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Regional Commuter Choice Awards Competition Begins in Putnam County
Area employers step up their commuter benefits to qualify
Applications for the 2007 Regional Commuter Choice Awards program are now being accepted from businesses that make it easier for employees to get to work, reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality via commute alternative programs.
Building on last year's success, the 2007 Regional Commuter Choice Awards will recognize companies in the New York metro region (five boroughs of NYC, Long Island, Rockland, Westchester and Putnam Counties) that demonstrate a commitment to reducing the number of employees who ride to work in single occupancy vehicles. Employers that promote and/or subsidize pre-tax transit benefits, car and vanpools, telecommuting, bicycling, shuttle services and other commute alternate programs are qualified to enter the competition.
"Employer-sponsored commute alternative programs can make a big difference- on and off the road," said County Executive Robert J. Bondi. "When businesses promote car and vanpooling, mass transit, telecommuting and other programs, they're taking important steps to improving air quality and traffic congestion in Putnam County. We encourage more employers in the county to get involved."
Coordinated through the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) in collaboration with the Metropolitan Mobility Network and CommuterLink, awards in two categories will be announced during a special ceremony in June:
Outstanding Achievement Awards: For small, medium and large employers that have a comprehensive commuter benefits program with a high rate of employee participation and a marketing campaign that encourages employees to use alternatives to driving alone.
Innovator Awards: For small, medium and large employers that have implemented a new or unique commuter benefit program in the last 12 months that encourages employees to use alternatives to driving alone.
"Every day thousands of people in Putnam County sit in traffic - they're burning gas, increasing air pollution and adding stress to their lives," said Joel Ettinger, executive director of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC), which coordinates the Regional Commuter Choice Awards program in collaboration with the Metropolitan Mobility Network and MetroPool. "The Commuter Choice Awards program applauds companies that lead by example in their commitment to reduce traffic congestion and improve the air we breathe. It is our hope that other employers will embrace similar practices in the workplace to address and lessen these problems."
Regional Commuter Choice Awards program is a local expansion of the US Environmental Protection Agency's Best Workplaces for Commuters SM (BWC), a federal program that recognizes companies that achieve a national standard of excellence in commute alternative programs. Employers in the New York Metro area who earn a BWC designation will also be recognized in the Regional Commuter Choice Awards program.
For more information about the 2007 Regional Commuter Choice Awards, including a list of last year's winners, please visit www.nymtc.org.
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