MassRIDES Partners
Employer Partners:
• Advanced Micro Devices
• Albert G. Brock, Co. Inc.
• Alcatel
• Allegro Microsystems, Inc.
• Ames Safety Envelope
• Aramark
• Arborpoint at Station Landing and Woodland
Station
• athenahealth
• Axcelis Technologies
• BAA Boston, Inc.
• Bank of New York Mellon • Barnstable County Sheriff
• Barnstable Municipal Airport
• Barry Controls
• Ben & Jerrys Scoop Shop
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
• Boston Society of Architects
• Broadridge Financial
• Brooks Automation
• Brookstone Stores
• C & S Wholesale Grocers
• CAB Health & Recovery Services
• Canyon Ranch
• Cape Cod Tech
• Cape Codder Resort and Spa
• Cape Destinations
• Catamount Ski Area
• Catania Hospitality Group
• Chatham Wayside Inn
• Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Cities of: Beverly, Gloucester, Haverhill, Salem,
Somerville, and Taunton
• Colleges and Universities: Amherst College,
Boston College, Boston University, Bridgewater
State College, Bristol Community College,
Bunker Hill Community College, Cape Cod
Community College, Curry College, Fitchburg
State College, Framingham State College,
Greenfield Community College, Holyoke
Community College, Lesley University, Massasoit
Community College, Middlesex Community
College, Northeastern University, Quinsigamond
Community College, Roxbury Community
College, Salem State College, Smith College,
Springfield Technical Community College, Suffolk
University, Tufts University, UMass Boston,
UMass Dartmouth, UMass Medical School,
UMass President’s Office, Wellesley College,
Westfield State College, Worcester State College
• Color Kinetics
• Commonwealth of MA.: Departments of
Business Development, Corrections, and
Environmental Protection
• Communispace
• Convention Data Service
• Cookson Material Products Group
• Counties of Barnstable and Nantucket
• Country Curtains
• CTPS
• Cummings Properties • Delta Airlines
• Dennis Police Department
• EBSCO Publishing
• ECM Plastics, Inc.
• Emerson & Cuming
• Engineered Materials Solutions
• Equity Office • FLEXcon
• Garelick Farms
• General Metal Finishing
• Green Restaurant Associates
• Hanover Insurance Group
• Hanscom AFB- MaraTech Engineering
• Hardigg Industries
• Harvard Business School Publishing
• Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
• Hasbro
• Hearth and Kettle Hyannis and Yarmouth
• HMS Host
• Holiday Inn, Taunton
Winter 2009
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Hospitals: AdCare Hospital, Baystate Medical
Center, BD Medical, Berkshire Health Systems,
Cambridge Health Alliance, Cape Cod Hospital,
Caritas Norwood Hospital, Falmouth Hospital,
Faulkner Hospital, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center,
Laurel Lake Center for Health and Rehabilitation,
Lowell General Hospital, Martha’s Vinyard
Hospital, Mt. Auburn Hospital, New England
Baptist Hospital, Quincy Medical Center, Saint
Anne’s Hospital, Saints Memorial Medical Center,
South Shore Hospital, Southcoast Hospital
Group, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, St.
Vincent’s Hospital
HP Hood LLC
IBM – Lexington, Westborough, Westford
ICF International
IKEA
Independence Mall
Intelicoat Technologies
International Fund for Animal Welfare
Interprint
IRS
ITT Technical Institute
JetBlue Airways
Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort
Joseph Abboud Manufacturing Corporation
Julius Koch USA, Inc.
Juniper Networks
Kettle Cuisine
Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health
L-3 Communications ESSCO
Lahey Clinic
M/A - COM, Inc.
Manpower
Marine Biological Laboratory
Marshalls Distribution Center
Mashpee Commons
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MWRA
MassHighway
MassMutual
Meredith Springfield Associates, Inc.
Mid Cape Home Centers
Millipore Corporation
Millitech
MOLARI Employment & Health Care Services
Nantucket Island Resorts
National Fire Protection Association
New Balance Athletic Shoe
New England Biolabs
New England Coffee Co.
