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EPA New England Announces Fourth Annual List of New England’s Best Workplaces for Commuters

Release Date: 09/22/2006
Contact Information: Sheryl Rosner (617) -918-1865)

(September 22, 2006 - Boston, Mass.) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s New England Office released the fourth annual list of New England’s Best Workplaces for Commuters. 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.

This year, the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts became the first municipality in New England to join the list of New England’s Best Workplaces for Commuters . Other new employers include IBM – Cambridge, CDM also in Cambridge, Cartus and Ricoh USA in Danbury, CT and Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. In total, 145 employers representing 229,941 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. In addition, the 2006 list recognizes the Upper Valley New Hampshire/Vermont Best Workplaces for CommutersSM District, providing commuter benefits meeting EPA’s National Standard of Excellence to all commuters in Enfield, Canaan, Hanover, and Lebanon, New Hampshire, as well as to commuters in Norwich and Hartford, VT. The complete list of New England’s Best Workplaces for Commuters, is below.

In New England, cars and trucks contribute more than half the nitrogen oxide emissions, a key ingredient in the formation of ozone smog. In the Boston Metropolitan area alone, commuters waste approximately 136 million gallons of fuel each year simply by idling in traffic jams. New England’s Best Workplaces for Commuters recognizes those employers who are doing their part to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. Together, these employers have reduced annual emissions in New England by over 110,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), 98 tons of volatile organic compounds (VOC), 210 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx), and 1,909 tons of carbon monoxide (CO). This is equivalent to conserving over 12.5 million gallons of gas and taking nearly 21,000 cars off the road in New England each year.

“Today’s announcement acknowledges New England’s newest leaders who have gone the extra mile in offering their employees outstanding commuting options,” said Robert Varney, Regional Administrator of EPA New England. “These employers are not only helping the air quality in our region, they are also gaining a competitive advantage by offering employees’ an important benefit which broadens their commuting options.”

The 2006 list of New England’s Best Workplaces for Commuters welcomes the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts as the region’s first municipality to qualify for the list of New England’s Best Workplaces for Commuters. The City of Cambridge provides its employees with a number of commuter benefits, including membership in the Charles River Transportation Management Association, ridesharing, pre-tax transit subsidy, shuttle service from transit stations and a guaranteed ride home in case of an emergency. The City also promotes walking and cycling to work and provides secure bicycle parking, showers and lockers for employees.

“The City of Cambridge is very pleased to be the first municipality in New England to receive recognition from EPA as one of the Best Workplaces for Commuters,” said Robert W. Healey, Cambridge City Manager. “As a municipality, providing our workforce with commuter benefits is a smart investment: while our employees enjoy the flexibility of many commute options, the positive impact of fewer vehicle trips also extends to our residents, businesses and the environment.”

In addition to providing its employees with alternative commuting incentives, the City of Cambridge encourages its employers to promote innovative commuting options, and to date, 26 Cambridge employers have joined the city on the New England List of Best Workplaces for Commuters.

To qualify as one of the Best Workplaces for Commuters, 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 promote commuter benefits; and,

- Access to an Emergency/Guaranteed Ride Home program.

About the Best Workplaces for CommutersSM
Best Workplace for Commuters is an innovative partnership that distinguishes and provides national recognition to employers who offer their employees superior commuter benefits. These benefits help reduce air pollution, alleviate traffic congestion, and save fuel. They can also help employers save on taxes, reduce the need for parking facilities, and meet government trip reduction goals.

For more details and to see if an organization qualifies, visit <www.bwc.gov>.
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2006 New England’s Best Workplaces for Commuters
Massachusetts
Abt Associates, Inc., Cambridge, MA
Adaptive Optics Associates, Inc., Cambridge, MA
ADD, Inc., Cambridge, MA
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Cambridge, MA
Alkermes, Inc., Cambridge, MA
Alternatives for Community & Environment, Roxbury, MA
Amgen Massachusetts, Cambridge, MA
Applied Geographics, Inc., Boston, MA
AstraZeneca, Waltham, 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
CambridgeSide Galleria, Cambridge, MA
Cambridge Systematics, Inc., Cambridge, MA
CDM, Cambridge, MA
Charles River Transportation Management Association, Cambridge, MA
City of Cambridge, Cambridge, MA
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
Eastern Research Group, Inc., Boston, MA
EMC Corporation, Hopkinton & Westborough, MA
Environmental Defense, Boston, MA
FullArmor Corporation, Boston, MA
Genzyme Corporation, Cambridge & Westborough, MA
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Hewlett-Packard, Marlborough, MA
IBM, Cambridge, MA
Intel Corporation, Hudson, MA
MASCO, Inc., Boston, MA
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and 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
Nortel, Billerica, MA
NESCAUM, Boston, MA
Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, Greenfield, MA
Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, Inc., Cambridge, MA
Novell, Waltham, MA
NSTAR, Westwood, MA
Oracle Corporation, Cambridge & Burlington, MA
Paytronix, 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
Teradyne, Inc., North Reading, MA
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA
The Consensus Building Institute, Inc., Cambridge, MA
The RETEC Group, Inc., Concord, MA
Tufts - New England Medical Center, Inc., Boston, MA
U.S. Department of Labor, Boston, MA
U.S. EPA Region 1, Boston, MA
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
Verizon, Boston & Marlborough, 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 at Logan Airport, Boston, MA
AMEC
Aramark
Atlantic Coast Airlines
BAA Boston, Inc
Beacon Beers Joint Venture
Delta Air Lines
Federal Aviation Administration
FedEx Aircraft Maintenance
FedEx Boston Ramp
Flatiron Structures
Gilbane
Hilton Hotel
HMSHost
Hudson General
JetBlue Airways
Logan Health Center
Massport
O'Brien Kreitzberg
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Signature Flight Support
Traveler's Aid
US Airways
Westfield Concession Management

Connecticut
2Plus, Inc., Bloomfield, CT
Analytics, Inc., New Haven, CT
Applied Geographics, Inc., Manchester, CT
Bayer Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, West Haven, CT
Cartus, Danbury, CT
CT Transit, Stamford, CT
Gartner, Inc., 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 Corporation, 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
Ricoh USA, Danbury, 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
Ultra Electronics Measurement Systems Inc., Wallingford, 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 Corporation, Nashua, NH
Rockingham Regional 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 Division Newport, Newport, RI
Rhode Island Housing, Providence, RI

Vermont
Advance Transit, Inc., Wilder, VT
Campus Area Transportation Management Association, Burlington, VT
Champlain College, 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, Inc., St. Johnsbury, VT
Seventh Generation, Burlington, VT
Shadow Productions, Burlington, VT
Sugarbush Resort, Warrant, VT
University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, Burlington, VT

The Upper Valley New Hampshire/Vermont Best Workplaces for CommutersSM District provides commuter benefits meeting the EPA's National Standard of Excellence to all commuters in Enfield, Canaan, Hanover, and Lebanon, New Hampshire, as well as to commuters in Norwich and Hartford, Vermont. This district is the first in New England to earn the Best Workplaces for CommutersSM District designation.

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