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Coalition Announces Third Annual List of New England’s Best Workplaces for CommutersSM 130 employers representing more than 170,000 workers qualify for EPA’s growing list of Best Workplaces for CommutersSM

Release Date: 10/19/2005
Contact Information:

Contact: Carey Evenson ([email protected]), PRR for EPA,
Phone: (206) 623-0232 x257

For Immediate Release: October 19, 2005; Release # ce51001

Boston, MA (October 19, 2005) — Today, New England’s Best Workplaces for Commuters^SM Coalition, a group of transportation, environmental, health, and planning organizations, released the third annual list of New England’s Best Workplaces for Commuters^SM. The list recognizes leading, innovative employers committed to improving their communities by reducing traffic congestion and air pollution and improving the health and quality of life for thousands of commuters in the region.

Employers designated as one of New England’s Best Workplaces for CommutersSM include EMC Corporation, Bayer Healthcare, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), Oracle, Abt Associates, and Chittenden Bank. In total, 130 employers representing 170,517 employees qualified for the list, which consists of large and small organizations throughout New England, and represents a wide array of industries including technology, healthcare and transportation. For a complete list of New England’s Best Workplaces for Commuters^SM, see the attached list, or visit www.bwc.gov.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also released the 2005 list of Best Workplaces for Commuters^SM from the FORTUNE 500 Companies today. The list, exclusively for FORTUNE 500 companies, includes local employers Intel, Sun Microsystems, and EMC Corporation and highlights the fact that, with rising gas prices, commuter benefits are now even more important to help employees reduce commuting costs. In addition, these progressive companies realize that commuter benefits address employee work/life balance issues, which contribute to employee job satisfaction and ultimately better employee performance, recruitment, and retention.

"Given the impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on US refineries, it important that we take steps to conserve fuel by carpooling and using public transit wherever possible," said Robert W. Varney, Regional Administrator of EPA's New England Office. "We applaud this year's employers for their leadership in promoting commuting strategies that reduce air pollution, decrease traffic congestion, and save employees money."

EMC, one of the largest employers in Massachusetts, operates and maintains a shuttle system that provides 2,000 rides a day to employees traveling amongst EMC facilities in Massachusetts. EMC also uses these shuttles to provide support for its "Guaranteed Ride Home” program, which assures registered carpoolers a ride home in cases of emergency. EMC also uses electric cars in its carpool program and is actively pursuing adding compressed natural gas (CNG) and hybrid vehicles to its shuttle fleet. EMC is also working with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to improve public transportation in non-urban areas.

“It's been a great program for EMC,” said Paul Fitzgerald, Director of Facilities Services at EMC. “The initial driver behind EMC's employee-friendly commuter programs was compliance - to ensure EMC was doing what was necessary to satisfy any state and federal regulatory agencies. We quickly recognized that we could use the resources in place to realize other types of benefits, such as cost savings on customer tours, better employee productivity, as well as ease the traffic flow around the corporate campuses. And with fuel costs steadily rising, we are now looking to enhance the programs, such as instituting alternative fuel vehicles into the fleet program.”

To qualify as one of the Best Workplaces for Commuters^SM, employers must provide:

• At least one primary commuter benefit, such as a monthly transit/vanpool pass subsidy, cash in lieu of free parking, or a significant telework program.
• At least three supporting commuter benefits, such as carpool incentives, lockers/showers for bikers or walkers, incentives for living near work, or onsite amenities such as day care or dry cleaning.
• A central point of contact for commuter information who actively promotes commuter benefits.
• Access to an Emergency/Guaranteed Ride Home program.

About the New England Region Best Workplaces for Commuters^SM Coalition
The New England Region Best Workplaces for Commuters^SM Coalition is composed of leading government, transportation demand management, and health organizations in the New England Region working to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, and make commuting less stressful and costly. Members include the Association for Commuter Transportation Patriot Chapter, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, MassCommute, New England Employee Benefits Council, Upper Valley Rideshare, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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New England’s Best Workplaces for Commuters^SM

