.

Sleepy Hollow, NY

 

 
  • Provides on-site daycare and cafeteria… employees love the convenience, and the reduced need to drive around!
  • Employees receive $30/month or more toward their commutes on mass transit
  • Some employees who live farther out can ride to work on a free coach bus, paid for by New York Life
  • Work with the local transportation management agency to match employees who wish to carpool or vanpool

New York Power Authority                

White Plains, NY

 
  • NYPA contributes $30 per month toward employee’s commutes on mass transit or vanpools, and enable employees to pay the balance with pre-tax dollars
  • They also provide employees with real-time information, like traffic conditions, to help avoid commuting problems

Pagoda Restaurant

Scarsdale, NY

 
  • Pagoda makes it easy, and free, for its employees to get to work by providing a vanpool, on which all employees ride daily
  • Pagoda pays $92/month per employee to provide this service.

PepsiCo, Inc.

Purchase, NY

 
  • Almost one-third of PepsiCo employees telecommute regularly from home
  • On-site amenities include a credit union, a convenience store, and a fitness center, all allowing employees to take care of daily needs without ever leaving the corporate campus.
  • Employees can pay mass transit commuting expenses with pre-tax dollars

Swiss Re

Armonk, NY

 
  • Swiss Re encourages employees to use mass transit by providing up to $100/month per employee for use toward mass transit; employees can pay the balance with pre-tax dollars
  • They also pay half of employees’ expenses to ride on commuter vanpools, organized by Swiss Re
  • This employer also runs a shuttle service between their worksite and the local train stop
  • Employees have access to many on-site and nearby amenities, meaning that they can get lunch and run errands without needing a car

Verizon

White Plains, NY

 

 
  • Verizon is not just a leader in telecommunications; this employer is a leader in enabling employees to “telework”, or work from locations other than its traditional worksite.
  • Verizon has substantially reduced the overall number of commute trips that employees make, by supporting telework, and allowing compressed workweeks.
  • Verizon also organizes vanpools and matches up employees who wish to drive to work together.
  • Employees who use mass transit can pay for their commutes with pre-tax dollars
  • Verizon holds commuter fairs for employees about their commute options

Westchester County DOT - SMART Commute Program

Mt Vernon, NY

 
  • Of the 6,500 full-time county employees, over 900 are taking advantage of one or more commute options offered by the county, like teleworking from home, working compressed workweeks, riding on county vanpools, or using pre-tax dollars toward mass transit
  • The County of Westchester works with Metropool, its local transportation management agency, to provide up-to-date information about commuting options to its employees.