Methacton School District wins First Annual GVF Seatbelt Challenge!

GVF is excited to announce that Methacton School District was the winnerof the organization’s first annual Seatbelt Challenge! This year’s Challenge was against Upper Merion High School.

The purpose of the Seatbelt Challenge is to bring attention to the importance of seatbelt safety, determine how many students are wearing seatbelts and encourage those who are not to do so. GVF manages the Challenge by conducting a counting survey during the fall semester; present the findings to the participating schools, and then setting up seatbelt safety presentations through the Pennsylvania State Police and the Lower Providence PoliceDepartment.

At the end of the challenge, GVF conducted another counting survey,to see if the number of students wearing seatbelts has increased. The winning school district is the one with the highest increase of seatbelt use.

In our initial study, conducted on October 1, 2011, 83 percent of Methacton students were observed wearing seatbelts. The follow up study was conducted on March 28, 2012, 90 percent of students were observed wearing seatbelts.

Thedistrict was awarded $500, which was provided by AAAand their Keys 2 Drive program, which provides parents tips and information to work with their teens through each step of safe driving.

The full results of the Challenge were as follows:

School	Number of Cars Surveyed	Number of People in the Cars	Number of People Wearing Seatbelts	Number of People Not Wearing Seatbelts	Percentage of People Not Wearing Seatbelts
Methacton Senior High School (fall semester)	173	387	323	64	17%
Methacton Senior High School (spring semester)	211	373	337	36	10%

School	Number of Cars Surveyed	Number of People in the Cars	Number of People Wearing Seatbelts	Number of People Not Wearing Seatbelts	Percentage of People Not Wearing Seatbelts
Upper Merion High School (fall semester)	129	232	138	94	41%
Upper Merion High School (spring semester)	143	248	191	57	23%

GVF is already underway in planning next school year's Challenge. If you're interested in participating, contact us at info@gvftma.com or 610-354-8899.

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April Events at GVF

There's a lot of exciting things going on at GVF during the month of April!

GVF TMA Foundation's Third Annual Bike to Work Challenge begins on April 30. Registration is now open, so if you haven't registered yet, visit www.gvfbiketowork.com to do so. The Bike to Work Challenge is a 20 week-long program that encourages employees to commute to work by bike. The ultimate goal is to see the environmental impact by keeping vehicles off the roadways while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Last year, 164 participants:

biked 42,651 miles

saved 1,975 gallons of fuel

prevented 38,307 tons of CO2 emissions into our air.

The best part is, anyone who registers to participate and rides to work by Bike to Work Day, which is observed on May 18, will be entered to win a “Platinum Bike Fit” from Cadence Cycling and Multisport, valued at $299! Events, recognition and prizes are all part of this event, to keep participants engaged and excited about biking to work.

Earth Day is also observed this month on April 22. Although it falls on a Sunday this year, GVF has numerous outreach events planned to promote sustainable transportation. Earth Day is a great catalyst to start the conversation about different commuting options, aside from driving to and from work alone. We can help to get your employees thinking about changing their commutes by carpooling, public transit and biking. Reach out to us today to learn more!

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Did You Observe National Telework Week?

This week (March 5-9) is the second-annual National Telework Week, observed and promoted by Telework Exchange: http://www.teleworkexchange.com/.

For those who don't know, telecommuting is working from home or a "telecommute center" instead of driving into the office everyday. Staying home decreases your out-of-pocket transportation costs (gas, wear and tear on your vehicle, tolls, etc.) but also improves air quality and lessens the impact on our aging roadways. According to the National Telework Web site, more than 64,000 pledges have signed up for Telework Week this week, collectively saving more than $4.7 million in commuting costs in just one week!

GVF currently offers telecommuting options for all full time employees who are able to work away from the office. Since we started the telecommute program in 2010, which allows us to work from home two days per month, I have personally telecommuted 22 days. That's a whole month of saved gas, mileage on my aging car and sanity -- staying off Route 422 at rush hour is definitely a good way to start and end the work day!

A quick estimate on my savings include:

• nearly $100
• 600 miles saved on my car
• 25.6 gallons of fuel
• 498 pounds of CO2 emissions saved

I know a handful of GVF's partners offer telecommuting options to their employees, and we encourage telecommuting at all levels - even if it rarely that you can work from home.

Does your employer offer telecommuting options? Do you need assistance in getting a telecommuting program started, or just need some statistics to bring to your manager or boss to encourage them to consider it? GVF is happy to help - we have a full policy in place, as well as employee agreements to ensure work is getting done even when we're not in the office.

If you need any assistance in getting this started at your company, please reach out to us!

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GVF Named Gold Level Champion and Employer by the Best Workplaces for Commuters

GVF is proud to be named a Gold Level Champion and Employer by the Best Workplaces for Commuters (BWC)!

The awards recognize organizations like GVF who have taken exemplary steps to offer transportation options such as vanpool and transit benefits or telework and compressed workweek for their employees.

In 2011, we were recognized as a Gold Level company only. This year, we are proud to be awarded as a champion - an organization that works to encourage others to re-think their commuting habits, and employer - because GVF provides commuting options and benefits to our staff of eight.

