| Best workplaces for commutersChanging How America Commutes |
About BWC
Best Workplaces for Commuters demonstrates that options for commuting, such as transit, carpools, vanpools, and teleworking are economically and environmentally beneficial, yielding value to workers, employers, and our communities.
BWC members meet the Standard of Excellence for their employer organization, university, college or multi-employer site. BWC individual associates share an interest in commuter benefits for their community, but are not part of an organization that meets the Standard of Excellence. A BWC partner works directly with organizations to help them meet the Standard of Excellence and must recruit or enroll 5 members per year to remain an active partner of BWC. Each membership level has varied benefits.
To Qualify for membership
The Road to Membership for employers, colleges, universities and multi-employer sites includes meeting the Standard of Excellence. Use the easy checklist below to determine if your organization offers the commuter benefits needed to qualify. This checklist includes only some of the commuter benefits that may be offered. The full list is on the application.
Because the commuting experience varies geographically, the Best Workplaces for Commuters program offers options to meet the particular commuting needs of individual employers. To qualify, an employer must offer one primary benefit, such as employer-paid tax-free transit or vanpool passes, teleworking, bicycling or parking cash-out (enabling workers to trade free parking for its cash equivalent). Employers must also offer three supporting benefits, choosing from options such as shuttles to and from transit stations (provided directly by the employer or contracted through a service), ridesharing or carpool matching, preferred or reduced-cost parking for carpools and vanpools, and compressed work schedules. Best Workplaces for Commuters designated worksites must offer access to an Emergency Ride Home (ERH), which provides participants with a ride at little or no cost if they need emergency transport home due to special circumstances. Download the "Road to Membership" fillable form. View the full list of benefits to choose from for: Membership AgreementOnce the Standard of Excellence has been met, members must agree to all of the following:
2025 APPLICATION DEADLINENew and renewal membership applications for 2025 is June 3, 2024 through November 30, 2024. |
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Download the BWC brochures to view and share!Annual Membership Dues
* For employers that are affiliated with a current BWC Best Site in good standing.
bwc partners |
What is a BWC Partner? | Why Become a BWC Partner? | How to Qualify as a BWC Partner |
A BWC Partner actively encourages and assists employers, universities, and sites to pursue a membership with Best Workplaces for Commuters (BWC). Partners are often agencies, like commuter assistance programs, that provide local and regional commuter services to employers for their employees. Partners can be government institutions, public or private corporations, and nonprofits––any organization that wants to play an active part in changing how Americans commute. | You can make a positive and calculable impact on how commuters get to and from workplaces in your region, help ease congestion, support local and state goals for reduced carbon emissions, and earn a reputation as a commuter resource for local employers. BWC Partners also receive great member benefits, helping BWC members have an even more meaningful impact on commuters in their respective community or region. | To become a Partner with Best Workplaces for Commuters, your organization must work toward the goal of referring or directly enrolling five or more BWC members per year. The members you recruit can be any type of BWC––a workplace, a university, or a site––so long as they qualify for membership. You do not need to provide qualifying commuter benefits within your own organization to become a Partner, yet you will receive many of the same benefits as members, including access to education and other resources BWC provides. |
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BWC SnapshotExplore the different commuting benefits and supporting services offered by employers and universities. Learn which states are leading the way and the total number of employees impacted by their leadership. View the 2024 BWC Snapshot.
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On October 1, 2007, the National Center for Transit Research (NCTR) at the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) assumed program management responsibilities for the Best Workplaces for Commuters program. CUTR, a nationally-recognized research institution and resource for policymakers, transportation professionals, the education system, and the public, is known for providing high quality, objective transportation research. With this experience, NCTR at CUTR will bring new energy and direction to promoting the Best Workplaces for Commuters designation.
Best Workplaces for Commuters unveiled. In 2002, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation unveiled the Best Workplaces for Commuters list, a list to honor and to recognize employers who offer their employees outstanding commuting benefits. Participating companies earn the designation “Best Workplaces for Commuters”—a mark of excellence for environmentally and employee-friendly organizations. The program builds on the efforts of many top employers to help get employees to work safely, on time, and free of commute-related stress. It provides the tools, guidance, and promotion necessary to help U.S. employers of any size incorporate commuter benefits into their standard benefits plan, reap financial benefits, and gain national recognition. The list replaces andbuilds upon the work begun by the Commuter Choice Leadership Initiative to recognize employers who offer their employees outstanding commuting benefits.
Commuter Choice Initiative launched. In 1999, the federal government started the Commuter Choice Initiative. As part of this, FTA released the Commuter Choice Toolkit and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Transportation, initiated the Commuter Choice Leadership Program to honor employers providing commuting benefits to their employees.
our team
Phil Winters, TDM-CP
| Julie Bond, MPA
| Christine Epps
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