Connected Communities Newswire - Better Ways to Work

Better Ways to Work Newsletter - April 2013

Howard Hartman — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:46:25 GMT

Issue: Volume 3, Number 2

April 2013

Welcome!

We hope you find this edition of the Montgomery County Commuter Services e-newsletter helpful and informative. Please email your comments and suggestions to:

mcdot.CommuterServices@montgomerycountymd.gov. Visit us online at: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/commute

JOIN US FOR A FREE TELEWORK WORKSHOP

Introduction to Teleworking: The Fastest Growing Commuting Alternative

Breakfast Presentation on Pros & Cons of Telework

April 11^th - Rockville (see details below)

(Alternative Session April 10^th - Frederick)

Recent announcements by several prominent employers about their telework programs have appeared in the local and national media, and have led to intense discussion about whether this alternate work arrangement benefits employers. Come hear experts on telework explain what factors businesses and organizations should consider in making telework decisions. Employers who are successfully implementing telework programs will discuss their experiences.

Join us for a free breakfast presentation and discussion featuring:

National Telework Expert Elham Shirazi, Principal, ePlanning
Nicholas Ramfos, Director, Alternative Commute Programs, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
Discussion of benefits and challenges of telework with area businesses, including Microsoft, MayaTech, and Europ Assistance USA

A limited number of free personalized consultations and technical assistance with Ms. Shirazi may be scheduled on a first come, first served basis to help employers evaluate whether telework may work for them.

Everyone who attends will be entered into a prize drawing for an iPad mini or Samsung tablet. Register by Friday, April 5 to receive a $5 Starbucks gift card. Workshop staff, sponsors and other government agencies are not eligible for prize drawings.

Sponsored by: Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce; Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Commuter Connections Program; and Montgomery County Department of Transportation, Commuter Services Section.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

8 - 10 a.m.

Montgomery County Executive Office Building(EOB) Auditorium located at 101 Monroe Street, Rockville, MD 20850

TO SIGN UP - or for more information: http://bit.ly/X0dDRv

Note: This workshop is being co-hosted with FrederickCounty. Those unable to attend on April 11^th may attend a similar workshop scheduled in Frederick- please go to: http://bit.ly/16NUwf0

In This Issue

Introduction to Teleworking Workshop April 11th from 8 - 10:00 am

Better Ways to Work Newsletter - March 2013

Howard Hartman — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 23:52:31 GMT

Issue: Volume 3, Number 1

March 2013

Welcome!

We hope you find this monthly Montgomery County Commuter Services e-newsletter helpful and informative. Please email your comments and suggestions to:

mcdot.CommuterServices@montgomerycountymd.gov. Visit us online at: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/commute

Commute Benefits Increase for 2013

The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, passed in early January, contained great news for commuters who receive transit or vanpool benefits through their employer. The law raised the tax-free allowable limit on a monthly transit or vanpool benefit to $245 for tax year 2013.

The new law also provided a retroactive increase from the $125 limit that had been in place during 2012 to $240/month per participating employee, which means that "employers should exclude from income and wages, the transit benefits they provided to employees in 2012, up to $240/month per employee," says the IRS.

For employers, here's the IRS guidance (PDF) on how to apply that retroactive increase properly so employees get back the correct amount of rebate from last year.

If your employer doesn't provide transit benefits they may not know how much this program can save both employers and employees - especially now that the higher limit of $245 per month is in place. Talk to your employer and let them know you are interested in receiving these benefits. Let Commuter Services know if you want help in explaining the value of this program or how easy it is to set up.

Many SmarTrip� Card Buyers Neglected their $3 Rebate

If you were one of the approximately 352,000 SmarTrip card purchasers during the final four months of last year, did you claim your rebate? If not, you have $3 coming to you - if you still qualify.

First, you have to register your card online. Then a $3 rebate would be sent to the card five days after its first use.

For MetroRail riders, the rebate had to be claimed within 30 days of being issued, so that narrows the window of opportunity now down to people who bought their card later in December. Also, a rebate cannot be issued on a card with a negative balance. Plus, the rebate has to be claimed at a station you have used during the previous 20 days.

MetroBus riders have a little more wiggle room on that last requirement: You have to have simply used a Metrobus in the 20 days before collecting your rebate, in which case you can claim it on any other Metrobus.

The rebate was offered as part of Metro's transition from paper fare cards to the reusable SmarTrip card. See Metro's rebate announcement at wmata.com.

Rebate details aside, buying and registering your SmarTrip card is simple. You can get one at a variety of convenient locations, including at Montgomery County TRiPs Commuter Stores in FriendshipHeights and Silver Spring.

Ride On Monthly Pass Goes Paperless

As part of a move to make it easier to use transit, you can now put your Ride On Monthly Pass onto your SmarTrip card. The paper MonthlyPass is no longer accepted - it was usable only through December 31, 2012.

The SmarTrip Ride On Monthly Pass is good on all Ride On routes. The Pass is $45 and can be easily loaded onto your SmarTrip card. You can't load a Ride On Monthly Pass onto your SmarTrip card, however, if you have a negative stored value balance on your SmarTrip card.

