Hartford Business Journal

10 Hartford Business Journal • November 16, 2015 www.HartfordBusiness.com FOCUS TRANSPORTATION CTrides sells public transportation as a stress buster By Keith Griffin kgriffin@HartfordBusiness.com A sk state Department of Transportation Commis- sioner James P. Redeker the biggest challenge of moving more people into public transportation and he'll say lack of awareness and stress. The DOT is working on both to pump up ridership of the new bus- way and other public transit options. "People are often unaware that other options exist. There is also the stress of trying something new that you haven't done before. Where do I get dropped off? How do I pay the fare? What if I am late? It can seem easier to just keep doing what you've always done," Redeker said. It's a challenge largely left up to CTrides, a contractor that has been working on the state's behalf to take more cars off the road. It's paid $3.7 million annually for outreach, advertising and maintaining a call center to advise poten- tial riders. A large portion of its funding comes from federal dollars to improve air quality and reduce congestion. CTrides tackled the issue of stress directly in three business forums held across the state recently. They featured presentations by Millie Grenough, a clinical instructor in psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine who offered insight on reducing commute stress. "In this day and age, if you're dependent on highways you gauge your life on how to manage them," Grenough said in an interview before the workshops. "Driving alone uses bandwidth you could use on something else." What Grenough preaches are the benefits of commut- ing as a stress-reduction tool. She cites a statistic that claims American corporations lose $300 billion annu- ally in productivity because of factors related to stress, including absenteeism, poor morale and turnover. "That's one of the statistics that I give to people in business who think talking about stress management is touchy feely," Greenough said. What using public transit does, she explained, is reduce stress, which in turn leads to better professional and personal situations. "It works both ways," she said. "When they leave work, they can de-stress on the way home, so they're in better shape." Of course, Greenrough recognizes that not everyone is going to immediately hop on a bus to reduce stress. She has a practical suggestion for making even a lone-drive commute more refreshing: change the channel. That means mixing up what you listen to during your commute. Grenough had one client who found himself incensed by talk radio. She switched him to music and his driving abil- ity improved (after being involved in numerous accidents). Eventually her client just switched off the radio entirely. "He discovered he liked the quiet," Grenough said. Financial perks help One method CTrides is using to attract ridership is simple pocketbook appeal. It runs a program called "Ride, Match & Reward." It offers registered riders rewards such as free zoo admission for a family of four, discounts on dining and sporting event admissions. Since its inception in 2005, CTrides' 34,906 mem- bers have redeemed rewards worth almost $1 million through Oct. 2015. CTrides estimates there have been 2.8 million shared rides in that decade and 2.3 million transit trips. All of the alternative modes of getting to work (including telecommuting) add up to 139.3 million miles not driven in that time period. There's also another little-known service CTrides offers that might make people more willing to commute using pub- lic transit. Jody Santoro, CTrides communications manager, said monthly bus and train pass holders can get free taxi rides home once a quarter if an emergency or other disrup- tion arises that makes it impossible to take public transit. To address the commissioner's view that lack of awareness is also an issue, CTrides offers a complimen- tary 10-trip trial pass for interested consumers. "Another barrier has been trying something you're not used to," said Santoro. "That's why we try to sweeten the deal." Santoro, who telecommutes to work twice a week, said there has also been growing interest in telecommut- ing. According to CTrides statistics, among the 34,906 people enrolled in its online program, there have been 237,740 telecommutes logged. CTrides will help compa- nies establish guidelines for telecommuting. Santoro said one of the benefits of establishing a telecommuting plan in the workplace is it provides business continuity when an establishment is closed by bad weather. n Q&A CT faces daunting transportation issues Q&A talks about the costs of Connecticut's decaying transportation infrastructure and opportunities to fix it with Carrie Rocha, Con- necticut office leader and associate vice president of HNTB Corp., an infrastructure engineering firm. Q: There has been a lot of talk about the decay- ing transportation infrastructure in the U.S. How bad of a situation is it? What would it cost to make us 100 percent in CT? A: America's infra- structure is decaying, suffering from age and overuse. Dwindling federal funding, lower purchasing power from a gasoline tax that hasn't been raised since 1993, and more fuel-efficient cars have resulted in a nearly insolvent Highway Trust Fund unable to keep up with transpor- tation demands. The Federal High- way Administration reports 35 percent of Connecticut's 4,218 bridges are either 'structurally deficient' (378 bridges) or 'functionally obsolete' (1,079 bridges). According to the American Society of Civil Engineer's 2013 infrastructure report card, 41 per- cent of Connecticut's major public roads are in poor condition. The Texas Transportation Institute's 2014 Urban Mobility Scorecard calculates drivers in the Hartford area lose 45 hours per year due to congestion at an average annual cost of $1,038. Gov. Malloy's transportation proposal involves a five-year ramp- up and $10 billion investment. His long term 30-year vision calls for $100 billion, which is needed to address all critical infrastructure preservation and modernization needs for roads, bridges and rail. Q: What's it going to take to get transportation work paid for? A: Congress has the opportu- nity to pass long-term, sustain- able funding, which allows states to properly plan and implement comprehensive infrastructure programs. Through the Governor's Transportation Finance Panel, Connecticut is reviewing options for alternative revenue sources. We need dedicated, reliable rev- enue streams to meet the needs of transportation and avoid delays in executing these vital programs. Q: Towns can't afford road improvements and neither can states like Connecticut. Plus, the federal government doesn't seem to want to support it at the necessary levels. Fuel taxes don't generate enough revenue. Are tolls the answer? A: Tolls are a viable option other states are using effectively to help pay for their trans- portation programs. Modern tolling tech- nologies reduce congestion, enhance safety and make pay- ing the toll easy. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turn- pike Association, toll roads are a proven source of alternative funding, currently used by 35 states and territories in the U.S. Tolls routinely help fund large transporta- tion projects and can be long-term revenue engines. Dedicated revenue gener- ated by tolls in Connecticut could deliver net revenue of as much as $2.5 billion per year in 2014 dollars. Q: Tolls, along with gas taxes, are user fees. Is that what makes them more amenable to people? Do they not seem to mind pay-as- you-go levies as much? A: Tolls can be compared to utilities and health care. You pay for what you use. A 2014 HNTB Corporation America THINKS national survey on tolling found 79 percent of Amer- icans would support a toll on a non- tolled road if it resulted in a safer, congestion-free and more reliable trip. Sixty-one percent would back tolls as part of a transportation pro- gram's funding if there are insuffi- cient funds from other sources. Q: How do price-managed lanes work? Can they work within existing highways? A: Priced-managed lanes, also called express lanes, are tolled lanes operating in the middle of non-tolled highways. Toll rates vary to ensure a reliable travel speed is maintained and the lanes function without congestion. Benefits of priced-managed lanes include the ability to gener- ate revenues for reinvestment into transportation infrastructure, reduced congestion and encour- aging the adoption of multi-modal transportation options. Using priced-managed lanes to control transportation demand and maximizing the lanes we have is part of the solution to our congestion challenges. n CARRIE ROCHA Connecticut office leader and associate vice president of HNTB Corp. State officials say lack of awareness and stress are two factors keeping people from riding public transportation like some downtown Hartford Aetna workers (shown above) do. P H O T O | C O N T R I B U T E D

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