West Virginia University was recently designated one of the Best Workplaces for Commuters by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Transportation.

Best Workplaces for Commuters, a voluntary partnership program designed to cut traffic congestion and traffic-related air pollution, recognizes employers that provide environmentally friendly commuter benefits to employees. Offering these commuter benefits identifies WVU as an organization committed to reducing pollution, commuting costs, traffic congestion, and employee stress caused by single-occupant vehicle commuting.

WVU offers an array of benefits that help employees pursue environmentally friendly and cost-effective commuting strategies. As part of the University’s comprehensive commuter benefits program, WVU offers commuting options and support services such as free access to the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system Mountain Line transit with a valid WVU ID, carpool and vanpool programs, bicycle storage facilities and the occasional parking program.

“We are proud to make this commitment to our employees and to the environment,” said Hugh Kierig, director of WVU Transportation and Parking. “The Best Workplaces for Commuters program demonstrates that a healthy balance sheet and a clean environment are not mutually exclusive.”

According to Margo Oge, EPA director of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality, the effects of incentive programs like Best Workplaces for Commuters can be dramatic.

“If just half of all U.S. employees were covered under these commuter benefits,” Oge said, “traffic and air pollution could be cut by the equivalent of taking 15 million cars off the road every year, saving American workers about $12 billion in fuel costs. That’s both cleaner air and real savings for families.”

WVU programs reduce commuting costs not only for its employees, but also for all commuters by taking cars off the road and reducing traffic congestion. The production of ground-level ozone, the major component of smog, is reduced as well.

Best Workplaces for Commuters is a public-private partnership developed by the EPA and DOT, which have established a voluntary National Standard of Excellence for employer-provided commuter benefits. The program challenges employers across the country to voluntarily meet the National Standard of Excellence.

-WVU-

CONTACT: Hugh Kierig, Department of Transportation and Parking
304-293-9095, Hugh.Kierig@mail.wvu.edu

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