Hanscom captures MassDOT Spotlight Award

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Hanscom Air Force Base was recognized at the 5th annual Excellence in Commuter Options Awards Ceremony as a Massachusetts Department of Transportation "Rising Star Spotlight Award" recipient March 26 at Fenway Park in Boston.

The award recognizes Massachusetts employers for efforts to reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging employees to utilize green transportation options, according to the Mass. Commute website.

"The 'Rising Star' award recognized Hanscom Air Force Base for significant progress in promoting sustainable transportation options through resourceful actions such as employee outreach and education, commuter options and incentives, as well as innovative concepts and collaborative efforts," said Thomas Schluckebier, Hanscom's base civil engineer.

Leading these efforts is Hanscom's environmental office's commuter management team.

"The team is charged with, among other things, running the installation's commuter management program, as well as designing and implementing numerous programs and initiatives aimed at reducing the employee commute burden," said Scott Sheehan, 66 CE environmental engineer.

The commuter management team also manages a Transportation Incentive Program for eligible employees.

"Transit debit cards are made available to eligible commuters to purchase monthly transit fare media, such as train tickets, bus passes and participation in a vanpool," Sheehan said. "All Defense Department civilian and military employees assigned to Hanscom can take advantage of a $130 per month subsidy to offset the costs of mass transit, including vanpool fees."

Hanscom officials were recognized for the unmatched growth in the vanpool program, much of which can be attributed to a new MassDOT subsidy of up to $600 per month for each participating vanpool which was enacted in July 2014, he said.

Sheehan added that by combining the two subsidies, employees can save thousands of dollars per year and, in many cases, can enjoy a completely cost-free commute to and from work.

To capitalize on the combination of the two subsidy programs, the commuter management team initiated an aggressive marketing and outreach campaign that included organizing transportation fairs across the base and developing the "HanscomRIDES" website, a vanpool and carpool matching website which the team launched last summer.

"On the website, updates are made on a quarterly basis for all vanpools coming to the base, including the routes, times and number of seats available for those interested in participating," said Sheehan. "The program has grown from just six active vanpools commuting to the base as of last summer, to 21 as of March 31 -- with another six in formation."

Additionally, officials implemented an employee-driven carpool matching program.

"Similar to vanpool matching, the HanscomRIDES website allows employees to reach out to others in a bulletin‐board fashion to seek out opportunities for carpooling," Sheehan said. "In addition, the base, in conjunction with MassRIDES, promotes the MassDOT NuRide online tool and Emergency Ride Home programs and encourages employee use of the resources."

The environmental office was also required to implement an online vehicle self-certification program last September.

"Last fall, Hanscom military and federal civilian employees were required to begin participation in eCARS," said Robert Spelfogel, Hanscom Air Quality program manager. "The program is designed to demonstrate and track compliance with the Clean Air Act, section 118(d), which is a statue that governs emissions from personally owned vehicles driven on federal installations."

The ECO awards are open to any Massachusetts employer who is a Transportation Management Association Member Company and/or MassRIDES Employer partner, and who complete an annual questionnaire identifying the current sustainable commuter option programs their worksite offers its employees.

To learn more about the Hanscom commuter program, visit https://cs.eis.afmc.af.mil/sites/Hanscom/commuter/default.aspx or contact Spelfogel at 781-225-6913 or Sheehan at 781-225-6144.