GVF's partner TransNet was recognized at the silver level. Congratulations on YOUR award and working to be a BWC!

BWC is a program designed to encourage sustainable transportation innovation and managed by the University of South Florida’s National Center for Transit Research. This year, they singled out 15 companies, institutions and individuals nationwide on Thursday, January 26 during the annual “Race to Excellence” Virtual Awards Ceremony.

Other companies that were recipients of the Gold Level include:

§ Bishop Ranch Transportation Association (San Ramon, CA)

§ Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN)

§ State of Arizona (Phoenix, AZ)

§ Tindale-Oliver & Associates (Tampa, FL)

If your organization is interested in becoming a Best Places for Commuters, contact GVF. We can work with your organization to create a commuting program which saves money, reduces stress and improves the environment.

For more information about the Best Workplaces for Commuters program, visit http://www.bestworkplaces.org/.

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Secretary Barry Schoch addresses GVF's Public Policy Committee

Barry J. Schoch, P.E., and Secretary of Transportation for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), recently presented an update on transportation funding at GVF’s Public Policy Committee meeting at Arcadia University, King of Prussia campus.

Because one of GVF’s major priorities is advocating for a comprehensive transportation funding solution, Secretary Schoch updated the 50 attendees on the progress being made on the state level. Secretary Schoch touched on the following points:

· Identifying Governor Corbett’s four main priorities for 2011, transportation, along with privatization, unfortunately falls to the bottom of the “short list.”

· The Governor doesn’t want the legislators to get distracted from Marcellus Shale and education vouchers; therefore, finding a dedicated funding source for transportation will be tabled until 2012.

· In the interim, transportation funding continues to be Secretary Schoch’s number one priority. A vehicle mileage traveled study will be conducted in 2012 to examine if this could provide additional revenue towards transportation.

An overview video recording of Secretary Schoch’s is available on GVF’s YouTube page.

As Secretary Schoch is working on several initiatives for 2012, GVF looks forward to working with the Secretary so we can ultimately find a solution to this critical issue.

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Another Great Season for GVF's Bike to Work Challenge!

When GVF rolled out its Bike to Work Challenge in 2008, I'll admit I was a bit skeptical about how successful the program would be. Judging by the traffic I sit in most days commuting to and from the office, I didn't think there were many people commuting by bicycle. Everyone commuting to work seemed to be in front of me on Route 422.

Boy, was I wrong.

Wrapping up its third season, the Bike to Work Challenge has been one of GVF's most successful and popular events.

* It has grown in its reach - in the beginning, the Challenge was open only to GVF's partners. It is now open to anyone who wants to participate.

* It has grown in its participation - in 2009, there were 110 participants. In 2011, a whopping 164 employees participated.

*Since the beginning of the Challenge, participants have biked a total of 125,154 miles. I don't even have that many miles on my car!

Through a generous grant from the Department of Environmental Protection, GVF was able to create a site dedicated to the Challenge this year: www.gvfbiketowork.com. This site makes it easier for participants to log in their miles, but also gives an overview of the Challenge and encourages people to sign up and ride!

Although the 2011 season has come to an end, be sure to log on to the site for updates on the 2012 Challenge.

A real congratulations and thank you to those who biked this season - you made our air a little less polluted, used less gasoline and kept your vehicles off our aging roadways. Great work!

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Congratulations to the Sustainable Award Winners!

At GVF's Fall Partner Breakfast yesterday morning, we were proud to award
* one college
* one municipality
* one developer
* one state agency
* one national park
* two retailers
* four engineering firms
* six corporate businesses
with the second annual GVF Sustainable Awards!

In its second year, the Sustainable Awards recognize different organizations for their outstanding achievements in implementing programs that provide and promote commuting alternatives for their employees and its community, thus reducing congestion and improving air quality throughout the region.

That means that 17 area companies and organizations are making a real difference in reducing single occupancy vehicles on our roadways, and improving the quality of life for employees and residents alike! Take a look on what some of these companies are doing:
• Actively participates in GVF’s Climate Change Task Force
• Display or include commuter information and/or provide transit schedules in that worksite or on the intranet.
• Disseminate traffic alerts to employees
• Host commuter events at your worksite
• Host on-site vanpool or carpool formation meetings
• Implementation of a company sustainability plan
• Install bike racks or other storage bicycles
• Member of GVF
• Participate in the Emergency Ride Home Program, which can be offered through GVF
• Place alternative commute information in new hire packets
• Recycling Program
• Regularly promote commute options at the worksite via memo postings, email, Intranet or other employee communication
• Ridesharing or carpool matching, either in-house or through an outside organization
• Use Alternative Fuel Vehicles
• Company participates in the Air Quality Partnership (AQP) by raising the AQP on action alert day
Offer a flextime policy, such as telecommuting and/or compressed workweek
• Offer onsite amenities such as food service, dry cleaner, ATM/bank
• One or more than one representatives are signed up for EnviroFlash, which sends an electronic receive alert on air quality action days
• Participate in GVF’s Bike to Work Challenge, which occurs April – September (see www.gvfbiketowork.com for details)
• Provide a commuting subsidy to employees
• Provide a site specific innovative service or program to improve employee commutation and reduce traffic congestion
• Provide preferential parking for vanpoolers or carpoolers
• Provide preferential parking if employee drives an alternative fuel vehicle
• Provide pretax payroll deductions for commuting cost for employees
• Provide showers and/or lockers for bicycles
• Sell transit passes on site
• Assessed and tracked company
• Offer a telecommuting or compressed workweek program that reduces commute trips by at least 6 %.
• Offers a subsidized shuttle operations or provide an employer sponsored shuttle
• Offers to pay at least $30 per month towards a transit pass (or full cost of a pass if it is less than $30) to each employee who commutes using transit
• Offers to pay at least $30 per month towards vanpool pass (or full cost of a pass if it is less than $30) to each employee who commutes in a vanpool
• Office is accessible to public transit (should it be required that they have to know that employees are taking it)
• Provide at least $30 per month to each employee who chooses to receive cash in lieu of a parking space

