As gasoline prices continue to climb, the good news for Cornell employees looking for environmentally (and fiscally) friendly commuting strategies is that Cornell has been designated one of 1,500 Best Workplaces for Commuters by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for the second year in a row.

In an article in the Earth Day edition of the online publication GreenBiz.com, the EPA recognized Cornell's 15-year-old commuter benefits program for reducing emissions and traffic congestion with an array of incentives for faculty and staff who carpool or use mass transit to get to work.

Best Workplaces for Commuters is a public-private partnership through which the EPA and DOT recognize employers for promoting more sustainable commuting options to workers.

Cornell offers a variety of benefits and services to commuters who use alternative transportation methods. They include:

• Cornell-paid public transportation on campus for those with faculty/staff IDs;
• Unlimited transit seven days a week with OmniRide, which provides free passes for any campus, city or county bus in Tompkins County, any time the buses run;
• Discounted, free or rebated parking fees for participating in carpools;
• An emergency-ride service.

At Cornell, 36 percent of faculty and staff commute by means other than driving alone. The commuter-benefit program has reduced the number of cars on the road by about 2,200, improving air quality and relieving traffic congestion on campus. The university estimates that as a result, 6.7 million fewer pounds of carbon dioxide are emitted each year.

"Cornell's commuter program focuses on trying to keep as many people as possible out of single-occupancy vehicles," said David Lieb, assistant director of Cornell Transportation Services. "Given what I see driving past the gas pumps these days, it's a sizable benefit to everybody. [And] it's important for our peers and the business community to know that these kinds of benefits can provide significant returns. These include cost savings and the opportunity to demonstrate leadership in a number of important areas, including community relations, environmental stewardship and in valuing human resources."