Gazette opinion: Commuter perks pay off for business

What do Yellowstone County and Sutton’s Sportswear have in common with Intel and Nike?

They all offer employees incentives to use mass transit for commuting to work.

Intel and Nike are among the 20 best Fortune 500 companies for commuters, according to a survey released recently by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Transportation. The survey ranked companies according to the percentage of their workforce eligible for commuter benefits that meet national standards for excellence. Employers obviously see commuter benefits as part of a package to attract and retain workers while also reducing parking demand at work sites.

The EPA/DOT top 20 list of employers encouraging car pooling, bike commuting and mass transit is heavy with high-tech firms: Oracle, Sun Microsystems, Microsoft, Texas Instruments, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Apple. It includes Boeing, Anadarko Petroleum and Safeco, too.

In Billings, the MET offers an employer-employee program. The six participating employers are the county, Sutton’s, Indian Health Service, Bureau of Reclamation, the city of Billings and CTA Architects Engineers. Ron Wenger, city transit manager, said the MET offers monthly bus passes at a discount to participating employers, who agree to provide the passes to their workers at a further discount. Here’s how it works: A regular, unlimited ride monthly pass costs $18. Participating employers can buy passes for $12.60 with the understanding that they will provide them to employees for $8.10.

It’s a good benefit for commuting employees.

Full Story: http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/10/27/build/opinion/30-gaz-op.inc