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EPA and Coalition Announces First Metro NY-NJ-CT Best Work for CommutersSM List ; 63 area firms providing innovative commuter benefits improve traffic and air quality and qualify for national recognition

Release Date: 05/25/2004
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NEW YORK, NY, May 25, 2004 New York area commuters suffer the longest commute in the nation, and a regional coalition of leading transportation and business organizations is working in partnership with area companies to do something about it. Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Best Workplaces for CommutersSM Coalition announced the first annual list of Metro NY-NJ-CT's Best Workplaces for CommutersSM, which names 63 local companies that provide outstanding commuter benefits to more than 100,000 employees in the region. Companies on the Best Workplaces for CommutersSM list are being praised for offering employees a variety of commuter options, such as employer-provided transit passes, vanpool subsidies, bike facilities, telework programs and on-site day care. Studies show that using commuting alternatives decreases stress levels and saves commuters time and money. "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." 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 CommutersSM 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." Organizations that offer employees choices about how they get to work report improved employee recruiting, job satisfaction, and retention. They can also save on taxes (since they pay no federal income taxes or payroll taxes on these benefits), and enhance their corporate image and community relations. The complete list of Metro NY-NJ-CT Best Workplaces for CommutersSM, is attached. For additional information on Best Workplaces for CommutersSM, visit http://www.bwc.gov or call the Best Workplaces for CommutersSM Information Request Line at (888) 856-3131. *************************************************************************************** 2004 Metro NY-NJ-CT Best Workplaces for Commuterssm Metro New York Lower Fairfield County, Connecticut Northeastern New Jersey American Century Investments Central Seafood Colgate Palmolive Company Columbia University CommuterLink County of Rockland Credit Suisse First Boston Dress Barn Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield Environmental Defense Golden Wok Restaurant IBM Corporation, Intelecom Systems, Inc. jetBlue Airways LexisNexis Master Card International National Archives & Records Administration New York Life Insurance Company New York Power Authority New York Presbyterian Hospitals New York State Thruway Authority Pagoda Restaurant Partnership for New York City Peerless Instrument PepsiCo, Inc. Swiss Re TransitCenter, Inc. U.S. Census Bureau U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission U.S. Department of Labor U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 2 U.S. Federal Transit Administration U.S. General Services Administration U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board Verizon Veterans Affairs New York – Harbor Hospital System Veteran Affairs – Bronx Medical Center Washington Mutual Bank Westchester County SMART Commute Program Yahoo! Inc. YMCA Retirement Fund Gartner Group Hyperion Solutions MetroPool, Inc. Nestle Waters North America Norwalk Hospital PanAmSat Corporation People's Bank Pitney Bowes Preferred Tool & Die Purdue Pharma Reckson Associates SACIA, The Business Council South Western Regional Planning Agency Time Warner Cable D&B Intel Corporation John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Meadowlink Pfizer, Inc. TransOptions U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Edison Laboratory Veterans Affairs New Jersey Healthcare System