Commuter Fair at Department of Labor

While the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is busy looking out for the welfare of the American worker, it isn’t neglecting the welfare of its own employees.

DOL was concerned about the large number of agency employees affected by significant, long-term construction just begun on a major high-way interchange in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The eight year construction project

A photo of DOL Acting Deputy Director Edward Montgomery at the Transportation Fare.
will require lane closures during peak periods of commuter travel. Considering that 370,000 vehicles travel through this interchange each day, travel delays affecting an even greater number will be inevitable.

In response, the DOL WorkLife Center hosted a Transportation Fair on June 16, 1999, featuring various commuter options and resources.

Seventeen exhibitors were on hand to provide information to employees about buses, trains, van pools, and car pools. An organization of commuter van pools parked one of their commuter vans just outside in the building courtyard for employees to examine. Representatives from the Washington Metropolitan Area Telecenters provided information about working in area telecenters. The WorkLife Center staff had copies of the recently negotiated Article 10, Flexiplace, to distribute and answered questions about working at alternative work sites.

The Department’s Business Operations Center was available to talk to interested employees about how to qualify for various commuter subsidies from the agency. A photo of Edward Montgomery pictured at the exhibit which featured the DOL Transit Subsidy.Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority used this opportunity to promote their new "rechargeable farecard program" and posted a banner day by selling 25 of these cards to DOL employees.

As a follow-up to the Fair, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) consolidated information on new and expanded alternative commuter programs that will be phased in to give commuters choices in avoiding the construction delays:

•  new parking lots at transit sites
• cooperative agreements with local businesses on joint-use parking lots
• discounts on bus/rail passes
• a new afternoon train • new bus routes
• lower-priced van pools
• help forming car pools
• private customized bus service with initial subsidies to assist with the start-up
• teleworking options
• new "commuter stores" for convenient, one-stop shopping to obtain ticket information, tickets, tokens, and passes for the many different transportation options available in the metro area.

Employees attending the Fair were interested in learning more about alternate modes of transportation and enjoyed the opportunity to talk to exhibitors about various options.

 An image of a blue arrow point up   In attendance at
the Transportation
Fair was  Department of Labor Acting  Deputy Director Edward Montgomery, pictured above inter-acting with the WorkLife staff who sponsored the event. He visited each of the 17 exhibits while there.

 

 

 

 

 An image of a blue arrow pointing to the left Below, he is pictured at the exhibit which featured the DOL Transit Subsidy.
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