CommuterPageBlog

Congrats to George Mason University on their AIRE Award!

George Mason University received the Outstanding Commuter Benefits Award from Arlington County’s Fresh AIRE program this month.  Fresh AIRE is Arlington’s Initiative to Reduce Emissions within the county government and throughout the entire county. This label is not only the mark of outstanding commuter benefits but also helps advance the goals and mission of Fresh AIRE.  Mason has been a leader in providing numerous commuter benefit programs to staff and students alike.  From offering complimentary Metro tickets during parking construction to promoting company sponsored vanpools  and monthly transit benefits, Mason has gone above and beyond to make transportation easy for its community.  Great work Mason and the Parking and Transportation divisions for all their hard work!

Wendy Duren is a Business Development Manager at Arlington Transportation Partners, and gets to work with Metrorail when she isn't dabbling in bike commuting.

SmartBenefits Changes May Not Be Set In Stone

On the first Friday of every month, Metro's General Manager, John Catoe, hosts a live chat on the transit agency's website. The public can write in questions and the answers are displayed over the course of the hour long chat. This past Friday was the first chat hosted since Metro announced its changes to the SmartBenefits program earlier last month.

When asked about the SmartBenefits changes by an Arlington resident, the GM had this to say:

Arlington, VA: Good afternoon - I have a question regarding the upcoming changes to SmartBenefits. Do we know yet what will happen to the current balances on our SmarTrip cards? For instance, if I have a $100 balance on the card beginning Jan 1, what "purse" will that money go into?Thank you!

Reply: Hi Arlington. I see a few questions about SmartBenefits here in the queue. Over the past couple of weeks, we have heard a lot of comments from customers about this change in SmartBenefits. I've decided that we need to rethink the changes that we are making. At this point I do not have any new details to share. I hope to be able to provide more detail about the program in the coming weeks that will be able to clarify these sorts of questions. Rest assured, I have heard what people have to say and your comments will be taken into account as we develop the plan moving forward.

It seems that Metro has heard from the public and taken the concerns of employers and employees into consideration. Congratulations to all of those who made their voices heard over the past few weeks and encouraged Metro to rethink some of the changes that could greatly affect companies and commuters in the area. As always, CommuterPage.com will continue to update all of you as more details emerge! 

 

Walk Score adds transit information

Sightline Daily in the Pacific Northwest reported yesterday that the popular walkability-rating service Walk Score has added transit information to their ratings. Walk Score uses transit data in GTFS format, the same format used by Google Transit. According to Sightline,

"What makes this extra nifty is that Walk Score has already partnered with a bunch of national real estate websites to incorporate walkability rankings into real estate listings.  So now, all those real estate sites will have data on transit access, too."

However, Walk Score can only use the data if it has been made available to the public. Some transit agencies, even though they have provided data to Google, have not made that data publicly available. I live in Baltimore, and although our public transit system (MTA) is included in Google Transit, Walk Score isn't picking it up.

Interestingly, WMATA (AKA Metro) has not yet struck a deal with Google to be included in Google Transit, but actually HAS released GTFS data publicly, and it's included in Walk Score. I haven't researched it thoroughly (welcome to the blogosphere), but typing in the address of the Arlington County offices turns up distances to the Metrorail Orange and Blue lines and several Metrobus routes. (The Court House neighborhood is rated "Walkers' Paradise" by the way.)

Arlington's local transit system, ART, is working diligently to get their schedule, route, and stop data cleaned up and Google-ready. When that's done, the data will be released publicly.

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Joe Chapline is Web Manager for Arlington County Commuter Services

Changes to SmartBenefits are Coming - Are You Ready?

Metro is making changes to their SmartBenefits program. Actually...the word on the street is that Metro is going to make changes to the already communicated changes regarding their SmartBenefits program. Confused? I don't blame you.

I attended Metro's first Private Employer Seminar regarding the changes. It started off as an informative meeting like any other. People were inquisitive and respectfully listening. As Metro's representative stated that the employees' option to have their SmartBenefits roll over into the next month was going away; the clouds rolled in and the sky became dark. Those who were once listening quietly started asking questions; voices were raised; there was chiding from the audience and some people actually stood up in disgust and left.

Arriving at the office, I told the above story and learned that no one was surprised. It wasn't the first time Metro had made some unfavorable decisions and our job was to communicate the situation to our customers.