New England Institute of Art
Nortel Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Inc
Nuance
Nuvera Fuel Cells
Nypro, Inc.
Onset Computer Corp
Pacific National/Bank of America
Partylite Worldwide, Inc.
Peabody Essex Museum
Peoples Bank
Philips Lifeline
PHOTONICSystems, Inc.
Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
PriceWaterhouseCoopers
Prime Outlets Lee
Progress Software
PTC Corporation
Raytheon IDS HQ
Raytheon IDS IADC
Raytheon Maritime Mission Center
Raytheon Missile Defense Center
Riverview School
Savvy Staffing Solutions
SBLI
Service Point USA
Shaws/Star Market
Sherburne Commons
Signature Flight Support
Solutia, Inc. Sun Microsystems
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Teledyne Benthos, Inc.
Teradyne, Inc.
The Career Place
The Hot Chocolate Sparrow
The MITRE Corporation
The Original Rangoon Company
The Red Lion Inn
The RETEC Group, Inc.
The Share Group
The Yankee Candle Company, Inc.
Top Flite
Town Crier Motel
Towns of: Amesbury, Arlington, Barnstable,
Bedford, Belchertown, Bourne, Brewster,
Chatham, Dennis, Eastham, Essex, Falmouth,
Georgetown, Harwich, Ipswich, Manchester,
Mansfield, Nantucket, Norton, Reading,
Sandwich, Seekonk, Truro, Wellfleet, and
Yarmouth
• Travelex Americas, Inc.
• Tufts Health Plan
• Tyco Electronics/Madison Cable
• UMass Medical School Center for Healthcare
Financing
• UMass Memorial
• Upper Cape Regional Technical School
• UPS
• US EPA New England Regional Laboratory, and
Region 1- Boston
• USNPS Cape Cod National Seashore
• Varian Semiconductor
• Vaupell
• Viacor, Inc.
• Vitale, Caturano & Co.
• Vitasoy
• Walk Boston
• Waters Corporation
• Wellington Management Company, LLP
• Westfield Concession Management, Inc.
• Willy’s World Wellness and Conference Center
• Windemere Nursing Home
• Wood Lumber Company
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• Wright Line LLC
Affiliates:
• Berkshire Community Action Council
• BerkshireRides/TANB
• BerkshireWorks Career Center
• Boston Properties
• Burlington Business Round Table
• Cape and Islands WIB
• Construct, Inc.
• Falmouth E.D.I.C.
• Franklin County CDC
• Hudson News
• MassBike
• Midwest Airlines
• New Bedford Economic Development Council
• Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc.
• North of Boston Convention & Visitor’s Bureau
• North Shore Cyclists
• Peter Pan Bus Lines, Inc.
• Plymouth & Brockton Street Railway Co.
• Plymouth Regional Economic Development
Foundation
• South Berkshire Educational Collaborative
• Square One Mall
• The Gutierrez Company
• Virgin Atlantic Airways
• West Falmouth Aluminum
• Woburn Business Association
• Zipcar
• Chambers of Commerce: Bedford, Beverley,
Billerica, Cape Cod, Chelsea, Dennis, Eastham,
Everett, Harwich, Malden, Medford, Merrimack
Valley, Nantucket, New Bedford, North Attleboro
and Plainville, North Shore, North Suburban,
Orleans, Peabody, Salem, Saugus, Somerville,
Taunton, and United (Franklin Area)
• Regional Transit Authorities (RTA): MBTA,
BRTA, BAT, CCRTA, GATRA, LRTA, VTA,
MVRTA, NRTA, PVTA, SRTA, WRTA
A S e r v i c e o f t h e M a s s a c h u s e t t s E x e c u t i v e O f f i c e o f Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n
Berkshire Resorts Collaborate on Transportation Efforts
Inside this issue
• Hanover Insurance Responds
to Employee Requests for
Commute Options
• Ebsco Publishing Promotes Bike
to Work Week
• Day in the Life of a Nortel
Teleworker
• Massasoit Community College
• Southcoast Hospitals Group - St.