Check out pictures from yesterday's event here!

Bryan Havir, Assitant Cheltenham Township Manager said it best -- “Being green is good for everyone. An organization that cares enough to be green cares about its employees."

Congratulations again to our winners and if you're interested in learning more about the Sustainable Awards and how you can implement some of these changes, contact GVF today!

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Back to School is Almost Here -- Why Not Walk to School?

Summer's nearly over, and back to school is upon us. Time to dust off your sneakers and mark your calendar for October 5, 2011 for Walk to School Day!

Internationally recognized the first Wednesday of every October, Walk to School Day encourages and celebrates children who walk and bike to school. Marketing materials and ideas will be posted on the Pennsylvania Safe Routes to School Web site soon. Information kits are available when you register your event.

If your school or community is looking for fun and creative ways to get children to walk and bike to school, GVF would be happy to assist with your efforts and ideas, as well as promote your event. Contact GVF today and we can help make Walk to School Day a success in your community!

For the latest info, follow the Twitter tag #SRTS here- Twitter .

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The Revolutionary Shuttle provides free service through VFNHP [Video]

Free visitor shuttle service has returned to Valley Forge National Historical Park for the summer season. In its third year, The Revolutionary Shuttle provides a comfortable way to get around the park, relieves traffic congestion and reduces pollution.

The two shuttles operate 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Monday, September 5, 2011. The seven-mile loop covers most of the park, and riders can hop on or off at any of nine stops, including:

Visitor Center Lower Parking Lot
Visitor Center Lower Entrance
Muhlenberg’s Brigade
National Memorial Arch
Wayne’s Woods
Artillery Park
Washington’s Headquarters
von Steuben Statue
Washington Memorial Chapel

So far, the shuttle has carried more than 2,300 riders since its Memorial Day start. (The shuttle did not run the first few weeks of June!)

Check out the shuttle video below to learn more about this free convenience to all park visitors!

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The Rockefeller Foundation releases results of infrastructure survey

The results of The Rockefeller Foundation infrastructure study are pretty clear -- Americans, regardless of party affiliation, are looking to government to work collectively to improve the transportation infrastructure of our country.

The full report of the study can be found here. The four page report details key findings of the survey, which was administered from Jan. 29 to Feb. 6, 2011, to 1,001 registered voters throughout the United States.

In its 20 year history, GVF has been a non-partisan organization to push transportation infrastructure improvements along in Montgomery and Chester counties. We hope the results of this survey, which are overwhelmingly in support of transportation infrastructure improvements, get the attention of politicians in our region to create real change.

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Get ready to tee off at the GVF TMA Foundation Golf Outing!

The newly formed GVF TMA Foundation, a 501 c 3 subsidiary of the Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association (GVF) will hold its first golf outing at The Club at Shannondell on Friday, June 24.

The GVF TMA Foundation will secure funding for educational seminars, training, outreach and environmental awareness for the general public in support of livability initiatives. The foundation will create a scholarship fund for college students to expose them to the public and private transportation sectors.

For all detailed event information, including sponsorship opportunities, click here.

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GVF is excited to announce the addition of six new partners since March 1, 2011

GVF is excited to announce the addition of six new partners since March 1, 2011. These are companies and organizations that are dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our region, and are forward-thinking in finding ways to make transportation smarter and greener and engage employees in re-thinking their commuting habits.

These companies include:

Arcadia University: a comprehensive, independent institution that offers men and women a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs on its suburban Philadelphia campus and through its College of Global Studies.

Carter Van Dyke Associates Inc: a planning and landscape architectural firm based in Doylestown.

HNTB: an infrastructure firm serving federal, state, municipal, military and private clients.

KMJ Consulting: an Ardmore-based transportation consulting firm.

KSK Architects Planners Historians, Inc: a Philadelphia-based architecture, planning and historic preservation firm.

Shire: a specialty biopharmaceutical company that works to enable people with life-altering conditions to lead better lives.

Welcome to GVF! If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of GVF partnership, contact Carissa Bobenchik.

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