Before I let you in on the changes already communicated by Metro, I would like to say that the newest round of changes I alluded to at the beginning of the post haven't been confirmed. The buzz is Metro has reevaluated their original program changes and have come to the conclusion that they need to offer a more flexible option. Employers will have a choice; either opt to stay in SmartBenefits and continue to allow their employees' SmartBenefits to roll over monthly OR have any unclaimed SmartBenefits elections be credited back to the employer.

Without further ado, here is a portion of the communication we sent out to employers we represent in Arlington County:

SmartBenefits Is Changing - Is Your Company Ready?
Metro’s SmartBenefits Commuter Benefit Program will be changing January 01, 2010.

Why the changes?
The changes are mandated by IRS rules that require employers to keep transit and parking benefits separate. The rule was issued in 2006, but the IRS delayed implementation until Jan. 1, 2010 to give transit agencies time to modify technology.

What are the changes?
Currently, the SmarTrip card has one purse or compartment that people can load money onto for the use of parking or transit. Beginning January 1, 2010, the SmarTrip card will have three purses:

• Transit Purse - maximum value of $230*
• Metro Parking Purse - maximum value of $230*
• Personal Stored Value Purse -maximum value of $300

*IRC 132(f) allows maximum benefit amounts of $230 per month for transit and vanpools and $230 per month for parking.

Key changes for SmartBenefits participants:

• Transit Benefits are used for bus and rail ONLY; if the Transit Purse is empty, the Personal Stored Value purse is the default
• Parking Benefits are used for Metro parking ONLY; if the Parking Purse is empty, the Personal Stored Value Purse is the default. People who park at Metro parking lots MUST have money in their Metro Parking Purse or their Personal Stored Value Purse; otherwise they WILL NOT be able to exit the parking facilities.
• If the Personal Stored Value Purse is empty, the Parking purse cannot be the default for the Transit Purse and vice versa
• The Personal Stored Value Purse can be used for transit or parking, but fare will be depleted from the Transit Purse first for transit and the Metro Parking Purse first for Metro parking
• Money in the Personal Stored Value Purse will roll over monthly and remain on the SmarTrip card
• At the end of the month unused Transit and Metro Parking Benefits will be credited back to the employer’s SmartBenefits account. It is up to the individual employer to determine along with their tax advisors and finance departments how to handle the credit from Metro.
• New monthly benefits will be made available in the benefits accounts when the SmarTrip card is “tagged” to any SmarTrip Card target in the system.
• SmartBenefits participants will no longer load their SmarTrip card at vending machines. The Transit and Parking Benefits are automatically available as riders use Metrorail faregates, fareboxes on buses, or card readers at parking lots.
• Any money on the SmarTrip card December 31st, 2009 will roll into the Personal Stored Value Purse on January 1, 2010.

There you have it; in all its long-winded glory. We will do our best to provide you with accurate and credible information as we receive it. 

Wendy Duren is a Business Development Manager at Arlington Transportation Partners, and commutes with Metrorail daily.

Bike Racing's Loss is Arlington's Gain

After retiring from an amazing endurance mountain biking racing career, Chris Eatough is now the new leader of BikeArlington's team and promoting biking as transportation to the masses. We're extremely proud to have him join us. Cycling News has a fantastic in-depth story (Too Tough; Chris Eatough Wraps Up Storied Career, November 3, 2009, by Sue George) where they talk to Chris about his 12-years as a racer for Trek and his new future with Arlington. A wonderful read for bike and transportation fans alike. Congrats Chris! 

Chris Hamilton is the Commuter Services Transportation Bureau Chief for Arlington County in the Department of Environmental Services, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a Metro/biking commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria

Paid Carpooling Pilot Launched

In June, I blogged about a pilot program slated for this fall that would pay people to carpool.  That day has arrived!

The pilot revolves around three of the DC region's most congested corridors and is targeting people who currently travel in specific directions. Commuter Connections announced the parameters through a press release and included the routes that would qualify as:

"Commuters traveling mornings on I-395 from the District across the 14^th St. Bridge into Northern Virginia; the Capital Beltway from Bethesda to Tysons Corner; and the Beltway from the Baltimore-Washington Parkway to I-270; and back in the afternoon..."

If you qualify, you could receive $1 each way, per day. The pilot program will last for three months. To learn more or sign up, check out 'Pool Rewards-cash for carpools at the Commuter Connections website.

Wendy Duren is a Business Development Manager at Arlington Transportation Partners, and commutes with Metrorail daily.