Luke’s Hospital
• Tufts Health Plan Maximizes
Parking with Cash-Out Incentive
• Boston College Manages
Parking Demand With Pricing &
Enforcement Strategy
A
fter many years of facing transportation challenges alone, Canyon
Ranch and Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, along
with The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, have joined together to
provide better transportation options to over 1,000 employees in the
Berkshires. Each resort encounters similar transportation difficulties
such as recruitment and retention of employees, lack of parking, and with
the recent volatility in gas prices, affordability of reliable transportation.
MassRIDES’ origin analysis and mapping service shows that these
employees live an average of 20 miles from work. Through carpool
matching and the potential for multi-company vanpools, MassRIDES is
working to provide reliable, affordable options to all employees.
All three resorts are MassRIDES partners and offer a uniform program
consisting of ridematching, preferential parking for carpools, information
presented in new hire orientation materials, bicycle storage areas, and the
Emergency Ride Home program. To date, nearly 10% of the total workforce
has registered to find a carpool partner, and MassRIDES will continue to
conduct periodic transportation events to maintain awareness as well as to
reward employees who are participating in the program.
• 2008 Massachusetts Walk to
School Day a Success
• MassRIDES is a Growing
Presence on the Cape & Islands
Want more information about
travel options?
Contact MassRIDES at
1.888.4COMMUTE
or visit us on the web at
www.commute.com
A S e r v i c e o f t h e M a s s a c h u s e t t s E x e c u t i v e O f f i c e o f Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n
Hanover Insurance Responds to Employee
Requests for Commute Options
M
assRIDES is currently working with Hanover
Insurance to offer travel options to the 2,200
employees at its Worcester facility. With
volatile gas prices, Hanover’s management has been
receiving requests from employees for better ways
to get to work. In addition, Hanover is interested in
promoting sustainable solutions, and is striving to make
the worksite, as well as the corporate culture, receptive
to cost-saving and environmentally positive travel
alternatives.
In addition to its conventional employee parking, Hanover
is fortunate to have a transit stop onsite. The company
offers flexible scheduling to accommodate employees
interested in carpooling or transit and is implementing
onsite transit pass sales in coordination with the
Worcester Regional Transit Authority. Hanover recently
began offering the Emergency Ride Home program to
support its ridematching and carpooling efforts, and
will schedule transportation events with MassRIDES
regularly, in order to generate awareness of travel options
to the worksite.
were unable to walk to school could still participate in the event. Representing the
community and town, School Superintendent Peter Kurzberg and Mayor Joseph
Sullivan joined the fun by rewarding each walking student with a reflective Safe
Routes to School zipper pull.
As part of the enforcement component, the school partnered with the police
department to help create a safer walking environment. The police stationed
cruisers in the vicinity of the school and officers helped the crossing guard assist
students safely across the street.
To develop a broader program, the school will implement Pedestrian Safety
Education for 2nd grade students, organize Walking School Buses, and sponsor
“Trekking Tuesdays” encouraging students to build on the walking momentum.
MassRIDES will help the school to monitor and evaluate its progress. The goal is
to develop walking to school as the norm, rather than the exception, and create
long-term sustainable change.
MassRIDES is a Growing Presence on the Cape & Islands
MassRIDES has almost tripled. Leading the way are
most of the 15 town administrations on the Cape,
which are some of the largest employers in the area.
These towns are setting a great example for other
employers by showing how a few changes in habit
can make a big difference in both the lives of their
employees and in the environment.
