Arlington Honors 22 Businesses for Innovative Transportation Programs

Published on March 21, 2017

• 2016 Platinum level champions honored for sustainable transportation strategies


• Helping Arlington's long-range goal of reducing single occupancy vehicle use


• Honorees' exemplary benefits, outreach encourage alternative transportation use


• Arlington's drive-alone commuter rate lowest in Virginia

The Arlington County Board today honored 22 businesses as Platinum Level Champions for their commitment to operating and enhancing sustainable transportation programs for employees and tenants.

The Champions program was created by Arlington Transportation Partners (ATP) and supported by Arlington County Commuter Services (ACCS), the County's Transportation Demand Management bureau. The program inspires businesses, multi-family residential communities, commercial properties and schools to help the County reach its long-range goal of shifting a majority of the trips taken within the County to transit, walking or biking.

"Arlington's mix of transit options is a major selling point for potential employers and residents," County Board Chair Jay Fisette said. "It is great to see more and more companies embracing programs that encourage their employees to take advantage of Arlington's options and use alternatives to driving alone to and from work every day. We hope the examples set by these companies will encourage others to join this effort." 

Promoting alternative transportation use through benefits, outreach

[caption id="attachment_11552" align="alignright" width="300"] Certificates handed out to Champions at recent awards banquet.[/caption]

Platinum Level Champions are Arlington businesses that have successfully increased the use of alternative types of transportation — such as public transit, biking, car-pooling and walking -- through exemplary benefits and outreach. Platinum Level Champions create a business culture that places a high-priority on work/life balance and on using all forms of alternative transportation. They make Arlington a better place to live, work and play.

More than 200 Champions in 2016

Champions launched as a pilot program in 2013 with 31 employer champions.  By 2016, the program grew to 221 Champions, and includes multi-family residential communities, commercial properties, and Arlington County Public Schools. The program recognizes different levels of achievements:

• Bronze -- requires sharing information about transportation options for employees or residents or tenants


• Silver -- involves a short-term activity such as hosting a transportation event


• Gold -- implements programs that directly benefit individuals, such as a pre-tax transportation benefit


• Platinum -- prioritize work/life balance and sustainable transportation through additional, concrete benefits. 

Champions play an integral part in improving the way people commute in and around Arlington. 

What it takes to be a Platinum Champion

Platinum Champions are businesses that are vested in providing employee benefits that include employee health and wellness and work-life balance. Additional benefits include offering a direct or combination subsidized transportation benefit, as defined by the IRS, installing non-mandated bike parking, showers, lockers and/or transportation displays, and providing a shuttle service to transit or subsidizing/extending a current transit route.

In February 2017, ATP honored 221 businesses at an annual ceremony that highlighted the achievements of all Champions from the previous year. County Board Chair Jay Fisette, keynote speaker Robert Thompson, popularly known as The Washington Post's "Dr Gridlock," and former Arlington County Commuter Services Bureau Chief Larry Filler participated. Arlington, Filler noted, has "the lowest drive-alone rate for commuters in the state."

ATP continues to build the Champions program, offering employers, commercial property owners, multi-family residential communities and schools more opportunities to engage and put programs in place.

A few new strategies for 2017 include offering a bike benefit, as defined by the IRS, forming a new vanpool, or adding three riders to an existing vanpool via ATP's Vanpool Connect program, and implementing transportation programs based on survey results and transportation goals. 

Learn how your business, multi-family residential community, commercial property or school in Arlington can join Arlington Transportation Champions.

2016 Platinum Champions

Employer

• Hilton Garden Inn Arlington Shirlington


• National Science Foundation


• Smithsonian Institution — Office of Contracting and Personal Property Management


• S. Marshals Service


• United States Army National Guard Readiness Center - Arlington Hall Station

Commercial Properties

• Potomac Tower (Brookfield)


• Two Liberty Center (Kodiak Realty Services) 

Multi-Family Residential Communities

• 19Nineteen Clarendon (ZRS Management)


• Avalon at Arlington Square (AvalonBay Communities)


• Courtland Towers (Dittmar Company)


• Dolley Madison Towers (Dittmar Company)


• Dorchester Apartments (E.G. Reinsch Companies)


• Quincy Plaza (Dittmar Company)


• Sedona|Slate (The JBG Companies)


• Tellus Apartments (JAG Management)


• The Beacon Clarendon (ZRS Management)


• The View at Liberty Center (Kettler/The Shooshan Company)


• Virginia Square Towers (Dittmar Company)


• WestView at Ballston Metro (Willis Companies)


• Wildwood Park (Dittmar Company)


• Wildwood Towers (Dittmar Company) 

Schools

• Oakridge Elementary School

About ATP

Arlington Transportation Partners (ATP) is managed for Arlington County by The Destination Sales and Marketing Group. In operation since July 1998, ATP works with more than 800 employers, more than 300 residential communities, 80-plus commercial properties and Arlington Public Schools sites.

ATP offers transportation expertise and complimentary assistance to give businesses, residential communities, and commercial properties a competitive edge and to help improve transportation amenities and commuter benefits. These services and programs have significant impacts on commuting patterns, traffic congestion, personal health, and air quality in Arlington County. Located in Arlington, Virginia, ATP implements innovative programs with expert knowledge, making us the leading Transportation Demand Management (TDM) specialists in the country.