OmniRide partner, George Mason University received the Incentives Award from Commuter Connections for its commute alternative program, which encourages and rewards employees for using alternative means of transportation to and from campus.
OmniRide and GMU partner through the Employer Outreach arm of OmniRide’s Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program. The program assists employers to coordinate ridesharing and implement teleworking and commuter benefits programs for their employees. OmniRide TDM also partners with agencies on transportation planning and operating initiatives, ridesharing strategies, transportation planning studies, capital project management, policy analysis, and regional coordination.
“GMU has been a wonderful partner over the years. They do a great job promoting transportation options such as transit, carpooling/vanpooling and biking/walking to their staff and students and provide a monthly transportation benefit to their employees as well,” said Holly Morello, OmniRide TDM Manager. “This award was well deserved.”
The TDM program also educates the public on the benefits of alternative transportation versus single-occupancy vehicles, and provides information on those alternatives. Using more sustainable alternatives to get around helps reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and traffic congestion. The more people who travel using bicycles, buses, trains, carpools and vanpools, the fewer pollutants that are released into the atmosphere.
Additionally, alternative transportation can save residents money on gas, vehicle maintenance and repairs and saves residents the frustration of sitting in traffic. Instead of a stressful commute, residents can use that time to relax and arrive to their destinations ready to take on the day; and decompress on the ride home, so they’re ready to engage with the family when they arrive.
Supervisor Kenny Boddye, who serves on the Omniride Board of Directors, noted, “Programs like these fit into our ‘all of the above’ strategy to reducing congestion in Prince William County, taking us beyond the traditional focus on roadbuilding alone. Congratulations to GMU on the well-deserved recognition.”
OmniRide is the operating name for the mobility services offered by the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC). In addition to OmniRide’s TDM program, the organization provides Local bus service in Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park; Express service for commuters along the I-95 and I-66 corridors to employment centers in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.; and Metro Express which connects riders with Metro Stations.
For more information on OmniRide services and the TDM program, visit OmniRide.com.