Massachusetts
Abt Associates Inc., Cambridge. MA
Adaptive Optics Associates, Cambridge, MA
ADD Inc, Cambridge, MA
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., Cambridge, MA
Alkermes, Inc., Cambridge, MA
Alternatives for Community & Environment, Roxbury, MA
Applied Geographics, Inc., Boston, MA
Basis Technology Corp., Cambridge, MA
Beacon Consultants Network Inc., Boston, MA
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
Booz Allen Hamilton, Boston, MA
Boston Properties, Boston, MA
Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
Cabot Corporation, Boston, MA
The Cadmus Group, Inc., Watertown, MA
Cambridge Systematics, Inc., Cambridge, MA
CambridgeSide Galleria, Cambridge, MA
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA
Charles River Transportation Management Association, Cambridge, MA
The Consensus Building Institute, Cambridge, MA
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
Eastern Research Group, Inc., Boston, MA
EMC Corporation, Hopkinton & Westborough, MA*
Environmental Defense, Boston, MA
Genzyme Corporation, Cambridge & Westborough, MA
Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Hewlett-Packard, Marlborough, MA*
Intel Corporation, Hudson, MA*
MASCO, Inc., Boston, MA
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Boston, MA
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
MassRIDES, Boston, MA
Mellon Financial, Everett, MA*
Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, MA
NESCAUM, Boston, MA
Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, Greenfield, MA
Nortel, Billerica, MA
Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, Inc., Cambridge, MA
Novell, Waltham, MA
NSTAR, Westwood, MA
Oracle, Cambridge, MA*
Patronix, Cambridge, MA
Putnam Investments, Andover, MA
Route 128 Business Council, Waltham, MA
Shriners Burns Hospital, Boston, MA
Simmons College, Boston, MA
SMaL Camera Technologies, Cambridge, MA
Smith, Segel & Sowalsky, Boston, MA
Sun Microsystems, Burlington, MA*
The RETEC Group, Concord, MA
U.S. Department of Energy, Boston, MA
U.S. Department of Labor, Boston, MA
U.S. EPA New England, Boston, MA
University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA
Verizon- Massachusetts, Boston, MA*
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, Cambridge, MA
Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Cambridge, MA
Wainwright Bank, Boston, MA
Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, MA
World Trade Center Boston/Seaport Hotel, Boston, MA
Wyeth BioPharma, Andover, MA*
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA*

Best Workplaces for Commuters SM at Logan Airport, Boston, MA
AMEC
Aramark*
Atlantic Coast Airlines
BAA Boston, Inc.
Beacon Beers Joint Venture
Delta Air Lines*
Federal Aviation Authority
FedEx Aircraft Maintenance
FedEx Boston Ramp
Flatiron Structures
Gilbane
Hilton Boston Logan Airport
HMS Host
Hudson General
JetBlue Airways
Logan Health Center
O’Brien Kreitzberg
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Signature Flight Support
Traveler’s Aid
Westfield Concession Management

Connecticut
2Plus Inc., Bloomfield, CT
Applied Geographics, Manchester, CT
Bayer Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, West Haven, CT
Gartner Group, Stamford, CT
Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority, Bridgeport, CT
Hospital of Saint Raphael, New Haven, CT
Housatonic Area Regional Transit, Danbury, CT
Hyperion Solutions, Stamford, CT
JetBlue Airways, Darien, CT
Lecoq Cuisine, Bridgeport, CT
MetroPool, Inc., Stamford, CT
Nestle Waters North America, Greenwich, CT
Norwalk Hospital, Norwalk, CT
PanAmSat Corporation, Wilton, CT
People’s Bank, Bridgeport, CT
Pitney Bowes World Headquarters, Stamford, CT*
Preferred Tool & Die, Shelton, CT
Proton Energy Systems, Wallingford, CT
Purdue Pharma L.P., Stamford, CT
Reckson Associates, Stamford, CT
The Rideshare Company, Windsor, CT
Rideworks of Greater New Haven, New Haven, CT
SACIA, The Business Council, Stamford, CT
South Western Regional Planning Agency, Stamford, CT
Time Warner Cable, Stamford, CT*
Yale University, New Haven, CT

New Hampshire
Dartmouth College , Hanover , NH
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center , Lebanon , NH
Hewlett-Packard, Nashua, NH*
Mascoma Savings Bank, Lebanon, NH
Oracle, Nashua, NH*
Rockingham Planning Commission, Exeter, NH
University of New Hampshire, Durham , NH

Rhode Island
Grow Smart Rhode Island, Providence, RI
Kent Hospital, Warwick, RI
Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Newport , RI
Rhode Island Housing, Providence, RI

Vermont
Advance Transit, Inc., Wilder, VT
Campus Area Transportation Management Association, Burlington, VT
Chittenden Bank, Burlington, VT
City Market, Burlington , VT
Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington, VT
Resource Systems Group Inc., White River Junction, VT
Rural Community Transportation, St. Johnsbury, VT
Seventh Generation, Burlington, VT
Shadow Productions, Burlington, VT
Sugarbush Resort, Warren, VT
University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, Burlington, VT

* FORTUNE 500 employer

Related Information:
Best Workplaces for Commuters^SM
Air Quality Index
Air Quality Web Site