More free rides courtesy of Commuting Solutions
RTD EcoPasses free for qualifying employers
Louisville, Colo.—Commuting Solutions, a local nonprofit organization providing programs and assistance to commuters along the US 36 corridor, is offering free EcoPasses to organizations with five or more employees located within a quarter mile of the RTD McCaslin, Broomfield and Sheridan transit stations.
Commuting Solutions Executive Director Audrey DeBarros explains, “Thanks to funding provided by the US 36 Express Lanes Project, Commuting Solutions was able to implement a Master EcoPass Pilot Program to reduce congestion during the project and inspire commuters to try transit. This is a phenomenal and unusual opportunity for us and for employers and employees.”
For employers signing up for the first time in 2016, the passes are free for one year; for those 25 companies who participated in 2015 and choose to continue the program into 2016, the final year of the program, Commuting Solutions has funding to cover 70 percent of the cost for those EcoPasses.
Employers such as Return Path who will be returning to the program, found the RTD EcoPass to be a worthwhile benefit for employees. Return Path Office Manager Angela Fitzgerald said, “The EcoPass has proven to be an exceptional benefit for our employees from a benefit’s perspective, as well as being a transportation option that fosters Return Path’s focus on a lively and thriving environment. When employees are less worried about the time, cost and environmental impacts of getting to and from work, it frees them up to be happier and more productive. Our employees have taken full advantage of the pass and Return Path is excited to partner with Commuting Solutions to provide the pass again in 2016 for our 230 employees.”
The grant was awarded to coincide with the new and improved US 36 corridor that, starting in January 2016, will host RTD’s Flatiron Flyer, a bus rapid transit (BRT) service with fast, frequent and reliable service. In addition, RTD has upgraded six of its park–n-rides along US 36 to high-tech, easily accessed transit stations. The first 11 miles of the US 36 Bikeway between Louisville and Westminster is open, and cyclists are enjoying a commute that rivals their car for time and easily noses out the car for cost, enjoyment and stress relief. The remaining seven miles of this “highway for bicyclists” will extend to the Table Mesa Station when completed in early 2016. Combined with the EcoPass, the bikeway gives commuters even more options for their daily trips between Boulder and Denver.
To find out if your organization qualifies for the 2016 Master EcoPass Pilot Program, send an email to info@commutingsolutions.org or call 720-639-4864.
About Commuting Solutions:
Commuting Solutions is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance the mobility of commuters along the US 36 corridor. Our public-private coalition consists of 76 private sector members, nine public sector members between Westminster, Boulder and Longmont, and nine individual members. We understand the challenges and difficulties associated with the daily commute and offer real-life solutions to Northwest-area commuters.
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