Local employers among the nation’s top 20 Best Workplaces for Commuters

Nov. 16, 2005 –Kudos are due to local employers Intel, Microsoft, Safeco and Boeing for being named among the Top 20 Best Workplaces for Commuters from FORTUNE 500 Companies.

The US Environmental Protection Agency recognizes these companies for their role in offering excellent commuter benefits that reduce fuel consumption, vehicle emissions and traffic congestion across the country.

“We’re proud to see so many area employers recognized for their efforts,” says Dennis McLerran, executive director for the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. “They are leaders not only locally but also set a national example of the role businesses can take to improve our air quality and lessen our impact on the environment.”

With regional offices in DuPont, Wash., Intel (based in Santa Clara, Calif.) provides its 1,300 local employees a subsidy benefit for vanpoolers as well as a fitness center with showers and lockers for biking commuters. Ten percent of its DuPont workforce vanpool, while nationally 40 percent of its employees telework. Other staffers take advantage of flextime, compressed workweeks, part-time hours and job-shares.

Redmond-based Microsoft on the list with 11,500 commuters in the Puget Sound region who have decided to leave their cars at home and ride the bus, carpool, vanpool, bike or walk to work. Over the last three years, Microsoft has increased the number of its employees choosing a greener commute option, rather than driving alone, from 26 percent to 30 percent. The company’s comprehensive and extensive commute program includes providing a free transit FlexPass to all full-time Microsoft employees.

Seattle-based Safeco and has been committed to reducing drive alone commuting for over 30 years. By implementing subsidy programs and incentives, Safeco employees participate in more than 80 active vanpools in locations across the country and have a high transit participation rate. Safeco hosts its own annual transportation promotional events, participates in regional rideshare campaigns and provides commute-program information to employees via its intranet site.

Boeing encourages employees to work at flexible work locations and provides employees interested in carpooling with a startup incentive. Earlier this year, the company also increased its transit subsidy for its Puget Sound region employees.

Almost 600,000 employees receive commuter benefits from BWC's list of Fortune 500 companies. This results in the reduction of approximately 270,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, equivalent to eliminating emissions from more than 53,000 cars each year and saving nearly 30 million gallons of gasoline, or $88 million at today's gas prices (Energy Information Administration, Oct. 17, 2005 national average price: $2.75/gallon).

To meet the National Standard of Excellence for commuter benefits and qualify as one of the Best Workplaces for Commuters, employers must provide:

• At least one primary commuter benefit, such as a monthly transit/vanpool pass subsidy or a significant telecommuting program;
• At least three supporting commuter benefits, such as carpool/vanpool incentives, lockers/showers for bikers or walkers, compressed/flexible work schedules or on-site daycare;
• A central point of contact, who actively informs employees of available commuter benefits; and
• Access to an Emergency or Guaranteed Ride Home Program.

Resources:

• Commuter Challenge www.commuterchallenge.org
• Best Workplaces for Commuters www.bwc.gov