Ebsco Publishing Promotes Bike to Work Week
Employees at Ebsco Publishing in Ipswich had many reasons to dust off their bicycles during National Bike
to Work Week this spring. In conjunction with MassRIDES’ Bike to Work Week Challenge, Ebsco partnered
with a local bike shop to offer free bike tune-ups; provided a bicycle commuting Lunch n’ Learn session;
offered free cafeteria dollars and raffle prizes; and, hosted a series of organized rides into work from
the nearby towns of Newburyport, Gloucester, Hamilton, and Wenham. These organized rides gave new
bicycle commuters a chance to learn recommended routes and techniques from more experienced
commuters, ultimately preparing them to continue commuting by bicycle.
As Ipswich’s largest employer, with 500 employees, Ebsco believes it is important
to promote travel options, and encourages its employees to carpool, bicycle,
walk, and use transit. Their immediate proximity to the Ipswich Commuter
Rail Station led to establishing an MBTA Corporate Pass Program where
employees receive generous discounts for riding the commuter rail to and
from work. In addition, MassRIDES’ Emergency Ride Home program
provides Ebsco employees with four free rides home per year in case
of an emergency, eliminating the worry of becoming stranded without
a car.
Cape Cod has always been known for its historic
significance and natural beauty. People travel from all
over the world to experience the beaches, the walking
and bicycling trails, the food, and other recreational
activities. One of the other things people experience
in the summer, however, is not as pleasant--traffic!
During the summer and early fall months, roadways
are clogged with tourists and visitors, making
commuting difficult for many Cape employees. This
year, in addition to the usual traffic congestion,
commuters have also had to deal with unusually high
gas prices.
Environmental awareness has significantly increased
on the Cape and Islands, with many companies
working toward being more “green” and ecofriendly. Because of this increasing awareness, and
companies’ desire to reduce their impact on the
environment, employers have embraced the programs
offered by MassRIDES.
Since September of 2007, the number of employers
on the Cape and Islands who have partnered with
Many employers are eager to help their employees
save money on their commutes as well as reduce
their carbon footprints. Currently MassRIDES has
partnerships with 61 companies and organizations
on Cape Cod and the Islands and as those partners
spread the word, more and more employers are
realizing the benefits of assisting their employees with
finding travel options. More people are riding bicycles
to work, and carpooling is bringing people together
like never before as employees make new friends and
save money at the same time.
Since September of 2007,
the number of employers
on the Cape and Islands
who have partnered
with MassRIDES
has tripled.
2008 Massachusetts
Walk to School Day a Success
Safe Routes
to School
T
he Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Program invited its 120+ partner
schools in 50+ communities to celebrate the second annual Massachusetts Walk
to School Day on May 7, 2008. Schools across the state reported a dramatic
increase in walking as communities used this event to develop larger Safe Routes to
School (SRTS) initiatives. Successful and sustainable SRTS programs include five
components: education, encouragement, enforcement, evaluation, and engineering.
These comprehensive programs aim to improve walking and bicycling conditions and
encourage students to safely walk and bicycle to school.
Massachusetts Walk to School Day is a simple idea – children and parents, school and
local officials walking to school together on a designated day in the spring. It is an
energizing event, reminding everyone of the simple joy of walking to school, the health
benefits of regular daily activity, and the need for safe places to walk and bicycle. As
part of a comprehensive SRTS program, Walk to School Days strive to create long
term change by increasing physical activity among children, enhancing pedestrian
safety, reducing traffic congestion, improving the environment, and building strong
communities.
Ross Elementary in Braintree Sees Early Results
Braintree’s Ross Elementary School organized its Walk to School Day event as a
catalyst for developing a larger SRTS program. At Ross Elementary School, even
though all students live within a mile, 80% of children are driven to and from school
each day. On Wednesday, May 7, nearly all students walked to school, resulting in
a nonexistent car line and a tremendous sense of community and accomplishment.
Principal Donna Bonarrigo noted “On a typical morning, the driveway has a line of cars
snaking through the parking lot from the street. Today I’ve seen maybe two at the
same time in the driveway. It’s so exciting to see so many families arriving on foot, and
it looks as though many of them met up with their neighbors on the way here.”