Riders of Express Route #70, please note: An 'upcharge' will be deducted from your SmarTrip card's stored value to enable use of your MonthlyPass on this higher-priced express route.

You can load your Ride On Monthly Pass onto your SmarTrip card at most CVS and Giant stores in Montgomery County, Montgomery County TRiPs Commuter stores in Silver Spring and Friendship Heights, the Montgomery County Treasury Office in Rockville, or online at www.SmarTrip.com.

Questions? Visit www.RideOnBus.com, or email Commuter Services at mcdot.CommuterServices@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Car Sharing Serving County's Urban Centers

Twenty-six car-sharing vehicles are now available at 13 locations in Bethesda, Silver Spring, Wheaton, Montgomery Hills and North Bethesda. The vehicles are provided and managed by Zipcar and Hertz on Demand.

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) selected the two car sharing companies through a competitive bid process last year that allowed vendors to choose locations that best fit their service areas and the types of vehicles they offer.

This significant expansion of commercial car sharing services locally comes at no cost to the County. MCDOT provided public parking spaces for car sharing vehicles. The companies are paying established parking rates for use of the County parking spaces.

Enabling more parking for car share vehicles provides County residents, visitors and businesses with increased access to convenient transportation options that reduce parking demand and traffic congestion in the County's urban centers.

Car sharing provides commuters or other travelers who primarily rely on transit, car/vanpooling, biking or walking access to a car when needed and can also save them money. The availability of car sharing may help some residents go "car free" or provide a second car for multi-driver households that only need occasional access to a second vehicle.

Locations

Car sharing vehicle locations are prominently marked with signs. Here is a list of the locations by area, indicating the vendor(s) serving that site:

Bethesda

Bethesda Avenue between Woodmont Avenue and Arlington Road, Bethesda (Zipcar)
Cordell Avenue between Woodmont Avenue and Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda (Zipcar)
Metropolitan Garage, 7601 Woodmont AvenueBethesda (Hertz On Demand & Zipcar)
Middleton Lane Parking Lot, 4538 Middleton Lane, Bethesda (Hertz On Demand)

Montgomery Hills

Parking Lot, Seminary Road and Sutton Place, 1920 Seminary Road, Montgomery Hills (Zipcar)

North Bethesda

Executive Boulevard between Rockville Pike and Woodglen Drive, NorthBethesda (Zipcar)

Silver Spring

Bonifant/Dixon Garage, Silver Spring (Hertz On Demand)
Cameron Street between Georgia Avenue and Fenton Street, Silver Spring (Zipcar)
Ellsworth Drive between Fenton Street and Veterans Place, Silver Spring (Zipcar)
Fenton Street between Colesville Road and Cameron Street, Silver Spring (Zipcar)
Fenton Street between Wayne Avenue and Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring (Hertz On Demand)

Wheaton

Wheaton Market Place Lot, 11219 Grandview Avenue, Wheaton (Zipcar)

"We are pleased to welcome the expansion of car sharing in Montgomery County with Hertz on Demand and Zipcar," said MCDOT Director Art Holmes. "Car sharing protects the environment while enhancing our smart growth and sustainable transportation initiatives - and does so in a cost-effective way."

Check out additional details on the County's car sharing page online. Visit vehicle providers at:

www.hertzondemand.com and www.zipcar.com.

Questions? Contact Commuter Services at (240) 777-8380 or mcdot.CommuterServices@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Annual Commuter Survey Prize Drawing Winner

Lindsey Cona, International Account Executive at Discovery Communications in Silver Spring, was the Grand Prize winner in the Annual Commuter Survey prize drawing. Each year, Commuter Services surveys thousands of employees who travel to Montgomery County. The information gained from the surveys is vital to the County's transportation planning. Ms. Cona received a Nikon Coolpix digital camera as a 'thank you' for participating in this important data collection effort. Commuter Services also awarded $25 Giant gift cards to six randomly drawn winners, and $25 gift cards to six Transportation Benefits Coordinators (TBCs) who assisted the County in distributing the survey to employees and achieved a high rate of return. Thanks to all and congratulations!

Of Note

Get Recognition as a Green Business: Montgomery County's Green Business Certification Program helps businesses reduce their ecological footprint, emphasizing day-to-day operations and policies in seven categories: organizational commitment, waste reduction & recycling, environmentally responsible purchasing, energy efficiency & renewable energy, efficient runoff management & water use, pollution prevention, transportation & travel. Details: mcgreenbiz.org.
Online Commuter Tools: Quickly identify the nearest convenient bus stop, park & ride lot, Metro station, MARC train station, or public parking with MyMontgomery, the County's online service location tool. And use Ride On Real Time to connect with Ride On bus maps, schedules, route planning and alerts-available in English and Spanish.
Pool Rewards: Are you a solo driver? Find out how to turn your commute into cash through Pool Rewards if you're available to begin carpooling during peak rush hour periods in the metropolitan Washington area.
Bike to Work Day 2013 - Friday, May 17th: Stay tuned for more information about pit stop hours and locations for this region-wide event.