Registration Now Open for Telework Quick-Start Webinar on October 20

Metro's SafeTrack Surge 10 will have a major impact on the Red Line from October 29 to November 22.  Given the urgency of finding commuting solutions during SafeTrack, now is the time for employers to start a telework program to help continuity of operations during this rail safety project. Join MCDOT Commuter Services on October 20 from 11 to 11:30 a.m. for an informative webinar explaining how to quickly begin a telework program. Read more.

Commuter Services Video Encourages Employers to Offer Telework as a Commuting Option During SafeTrack

MCDOT's Commuter Services has created a quick, one-minute video aimed at employers to encourage them to consider telework during SafeTrack and beyond. The video highlights the benefits of telework for both employers and employees, encourages employers to view a video of an online webinar and promotes consulting assistance available to employers who want to get started right away. View the video and the telework webinar online.

Free Bikeshare Rides Available on July 16-17

Try Bikeshare for free all weekend on Saturday and Sunday, July 16 and 17 courtesy of REI and Capital Bikeshare, who have partnered to provide free, 24-hour memberships. Request your free ride code.

MCDOT’s Commuter Services to Hold Free Telework Webinars to Help Employers During SafeTrack

Montgomery County Department of Transportation's (MCDOT) Commuter Services has scheduled two Telework webinars for June 23 and 28 to help employers quickly set up a telework program. Telework is one option that could help commuters during SafeTrack, Metrorail’s yearlong effort to improve reliability and safety. Teleworking – working remotely – from one day a week to full time is one way employers can maintain or even improve productivity.

The webinar instructor, Elham Shirazi, has more than 30 years of experience in developing telework programs for the private, public and non-profit sectors. Learn key implementation steps such as developing a policy and basic procedures, selecting the right employees and jobs, and adapting the organizational culture for employees who Telework. Representatives from local organizations will also present summaries of their telework programs.

Free, on-site, consulting services are also available to help employers get started.

Get more information about the webinars and register online.

New Report Shows Traffic Crashes Cost Employers $47.4 Billion in 2013 (From March 3, 2016 Network of Employers for Traffic Safety Newsletter)

A new report, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), highlights ways businesses can help save lives and money through roadway safety education in the workplace. 

Protecting employees from motor vehicles crashes could be a profitable investment for U.S. businesses, according to a new report released today by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS). In 2013, U.S. traffic crashes cost employers $47.4 billion in direct crash-related expenses, which includes medical care, liability, lost productivity and property damage. The study showed that employers could control costs by promoting safe driving habits, including seat belt usage and the elimination of speeding, drunk driving and distracted driving, whether or not employees are on the clock.

The study was funded by the U.S. DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and updates a 2002 study, titled the Economic Burden of Traffic Crashes on Employers.

“The consequences of traffic crashes are far reaching. It’s a domino effect that negatively impacts individuals, families, communities and businesses,” said Dr. Mark Rosekind, NHTSA Administrator. “It is critical that individuals make safe choices. Driving behavior change in traffic safety is something NHTSA is exploring through a series of regional summits. We hope employers will join us and look at this report as a motivator to help save lives and prevent injuries on our roads.”

The report shows that more than 1.6 million work days were lost due to traffic crashes, with nearly 90 percent of those days attributed to crashes that occurred off the job, involving employees and/or their dependents. The report details the costs to employers of traffic crashes occurring on and off the job associated with driver behavior.

Speeding resulted in $8.4 billion in crash-related expenses, with distracted driving close behind, at $8.2 billion. Driving under the influence of alcohol resulted in $6.0 billion in losses and not wearing a seat belt added $4.9 billion to the total. In addition, the report finds that medical costs paid by employers per employee injured in a crash were nearly double in on-the-job crashes where the employee was not wearing a seat belt and increased by a third for off-the-job crashes. Click here for an Infographic of the findings.

Dr. Mark Rosekind, NHTSA Administrator

"The consequences of traffic crashes are far reaching. It's a domino effect that negatively impacts individuals, families, communities and businesses...We hope employers will join us and look at this report as a motivator to help save lives and prevent injuries on our roads." says Dr. Mark Rosekind, NHTSA Administrator

"When people think of the human and financial impact of traffic crashes on the workplace, they think about company car drivers," said Jack Hanley, Executive Director of NETS. "This new report is an eye-opener. It shows that employers bear the crash costs of all their employees, not just their company drivers. Investing in road safety is good business and today's report provides employers with a blueprint for developing business cases in support of employee road safety."

In tandem with the new report, NETS is introducing a free toolkit to help employers encourage employees to wear a seat belt. The toolkit was piloted by Coca-Cola Refreshments at its Bismarck ND site, where observed seat belt usage increased from a baseline 54 percent to 84 percent over a 6-week period. Coca-Cola Refreshments is a unit of The Coca-Cola Company, a NETS board member. All the materials used are available in the toolkit and require minimal time and cost to conduct an all-employee site-wide seat belt usage improvement campaign. The free toolkit is available at 2seconds2click.org. NETS also offers at no charge The Comprehensive Guide to Road Safety™ for employers with occupational drivers—available via its website at trafficsafety.org.

Employers: Commuter Connections Awards Deadline Extended to February 5

The application deadline for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' Commuter Connections program has been extended to February 5. The awards recognize regional employers who adopt alternative commuting methods such as transit, teleworking, carpooling/vanpooling and bicycling. These methods help to mitigate traffic congestion and provide for cleaner air through reduced auto emissions.

Awards are made in three categories: incentives, marketing and telework. An employer in the region is eligible if it initiated, enhanced or expanded an alternative commute or telework program that were in place by January 1, 2015.

Applications are evaluated by a committee that chooses winners “based on their ability to offer measurable commuter benefits that reduce automobile fuel consumption and emissions through fewer vehicle trips and miles traveled.”

Submit the nomination form online. Contact Douglas Franklin at Commuter Connections with questions, at 202-962-3792 or dfranklin@mwcog.org.

Holiday Schedules for Ride On, Metro and TRiPS Commuter Stores

Ride On, Metro and the TRiPS Commuter Stores have modified schedules next week:

• Ride On –  Sunday schedule on December 25 and January 1; limited weekday service until 10 p.m. on December 24.
• Metrobus – Sunday schedule on December 25 and January 1
• Metrorail – Sunday schedule on December 25 and January 1
• TRiPS Commuter Stores (Silver Spring and Friendship Heights) – closed on December 25 and January 1

Request Highway’s Assistance Online

Residents can submit online requests to MCDOT’s Division of Highway Services to fix or repair problems on County right-of-ways, including tree maintenance issues. Some examples include:

• clogged storm drains
• curb and gutter repair
• litter and debris pickup
• mowing
• pothole repair
• sidewalk repair
• hanging or broken tree limbs

See the full list and fill out the online 311 service request form.  Use the number provided to track the status of your request.

Experts Discuss Telework with Employers; Presentations Available on County Website

The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce; Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Commuter Connections Program; and Montgomery County Department of Transportation’s Commuter Services Section sponsored a workshop for employers interested in learning more about telework and its impact on productivity and employee morale.

Recent media reports about telework have prompted discussions about whether this alternative work arrangement benefits employers. Experts on telework explained what factors businesses and organizations should consider in making telework decisions and the benefits and challenges of telework. Local employers who are successfully implementing telework programs also discussed their experiences.

The workshop presentations are available on the Commuter Services website.