The collaboration among the school, town, and community contributed to the event’s
success. As part of education and encouragement, the principal and staff conducted
a school assembly to announce the day and review pedestrian safety skills with the
students. On May 7, the PTO sponsored a refreshment table in front of the school
to greet the walking students and parents as they arrived. The physical education
teacher set up a quarter mile walking course behind the school so that students that
Day in the Life of a Nortel Teleworker
When Dave rolls out of bed in the morning, the first
thing he does is venture over to his home office
to see what his work day is going to look like…a
9 a.m. briefing with his boss in North Carolina…a
presentation to his operational team in California at
noon…and if he hurries, some quality time with his
daughter as he walks her to school.
Telework is the buzz in today’s workplace. For
Dave and other Nortel workers, it is more than
just a buzz word; it’s a fact of life. For 15 years,
Nortel has actively encouraged telework as a key
element of its real estate strategy, environmental
initiatives and support for employees’ work-life
balance. About 10% of Nortel employees globally
are full time teleworkers, while 80% of employees
work from somewhere other than their regular desk
at least occasionally. At Nortel’s Massachusetts
campus in Billerica, 9% of the population are
full-time teleworkers and 15% are free address
workers – all without an onsite dedicated desk.
Nortel’s promotion of telework has achieved some
remarkable benefits:
• Productivity has increased by an estimated
15% among teleworkers, with 94% of them
reporting 15% to 20% greater productivity
• Teleworkers report that they are 11% more
satisfied than the overall employee population
• Eliminating the commute to work has reduced
travel requirements and associated carbon
emissions
• Each teleworker saves the company about
$9,000 annually in real estate costs
• Significant reductions in real estate costs and
associated energy usage resulted in savings of
approximately $22 million/year
The telework program at Nortel is called the
Integrated Work Environment (IWE) Program.
The IWE Program encourages workers to utilize
connectivity technology to work in environments
that provide the greatest personal productivity
and support work/life balance while maximizing
the cost effective utilization of Nortel’s real estate
and technology. Nortel’s commitment to its IWE
program has resulted in the majority of Billerica
workers having the capability to work anytime,
anywhere. Nortel’s technology enables employees
to securely connect to the corporate voice and
data network whenever they have a broadband
connection (wireline or wireless). This flexibility is
a major satisfier to employees, as it enables them
to balance their work and personal lives more
effectively. Many of Nortel’s employees work at
home, ranging from full-time to one day a week
(or even a morning or afternoon). The Nortel IWE
and GreenCommute programs enable employees
to determine how often they have to commute into
the office. Additionally, severe weather impacts are
minimized with these capabilities, as employees
can work from home with no loss of productivity,
provided they have a high speed broadband
connection.
The Nortel commitment to green commuting and
teleworking has been recognized over the years:
• In 2004, Nortel received the federal EPA/DOT
award of
“
Best Workplaces for
Commuters SM
”
for the dynamic GreenCommute and telework
programs in place at its Billerica location. The
GreenCommute program provides a centralized
commuter options website, ridesharing,
dedicated carpool parking, an online carpool
parking management system, bicycle parking,
showers, lockers and change rooms, and hosts
regular transportation fairs to actively and
visibly support alternatives to driving alone.
Nortel continues to be an active partner with
MassRIDES.
• On the international front, Transport Canada
recently included telework in its updated case
study list on sustainable transportation for
the first time. Nortel was the only corporation
featured in the Transport Canada overview.
Massasoit Community College
M
assasoit Community College in Brockton actively promotes the use of travel options for employees and
students. Even though parking on campus is adequate, the administration, led by the Vice President of
Administration/CFO Betty Ann Learned, prefers fewer cars traveling to campus each day.
Students at Massasoit can take advantage of student discounts on bus passes that are sold on campus for the
Brockton Area Transit (BAT) bus. The bus stop, located outside the student center, makes taking the bus a convenient
choice for students and employees commuting from the Brockton area.
