More workers interested in carpooling, mass transit for commute

Signs posted recently along some southcentral Pennsylvania highways direct commuters to consider new ways to get to and from work. Commuter Services of South Central Pennsylvania, a federally funded nonprofit agency, created the 50 signs to encourage commuters to stop driving solo.

Whether by mass transit or carpool, employees are changing their daily commutes. More than four out of 10 professionals interviewed said higher gas prices have affected their commutes, according to a survey conducted by Robert Half International, a California staffing services firm. The survey represented the views of 539 full- or part-time employees throughout the country.

Employers are offering programs to help employees find new routes to work without relying on the traditional independent commute by car. In partnership with Commuter Services are 27 employers in Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties that are promoting the advantages of carpools and mass transit.

"More employers are now contacting us," said Brandy Heilman, director of Commuter Services. The agency used to initiate contact with employers in an effort to convince people to travel in ways that could improve the environment.

Bulova Lancaster has a program for employees who ride buses.

"For years, we have paid the bus fare for those who ride in Zone 1 of Lancaster city," said William Shrum, vice president of human resources at Bulova Technologies.

Employers who offer such benefits also receive a tax break that allows up to $110 in pre-tax purchases each month per employee for mass transit, vanpooling or parking benefits.

Since not all of the company's 100 employees live within Zone 1, a discount fare is offered to those who travel from other bus zones, Shrum said. Those who do not use the bus commute from the western end of Lancaster County and from York County, so Shrum said he thought it wouldn't hurt to promote other alternatives for travel.

While Shrum is unsure of how many employees carpool, he said the lunch room boasts a huge map where workers can pinpoint their homes, to identify possible nearby travel buddies.

"People don't realize how many other workers live nearby," Heilman said. She pointed out how one woman partnered with two employees and saves nearly $3,000 annually in travel costs.

Masonic Villages, of Elizabethtown, introduced carpooling at a recent employee-benefits fair.

"We're looking at reducing the burden on those who are commuting from Lancaster or Harrisburg," said Claudia Stephens, chief director for human resources at Masonic Villages.

The effort is one of several for employees to reduce energy costs. Recently, the corporation began offering discounted gas and grocery cards to their employees - a service made available after partnering with a local grocery. More than $10,000 worth of the cards were purchased on the first day.    

"We are also promoting other ways to get to work," Stephens said, which includes riding a bicycle.

She also said the train might become more popular, since the Amtrak station in Elizabethtown is at the base of the Masonic Villages property. Masonic Villages also offers a public-transit subsidy to employees at its Pittsburgh and Philadelphia sites but not yet at Elizabethtown.

Nationwide, more commuters are taking the train.

"The Amtrak numbers speak for themselves," said Ross Capon, executive director of the National Association of Railroad Passengers, The group is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate the public and government regarding the need for more and faster trains.

Amtrak ridership is up 12 percent in the past year, the sixth consecutive year of increases for Amtrak.

"The public portrayal has always discouraged train travel, but it's a convenient way to go," Capon said.

The train has become a preferred mode of travel for college professor Albert Unrath, who lives in Lancaster County and commutes weekly to Harrisburg University in Harrisburg. Unrath's switch to rail was more motivated by the convenience than the cost.

"When I figured the cost of gas and parking, it was about the same amount as a train ticket from the Lancaster station to the Harrisburg City depot," he said.

However, he finds he is more relaxed, since he has time to ponder and plan rather than struggling to maintain a safe space on the roadways.

Unrath also eliminated a possible second drive to Harrisburg each week by meeting with his students using a Web conference. He opted for the stay-at-home sessions to reduce drive time and help his students, who are enrolled in the HU's learning technologies master's program. The use of Web conferencing may allows students to experience a communication tool that may continue to replace some of the traditional face-to-face meetings.