You bike to work almost every day, shower at the office and use the secure storage to keep your wheels safe until it’s time to call it a day. When the weather’s bad, you ride the rails and save money with your transit benefits. You work for a company that’s concerned about its employees and the environment – it’s one of the reasons you took this job – and you wish there was a way your employer could be recognized for promoting commuting choices.
Since 2010, fifty-seven businesses in Fairfax County – more than anywhere else in the country – have been designated “Best Workplaces for Commuters” by the National Center for Transit Research at the University of South Florida. Best Workplaces for Commuters (BWC) is an innovative membership program that provides qualified employers with national recognition and an elite designation for implementing green commuter programs like ridesharing, transit benefits, biking and walking, teleworking and alternate work schedules.
Other advantages include: web conferences and training to help your company implement commuter benefits; research and benchmarking; web-based tools to help calculate the overall financial, environmental, and traffic improvements associated with commuter benefits; and networking opportunities with peers and experts in the field to exchange ideas and learn new strategies.
Next year, your progressive employer could be among those recently recognized at a special ceremony at the Fairfax County Government Center hosted by Fairfax County Department of Transportation Director Thomas Biesiadny. Your Employer Outreach Specialist can provide technical assistance to help your organization meet Best Workplaces for Commuters’ National Standard of Excellence, assist in the completion of the application, and even underwrite the annual fee for employers that qualify.
“Promoting alternate ways to work, and policies such as teleworking and flex time, help make Fairfax County a better place to live and work by reducing congestion on our roadways,” commented Biesiadny in congratulating the ‘Fairfax First 50.’ We are pleased that Fairfax County is leading the nation in ‘Best Workplace’ designations and are committed to continuing to expand this program in years to come.”
This year, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors also issued a proclamation in support of the “Fairfax First 50,” with special mention being given to the 2015 recipients: Horizon Industries Limited, Prosperity Metro Plaza, FUTREND, U.S. Geological Survey, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., Freddie Mac, Synaptek Corporation, National Student Clearinghouse. FOX Architects LLC, and Pyramid Systems, Inc.
For more information on Best Workplaces for Commuters, visit www.bestworkplaces.org, call the Fairfax County Department of Transportation at 703.877.5600 or contact Ciara Williams: 703.877.5605, ciara.williams@fairfaxcounty.gov.
The Best Workplaces for Commuters program is available nationwide. For information on how to participate in your jurisdiction, contact your Loudoun County Commuter Services Employer Outreach Specialist Judy Galen: 703.737.8044, judy.galen@loudoun.gov or visit (https://www.loudoun.gov/commute). Your Prince William County Transportation Demand Management Specialist is Holly Morello: 703.580.6130, hmorello@omniride.com or visit (http://www.prtctransit.org).