Call it spooky, but call it welcome news, too. Two companies in Westchester County and a local municipality recently listened and did something when you muttered to the brake lights in front of you in traffic: Get off the road.
Winners of the Regional Commuter Choice Awards for eliminating cars on the road were Kraft Foods Inc. in Tarrytown, the Village of Croton-on-Hudson and Ginsburg Development Cos. in Valhalla. Westchester County Executive Andrew J. Spano lauded them for eliminating more than 60,000 air-polluting vehicle trips from the region”™s highways every week.
The second annual Regional Commuter Choice Awards, an expansion of the Environmental Protection Agency”™s (EPA) Best Workplaces for Commuters program, is sponsored by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) in collaboration with the Metropolitan Mobility Network and MetroPool Inc. To qualify, employers in New York City, Long Island, Rockland, Westchester and Putnam counties must demonstrate a commitment to getting employees to try alternatives to driving single-occupancy vehicles to work. Alternatives include car and van pools, mass transit, bicycling and telecommuting.Â
“The Regional Commuter Choice Awards give important recognition to employers that are committed to helping their employees find better, less-stressful ways to get to work,” said Joel Ettinger, NYMTC”™s executive director. “In addition, employees make a strong contribution to help reduce congestion and the pollution that comes from so many cars on our roads.”
Motor vehicles on the road ”“ even newer, cleaner models ”“ still account for at least 25 percent of air-polluting emissions nationwide, according to the U.S. Highway Administration. The typical “peak period” driver in a single-occupancy vehicle burns an extra 28 gallons of gas yearly getting caught in traffic jams, spewing tailpipe emissions and increasing stress and commuting costs.
To help reverse the trend locally, some employers are taking an                                                                                                                                                                                                 environmental lead by encouraging workers to rethink their transportation choices.Â
The employees taking part in the commuter programs of this year”™s award winners saved more than a million vehicle miles every week.
“Investing in a more environmentally friendly commute to the workplace doesn”™t just make economic sense; it contributes to a better quality of life for employees, which profits everyone,” said Alan J. Steinberg, EPA regional administrator. “We hope this distinction encourages other companies to get on board. Better air quality due to less traffic congestion is an invaluable employee benefit.”
