In January 2013, Dealer.com was one of three local employers selected to participate in an employee transit pass pilot program. The program was funded by a $62,500 transportation, community and system preservation grant awarded to the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) and CCTA by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The purpose of the grant was to implement accessible, convenient and affordable mobility services and programs that will meaningfully improve transportation system efficiency, reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT), improve air quality, reduce traffic congestion, improve access to employment and enhance the livability of our communities. Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC) and Burton Snowboards were also part of this pilot program.
The grant funds for the pilot project were expected to be depleted in January 2015, but in late December 2014 CCTA finalized the details with Dealer.com to continue to provide this transit service option to their employees as a benefit through CCTA’s Unlimited Access Program. Beginning in January, Dealer.com will begin funding their employees’ transit rides.
“Dealer.com is a good fit for this program,” said Meredith Birkett, CCTA director of service development. “With their continued growth and commitment to sustainability coupled with the challenges Burlington faces with congestion and parking, we felt this was a good opportunity to provide an option for commuters who work at Dealer.com.”
Since its implementation nearly 2 years ago, CCTA provides an average of 800 rides per month just to Dealer.com employees.
“The Transit Ridership Program at Dealer.com has been a huge success,” said Jill Badolato, director of social responsibility at Dealer.com. “The average number of rides per month by our employees is 800 rides, which a great benefit to our people and the environment. The CCTA program is a great example of the partnership businesses can make with local services to serve their employees and meet important goals around sustainable business practices.”
Surveys conducted by Dealer.com show that a number of employees own a vehicle but prefer transit service as an option for a numbers of reasons. Some find driving in the winter difficult, while others use transit service to commute weekdays to avoid parking challenges and to do more enjoyable things with their commute than drive, such as relaxing and reading a good book, or even working via laptop computer.
“We love that Dealer.com is committed to the sustainability of our community and sees CCTA as a valuable resource,” said Adrienne Cochrane CCTA marketing and outreach manager. "We hope that this will encourage other employers to consider this benefit for their employees."