Massasoit also encourages carpooling among students and staff by offering preferential parking spaces located in
the front of the parking lots closest to classroom buildings. Additionally, Massasoit offers the Emergency Ride Home
program for faculty and staff who choose to walk, bicycle, or travel by carpool, vanpool, or bus. And for those who
bicycle to the campus, storage racks are provided adjacent to classroom buildings.
Massasoit Community College is committed to reducing its environmental impact and has established a constant
MassRIDES presence on campus through special events and promotions.
Southcoast Hospitals Group - St. Luke’s Hospital
S
t. Luke’s Hospital is located in a busy
neighborhood in New Bedford and does not
have adequate parking for all of the employees,
patients, and visitors who come to the hospital each
day. As a MassRIDES partner, St. Luke’s is working to
alleviate parking shortages by encouraging employees
to use alternatives to driving alone to work.
To support the use of travel options, St. Luke’s offers
incentives to employees who choose to carpool.
Employees who are registered carpoolers are eligible
to win a quarterly gas card raffle. Also, reserved,
conveniently located preferential parking is provided to
employees who carpool.
St. Luke’s promotes public transportation by offering
employees discounted bus passes that can be used
on any of the bus routes in the area served by the
Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA). St.
Luke’s also supports employees who choose to bicycle
to work by providing bicycle parking racks on the
hospital grounds. Fortunately, a significant number of
employees live near enough to walk to work most days.
St. Luke’s and MassRIDES continue to work together to
reduce the number of cars being driven to the hospital
each day through a focused communication effort.
Tufts Health Plan
Maximizes Parking with
Cash-Out Incentive
Boston College Manages
Parking Demand With Pricing
& Enforcement Strategy
As Tufts Health Plan began planning the consolidation
of their offices to one facility in Watertown, the
Company realized that if every employee drove to
work, there would not be enough parking spaces in
their garage to accommodate them, in addition to the
normal daily business visitors and guests.
Located in suburban Chestnut Hill, Boston College
is a large, private college with over 14,500 students
and 3,100 faculty and staff. While the college is
accessible via the MBTA Green line, and students who
live in surrounding communities use the T to commute
to campus, adequate parking remains a significant
challenge. Previously, students paid for parking
passes; however faculty, staff, and visitors could park
at no charge.
Tufts explored several options to reduce the number of
daily parkers, the most inventive of which is a parking
cash-out program. They established a target of 100
participating employees, with a cap of 225. Initially,
participants who gave up their parking permits for a
minimum of three months, received $100 per month
that they could use for transit fares or carpooling
expenses. After three months, enrollment can continue
on a monthly basis.
In the summer of 2007, Tufts Health Plan kicked
off their Parking Incentive Program and within just
a few weeks over 50 employees enrolled, and the
initial goal of 100 was exceeded with 177 employees
participating. Currently, over 10% of Tufts Health
Plan employees participate in some form of travel
alternative to driving alone to work. Tufts Health Plan
and MassRIDES organized transportation events to
inform employees about their options, and to register
them to find carpool partners.
The Parking Incentive Program has proven successful.
Currently:
• 177 employees have opted out of onsite parking
• 150 garage parking spaces were gained
• 130 employees use the MBTA for their daily
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commute
Carpooling increased by 50% (participants receive
sign-up awards and are entered into monthly
drawings)
More bicyclists are using the secure bike cage
Two Zipcars are parked onsite and available for
employee use during the day
In order to more effectively manage parking demand,
the College implemented a new garage system
that includes parking charges for everyone; no
exceptions. Migrating to a paid parking strategy was
challenging, so the College Parking and Transportation
department launched an aggressive outreach program
to administration, faculty, and staff to explain the
benefits of the new program, to field questions,
and to hear concerns. Ultimately, success of this
program depended on several factors: administrative
support; increased enforcement of parking rules
and regulations; detailed oversight of the permitting
process; and, outreach to the college community.
In the semester following implementation of the new
parking guidelines, only 108 commuter student and
250 resident student permits were issued, MBTA use
increased on campus, and the College gained revenue.