Lights for Bikes - Photo Recap

Following up on last week's post, BikeArlington's Lights for Bikes giveaway was a huge success.  More than 100 people stopped by the corner of Lee Highway, Lynn Street and the Mt. Vernon trail to pick up lights and enter their name in our raffle for the chance to win a $100 Gift Card from Revolution Cycles.

A special thanks goes to the Arlington Transportation Partners staff and Paul DeMaio of MetroBike who graciously volunteered to help out! 

Here are a few pictures from the evening:

Working hard to install lights.

Entering names for the raffle.

Chris and Paul installing front and rear lights at the same time. 

If you already had lights, you still had the chance to enter the raffle.

Even a few joggers and pedestrians stopped by to see what was going on and pick up a Arlington County Bike Map.

Rush hour is a busy time.

Happy Arlington residents ride off safely with their new lights.

 Tim Kelley is one of the newest members of the Arlington Transportation Partners team working on the Bike Arlington program. He enjoys cycling as a form of commuting and exercise, and is hooked on triathlons.

Imagine

 
T-Shirt of the Day by Green Label Organic. Available online or locally at Whole Foods.

Bobbi Greenberg is the Marketing Director for Arlington County Commuter Services within the Department of Environmental Services.

150 Miles In A Dress And Heels

A colleague of mine, who happens to be a casual bike commuter and cycling enthusiast, sent me this CNN story about an unlikely hero.  An 84-year old woman has been riding New Jersey's MS City to Shore charity ride for the past 26 years, and does so in a dress and heels!

She is a symbol of hope for so many and has a great reason to ride, but let's not forget that you don't need a large scale charity event to get out on your bike.  Biking around the neighbor to run errands, commuting to work, or even just getting out and enjoying some fresh autumn air are all great reason to go for a ride.

 Tim Kelley is one of the newest members of the Arlington Transportation Partners team working on the Bike Arlington program. He enjoys cycling as a form of commuting and exercise, and is hooked on triathlons.

Warm Up for Trick or Treating with a WALKArlington Walkabout

 

WALKArlington invites you to celebrate Halloween in Arlington's wickedly walkable Westover neighborhood with a Halloween Day walking tour! Costumes optional!

 

Part of the day-long Reed School/Westover Branch Library Community Celebration,  WALKArlington's Westover Walkabout kicks off shortly after doors open at the new school/library facility on Halloween morning. Walkabout guides will share anecdotes (and maybe some ghost stories) about Westover’s unique history, community spirit, and walkable lifestyle at ten stops along the way. Don’t be afraid! The 90-minute Walkabout ends where it began, just in time for lunch at one of Westover’s fabulous restaurants and with plenty of Community Celebration and Halloween festivities still in store.

 

THE FACTS

WHAT:   WALKArlington's Westover Walkabout

 

WHEN:  Saturday, October 31, 2009, 10:30 a.m. -12 noon (RAIN OR SHINE)

Walkers are asked to arrive by 10:25 a.m.!

WHERE:  The Walkabout will begin and end at the Reed School/Westover Branch Library, 1644 N. McKinley Street at Washington Boulevard, Arlington.

Meet at the flagpole in the courtyard in front of the school/library.

 

Click here to see a map of the Westover Walkabout route.

 

WHO:   Open to the public. All ages.

 

FEE?  None; the Walkabout is free of charge. Registration is not required.

 

GETTING THERE:  Westover is accessible by Metro, bus, and bicycle. Click here for information on all your transit options

 

QUESTIONS:  Contact Lauren Hassel of WALKArlington at 703-228-0072 or lhassel@arlingtonva.us; or visit the Walkabout Calendar Listing.

 

WALKArlington thanks the Civic Associations of Westover Village, Highland Park-Overlee Knolls, and Tara-Leeway Heights and the Westover Village Shop Merchants for their help in putting together the Westover Walkabout! 
 

BOO!

Lauren Hassel

WALKArlington Outreach and Promotions Manager 

Building Bike Culture

Arlington is a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community as designated by the League of American Bicyclists. We're one of only two Silver (or higher) communities on the entire Eastern Seaboard. Arlington reached Silver status by building over 100 miles of trails and bike lanes over the years, placing over 500 bike racks, teaching child and adult bicycle safety classes, hosting Bike to Work Day and Bike DC, etc., and most importantly, YOU riding your bike. Silver is great and we're just one of 23 communities nationwide to have achieved this. But come on, we're Arlington - we can work to be Gold... and then Platinum.

