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CommuteInfo Sees Over 81% Increase In Commuter Registrations 562 people requested information about commuting alternatives during September. This is an increase of 81% from the 310 who registered in August. It is a 752% increase from the number of registrations when comparing the number of registrants to the 73 who registered in August 2007. Since July, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP) has been sponsoring a special incentive to encourage commuters in the Pittsburgh region to fill out an online profile to receive a free, personalized report of commuting options. Through December, anyone who goes to www.commuteinfo.org and completes an online profile will be automatically entered into a drawing to win one of three gift cards each month for downtown stores and restaurants, including Capital Grille, Six Penn Kitchen, McCormick and Schmick’s, One Oxford Centre, Saks and Macy’s. This incentive, combined with the price of gas exceeding $3 per gallon is credited for the increase in registrations. Read more about this increase in registrations by reading the press release on the CommuteInfo “News & Publications” page: http://www.commuteinfo.org/comm_news.shtml. Brooke Hancock Jefferson (BHJ) Metropolitan Planning Commission Rideshare Partners With CommuteInfo The first in a series of seasonal billboards, drivers coming into the local area and headed for Pittsburgh are greeted with the message that you have a choice of where to spend your holiday cash – at the gas pump or on gifts. In addition to the billboards, BHJ has partnered with television station WTOV channel 9 on their Going Green Campaign. The commercials will focus on the benefit of ridesharing not only for the commuter, but also for the environment. For more information visit: www.bhjmpc.org. ZipCar Sponsors A “Low Car Diet” Challenge In the last e-newsletter, we introduced you to ZipCar. Zipcars are conveniently parked all over the city of Pittsburgh (Downtown, Oakland, Shadyside, East Liberty, Squirrel Hill, and Bloomfield), near where people live, work, and play. They can be driven by the hour or day. The cars are reserved online or by phone and then you let yourself in by swiping your Zipcard over the card reader, and drive away. Since then ZipCar sponsored a Low-Car Diet Challenge. The Low-Car Diet Challenge encourages people across the country to test-drive a car free routine and see how it works for their daily lifestyle. It is driving awareness and is the first step towards getting consumers to consider permanently giving up a first or second vehicle. Learn more about ZipCar and the Low-Car Diet by checking out this article in the Tribune-Review: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/tribpm/s_582862.html [ top ]
Commuting Options: Information & Resources Allegheny County Transit Work Stoppage – Resource The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership Transportation Management Association and the Allegheny Conference on Community Development (ACCD) have developed a website with information to help employers learn more about the options available to them in case of a Port Authority of Allegheny County transit work stoppage. The website includes: employee transit survey, risk assessment matrix, contingency planning checklist and more. Commuters may want to forward the information about this site on to their employers. The site address is: www.KeepPittsburghMoving.com.
On November 3, the Mid Mon Valley Transit Authority (MMVTA) began a new transit route. ValleyLINK East will hit the streets as a route specifically designed to connect many Middle Monongahela River Valley communities with the Route 51 area of Rostraver Township including Solar Power Industries, Willow Pointe Plaza and both the Belle Vernon and Youngwood campus locations of Westmoreland County Community College.
Beaver County Transit Authority (BCTA) Announces New Service and Ticket Sales Location Also, the Beaver County Transit Authority (BCTA) now has an outlet for its ticket and pass sales in Allegheny County. Port Authority’s Customer Service Center at 534 Smithfield Street sells BCTA 7-Day Passes, 10+1 Trip Tickets, and 31-Day Passes for commuters from Beaver County to Pittsburgh. This includes the $2.75 (Local) and $3.50 (Express) fare zones. Port Authority’s Customer Service Center is open Monday through Friday, 8am-4pm (Telephone 412-255-1356). For more information about BCTA ticket and pass sales please visit www.bcta.com or call BCTA’s Customer Information Line at 724-728-8600. Vanpool Groups Looking for Riders Several vanpool groups have seats available. You can view the entire list of vanpool groups by clicking here. These are the groups with the highest number of seats available: Origin: Weirton, WV (Group V104) Origin: Mount Pleasant (Group V126) Origin: Irwin (Group V122) Origin: McKeesport (Group V206) To obtain a complete list of vanpool groups that match your particular commute, fill out a commuter profile today by clicking here or by calling 1-888-819-6110. If vanpooling works for you, you can join on either a full-time or part-time basis. Learn more about the vanpool program on the CommuteInfo website. Carpool Groups Looking for Riders Several registered carpool groups have seats available…this is just a sample, for a complete listing of carpools looking for riders, please click here: Origin: Monroeville (Group C1245) Origin: Emlenton (Group CB001) Origin: Wintersville (Group CD045) Origin: East Liverpool (Group CP014) Bicycle Commuter Tax Provision - NEW Beginning on January 1, 2009 a new federal bicycle commuter tax benefit will take effect due to provisions that Congress attached to the new federal financial rescue package. Learn more about this new benefit by clicking here: http://www.bikeleague.org/news/100708faq.php. Bike Commuters … Looking for Someone to Share Your Biking Commute Considering riding your bike to work or school? CommuteInfo can help you find a bikepool buddy. The process works the same way as finding someone to carpool with --- just complete the commuter profile on-line or over the phone by calling 1-888-819-6110 and we will send you a matchlist with other people interested in biking to work. Several registered bikepool groups are looking for participants…for the most up to date listing of bikepools looking for participants, please click here: Origin: Highland Park/East Liberty (Group A) Origin: Squirrel Hill (Group B) Origin: Squirrel Hill (Group C) To learn more about walking, teleworking, flextime or compressed work weeks, visit the “Other Options” page on the CommuteInfo website: http://www.commuteinfo.org/comm_options_other.shtml [ top ]
We are always looking for community events or speaking opportunities where CommuteInfo can be represented – please email us with your ideas!
With approximately 60% of the Southwestern Pennsylvania region's 1.5 million workers traveling outside of their resident municipality to work each day, commuting options are clearly an integral part of life for the region’s employers and workers. CommuteInfo is a program of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), operated in partnership with transportation management associations, transportation providers, businesses and non-profit service organizations throughout Southwestern PA. Through the strong network of partnerships, the CommuteInfo program offers a wide range of ride-sharing services to employers and commuters within the region, including a toll free phone number for information requests and referrals, vanpool/carpool rider matching, transit/biking/walking resources as well as park and ride lot information. CommuteInfo serves commuters and employers in 10 counties, including Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland. Check out previous e-newsletter editions by clicking here. Thanks again for your interest in commuting alternatives and CommuteInfo . . . a better way to work. |
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The Gas Grinch is coming! In fact, he’s already here! You may have seen him at one of ten locations in the tri-county region (surrounding greater Weirton and Steubenville).
Mid Mon Valley Transit Authority Announces the Start of “Valley Link”
For more information about the MMVTA’s ValleyLINK East or other transit services call 724-489-0880, visit MMVTA.com, stop at the Transit Center in Charleroi or read more by 
Due to increased ridership, BCTA has added another inbound bus trip to Pittsburgh to its schedule. This trip is an addition to BCTA’s Monday – Friday Route 4 service, and departs BCTA’s Expressway Travel Center in Center Township at 7:30 AM arriving in downtown Pittsburgh at 8:20 AM. 
