Hanscom drivers express interest in alternate transportation options

  • Published
  • By Kevin Gilmartin
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. --  Looking to find new ways to cope with rising gas prices, nearly 1,500 Hanscom employees who drive on Hartwell Avenue in Lexington responded to a recent on-line survey about their commuting habits and willingness to participate in alternate forms of transportation to the base.

In all, 1,441 people responded to the survey, which was conducted by Transaction Associates, Inc. of Waltham, Mass. Not surprisingly, a large percentage of the respondents come to work Monday to Friday between 7 and 8 a.m. (48.5 percent) and leaves the base between 4 and 5 p.m. (49 percent).

"Anyone who drives on Hartwell Ave. knows that these are peak traffic times, and we often see backups," said Col. Tom Schluckebier, 66th Air Base Wing commander. "One way to alleviate that congestion would be for eligible employees to take advantage of the flexible work schedules that are available to some Hanscom employees."

A whopping 86.3 percent of the survey respondents commute to work each day alone, with only 12.2 percent carpooling.

One option to reduce traffic offered in the survey was a subscription bus service that would use a 25-33 passenger vehicle and make two runs in the morning and two in the evening. The subscription bus service would also feature a "guaranteed ride home" component in the event of an emergency during the day. Depending on participation, the cost of the service from New Hampshire would range from $7.81 to $10.31 per day.

Asked if they were interested in the subscription bus service, 19.5 percent answered "yes," and 43.5 percent answered "maybe," with only 37 percent answering "no." The majority, 55 percent, expressed an interest in paying for the service by purchasing a discounted monthly pass, while 38 percent would most likely pay for the service by purchasing a discounted 10-ride pass.

Another option offered in the survey was a vanpool program that uses a nine- to 14-passenger van with volunteer drivers to provide service between target areas and Hartwell Avenue. Depending on the number of passengers, the vanpool's monthly cost would range from $130 to $200. This program would also feature a guaranteed ride home in the event of an emergency during the day.

Only 15.6 percent of respondents answered "yes" when asked if they would be interested in participating in the vanpool program, with 36.6 percent answering "maybe" and 48 percent answering "no."

The survey also offered employees from the New Hampshire area five options for a "park and ride" lot, eliciting responses from 116 base employees who would be interested in either subscription bus service or vanpooling to Hanscom. An additional 21 Nashua N.H. area residents responded but did not list a preferred location.

"Based on the response from Hanscom, which doesn't even include the numbers from MIT's Lincoln Laboratory, I think the potential for the subscription bus service from New Hampshire is very high," said Cindy Frené of Transaction Associates. "Once we see the numbers from MIT, we will start putting together specific proposals and get the word out to employees."

"With the high price of fuel, we have all seen increased emphasis on reducing travel costs. The fact that almost 1,500 Hanscom employees responded to the survey shows that a large portion of our workforce is interested in exploring ways of getting to work besides driving by themselves," said Colonel Schluckebier. "If the programs proposed by Transaction Associates come to fruition, Hanscom people will have another option to make their commute more affordable."

The Ride Matching program, which is run by the base Environmental office, pairs employees with similar work schedules to facilitate carpooling. Vanpools are also available for larger commuter groups. Additionally, government employees using public transportation may qualify for the Transportation Incentive Program (TIP), a Department of Defense program that provides financial incentives to employees to encourage commuting by mass transportation. According to Greg Cravedi, base civil engineer, "the options being explored by Transaction Associates would most likely qualify for TIP reimbursements for as much $110 per month.

For more information on carpooling or TIP, call (781) 377-2904. To contact Transaction Associates about the subscription bus service, call Ms. Frené at (781) 397-0422 or e-mail her at cfrene@transactionassoc.com.