The County has hosted a series of Building Arlington Bike Culture workshops over the past year to create connections both within the County amongst various departments to work more closely together and also with the private sector and community as bike culture must happen collectively to succeed. Bike culture happens when people ride their bikes. It becomes a bond of people from different walks of life who chose to ride their bike not just for recreation purposes, but for going to visit with friends and family, going shopping, going out. Bike culture is reaching for the bike lock key rather than the car key. A strong bike culture is reached when people of all ages and backgrounds are out on their bike.

At our third Building Arlington Bike Culture meeting yesterday, Dennis Leach, Director of Transportation for the County, spoke to a group interested in making Arlington even more bike-friendly. Leach highlighted that the County government working with the business community and residents will create a more bike-friendly community. Here he is.

by Paul DeMaio, MetroBike, LLC

BikeArlington's Lights For Bikes Giveaway

Fall is here, lower temperatures mean a jacket and gloves for the bike commute in the morning, and the sun is setting noticeably earlier and earlier each night. With the upcoming change in clocks that means evening commuters will have even less sunlight for the ride home.

On Monday, November 2nd BikeArlington will be handing out FREE light sets to anyone on their bike who doesn't have lights. The time and location are a secret because we want to keep you on your toes!  

So if you see the BikeArlington team out and about, stop by to get a light set and we'll even help you put them on!  And don't feel left out if you already have a set of lights, you can stop by to say "Hi" and register for chance to win a $100 Gift Card from Revolution Cycles.

A special thanks goes to Planet Bike for generously providing lights to BikeArlington at a discount. Click the logo to visit their website and check out their selection of useful cycling accessories.

Tim Kelley is one of the newest members of the Arlington Transportation Partners team working on the Bike Arlington program. He enjoys cycling as a form of commuting and exercise, and is hooked on triathlons.

Today's Bicycle-Friendly City Inspiration: Rush Hour in La Rochelle, France

Bicycle Rush Hour in La Rochelle, France from Copenhagenize on Vimeo.

Chris Hamilton is the Commuter Services Transportation Bureau Chief for Arlington County in the Department of Environmental Services, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a Metro/biking commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria

Better Bike Parking Opportunity

Not long ago I took my "toodler" bike over to Falls Church to meet someone for lunch at Panera Bread.  It was overcast and threatening rain, so I didn't want to leave my bike out in the open.  There's a newly constructed parking garage, so I went in looking for the bike parking.  I didn't find any, but as I came out I saw the rack pictured to the left.

As you can see, although it has a nice little nook location, it is located under the open sky, so it was going to be rained on.  Putting car parking under the open sky is not a problem except for convertibles.  But all bikes are "convertibles," so we cyclists really appreciate having parking that is out of the elements if at all possible.

In this case, it is possible.  This is where I parked my bike instead, so it would be out of the rain.  I locked it to a pipe. This is in "dead space" that is too small or the wrong size or shape to be used for automobile parking.  All garages have dead space, and a lot of it could be used for bike parking.  This seems like a natural spot for placing some racks: it's inside--out of the elements, there's plenty of room, it's near the entrance, easy to find and well lit.
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Steve Offutt, Arlington resident and cyclist

 

Today's Bicycle-Friendly City Inspiration: La Rochelle, France

La Rochelle - Ville Cyclable/Cycling City from Copenhagenize on Vimeo.

Chris Hamilton is the Commuter Services Transportation Bureau Chief for Arlington County in the Department of Environmental Services, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a Metro/biking commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria.

Hope for DC's Transportation Future

Our good friends at the always thought-provoking Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space pointed us in the direction of this great story on D.C.'s Transportation Director Gabe Klein (Industry Insight: Gabe Klein, October 16, 2009 by Shaun) on the DC Mud (DCRealEsate.com) blog. In January we wrote about how pleased we were that Mayor Fenty had picked Mr. Klein (Torch Passed To New Generation ss Mayor Taps Former Zipcar Leader for Top DDOT Post, January 3, 2009) to direct the District's Transportation Department and this lengthy, wide-ranging interview shows that nine months into his tenure he's hitting his stride and starting to make changes towards a better more walk, bike and transit friendly transportation system. DC Mud talks with the DDOT Director about carsharing, bikesharing, parking, new development, street cars, TDM and much more. The new direction and energy at DDOT reminds us of the transformation that NYC Mayor Bloomberg's pick of Janette Sadik-Kahn as Transportation Commissioner (Why NYC is Taking the Lead in Taking Back Streets for Pedestrians and Bikes, September 26, 2009) is having in New York. A fun read for all that want to see the District's transportation system succeed.

 Chris Hamilton is the Commuter Services Transportation Bureau Chief for Arlington County in the Department of Environmental Services, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a Metro/biking commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria

Inspiration from Boulder on How the DC Region Can Become More Bike Friendly

Boulder Bike Story from Bikes Belong on Vimeo.

The Boulder Bike Story - How any town can become bicycle friendly is a fantastic 13-minute video chronicling how Boulder, Colorado became one of only 3 U.S. cities to attain a Bicycle Friendly Community Platinum-level statusfrom the League of American Bicyclists. The city says it is committed to bicycling because it is gaining the benefits of less congestion, more jobs, healthier people, stronger real estate and cleaner air. How can you argue with that? Policy makers, planners, and advocates alike should watch this video. And then turn that into action here in our region. We can do better and Boulder provides some good inspiration.

Chris Hamilton is the Commuter Services Transportation Bureau Chief for Arlington County in the Department of Environmental Services, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a Metro/biking commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria.

Making the Bus Go Slower

I was recently in Las Vegas to attend the wedding of my niece.  The wedding location was about 10 blocks from my hotel, which I could have walked in about 20 minutes, but it was 100 degrees and I was wearing a suit.  So I took the bus.  Buses run along the strip every 7 minutes or so during most of the day, so there is never a long wait for one.

The buses had this excellent information screen inside that shows the current stop and the three upcoming ones.

However, my bus took f.o.r.e.v.e.r to actually go anywhere.  Partly this was due to heavy traffic, but more importantly it was due to the fact that most riders were visitors paying cash.  One-way fare is $3, so every passenger had to push three singles into the fare collection box, which was balky.  This took an aggravatingly long time.  We sat at one stop for three complete cycles of the traffic light to board the 10-12 passengers who were getting on at that stop.  Las Vegas Transit is even smart enough to not have stops at every block, only about every 1/4 mile.  I can't imagine how much worse it would have been if we had stopped at every block.

I can envisage two solutions to this problem, which really only matters for this bus route, called the Deuce, that services the Strip.  Since there are a limited number of stops, they could install machines at each shelter that dispenses a token or other payment form that would speed boarding.  People could buy the token while they wait for the bus.

Another solution would be to use some sort of honor system/proof of payment.  Similarly, riders would purchase their fares outside the bus, but then could board at any door without having to show anything.  Enforcement officers would occasionally check for proof of payment, and those without get fined.  Greater Greater Washington recently had a post on this idea. (Tongue in cheek alert - In Las Vegas perhaps we'll find more people attempting to evade the fare, given their gambler's instinct.)

Here in Washington the amount of time it takes to load the bus can also be long due to fare collection.  SmarTrip cards help, but a lot of passengers still pay cash.  Finding solutions that speed up boarding times can help improve the performance of buses and help bring more people onto transit.
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Steve Offutt, Arlington resident and uncle of new bride

Bike DC - A View From The Handlebars

My waterproof camera case came in handy this past weekend for activities other than snorkeling and scuba diving!  Here are a few pictures of the Bike DC ride with a view of Arlington from the bike:

(Click each picture for a larger view)

Crossing the Key Bridge:


Riding on the George Washington Parkway:


George Washington Parkway Scenic Overlook Rest Stop:
 

Air Force Memorial:


Bike enthusiast Rob Mandle with Crystal City, waving a flag, shows his American pride in front of the Pentagon:
 

Tim Kelley is one of the newest members of the Arlington Transportation Partners team working on the Bike Arlington program. He enjoys cycling as a form of commuting and exercise, and is hooked on triathlons.

Bike DC - A Little Rain Won't Stop Us

Despite the temperature in the low- to mid-40s and a constant rain, over 1,000 folks came out for Bike DC on October 17. This year’s ride had two great routes through D.C. and Arlington which included sites, such as Embassy Row, Iwo Jima, and the Air Force Memorial, which many riders had never seen before, let alone seen by bike. Riders seemed to be a hearty bunch and even though cold and damp, were having a fun time. The Arlington Community Bike Ride was folded into Bike DC this year to make a truly regional ride with Arlington County and the Crystal City Business Improvement District as sponsors.

If you rode Bike DC this year, let us know what you think at BikeArlington@arlingtonva.us.

Paul DeMaio

MetroBike, LLC

Image credit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/waba/ / CC BY-NC 2.0