VITAL COMMUNITIES
Smart Commute for Workplaces
Vital Communities has for years helped employers lower the costs of commuting to work. Our goal is to reduce the number of people driving alone and:
- Reduce the costs and hassles associated with employee parking
- Make commuting to work a more affordable and enjoyable experience in the Upper Valley
- Promote sustainability within the workplace
- Improve traffic and parking conditions in major employment centers
How We Can Help
What is Smart Commute?
Smart Commute creates a tailored commuting program designed to meet your workplace’s goals and match your employees’ interests. Starting with a short, online survey, we establish baseline data on commuting habits, develop a sustainable commuting plan, and work with you to implement it.
Project Deliverables
- Training of an in-house transportation coordinator
- Personalized commuting plan
- Consulting on commuter benefits packages
- Tracking of emissions reductions and cost savings
- Employee events and contests
Is it Affordable?
Vital Communities offers Smart Commute at no cost thanks to the support of the Vermont Agency of Transportation and our many member organizations and individual donors.
Contact us by email or call Bethany at 802.291.9100 x111 to get your workplace involved.
Commuting Benefits for Employees
Preferred Carpool Parking
Want to reward employees for saving precious parking spaces? Give carpoolers a space close to the entrance. Show your employees, customers, and partners your support for smart commuting. At about $50 per sign, preferred carpool parking is an affordable incentive.
Per Diem Benefit
Want to give your employees the freedom to choose from a variety of options? A per diem benefit of $2-$3 per day can encourage employees to try new options and help them with any new costs, such as bike helmets or transit passes. Or allow commuters to trade in “commuter points” for time off.
Transit Reimbursement
Advance Transit provides free service in the central towns of the Upper Valley, while Stagecoach and Connecticut River Transit offer low fares for long-distance commuter routes. As an employer, you can show your support for transit by purchasing passes for employees or reimbursing them for fares. Plus, employees can deduct up to $260 per month pre-tax for this employee benefit!
According to the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT), the 2018 tax law preserves the commuter benefit. However, a section of the law does eliminate the ability of employers to write-off subsidized parking and transit costs and the bicycle benefit. But, ACT does not predict the tax law will have a major effect on employer-provided transit benefit programs across the country—read their analysis here.
Promote Biking & Walking
Provide bike racks and basic maintenance tools, such as air pumps, Allen wrenches, and spare inner tubes for employee use. Existing wellness programs offer good opportunities to promote biking and walking. Some workplaces also hold drawings for walking shoes, bike helmets, bike lights, and other fun gear.
Success Stories
Y’all Curbed the Car!
On Friday, May 18, the Upper Valley celebrated its newest holiday: Curb the Car Day.
Riffing off National Bike to Work Day, Curb the Car Day embra [...]
Your Bus in Real-Time.
Not sure when and where to catch Advance Transit or if the bus is on time? Download the Advance Transit Real Time App or check the Where’s My Bus? f [...]
Bike to Work Day at Dartmouth College
Bethany and I arrived bright and early at the Hop at Dartmouth College Friday, May 19, to greet employees and students who arrived that morning on two [...]
Dirty Hands, Clean Bikes
I had a lot of fun teaching a Basic Bike Maintenance workshop at the Upper Valley Haven on April 29, ably assisted by Lisa from the Haven!
A doze [...]
Spring Into Bike Riding Season…
...with practical skills training to get you riding more!
What is Everyday Bicycling?
It’s using your bike for those everyday trips that we all ma [...]
More Bus Service for the Bradford Area and I-91
Exciting new bus service improvements from our partner, Stagecoach Transportation Services!
Expanded RIVER ROUTE (Wells River-Newbury-Bradford-Fa [...]
Office Bike Share
When Vital Communities staff expressed interest in cutting down on car trips to meetings, Transportation Program Manager Aaron Brown found a way to [...]
Your Input Needed – Stagecoach Bus River Route
Do you ride Stagecoach’s River Route? Or would you like to?
Stagecoach is improving efficiency and increasing options on the River Route Bus Ser [...]
Gear Up for Everyday Bicycling
Do you want to bike more? Ready to take the next step, but not quite sure where to start? Vital Communities can help! In just one short hour, parti [...]
And the bikes win!
L to R: Charlotte Jeffreys, Bethany Fleishman, Sharon Racusin, Marcia Cassidy, Martha McDaniel, Scot Drysdale, and Hilde Ojibway. Photo: Aaron Brown
[...]
Participating Workplaces
* indicates TMA membership
Vital Communities Program News
Valley Quests Beckon You Outside
Stay home, Stay Safe does not mean that you can't go out into nature. Valley Quests are a perfect activity for you and your family to explore the Upper Valley, get some exercise, learn something ...more
Climate & Community Resilience Spring Series
Climate and Community Resilience: Lessons from the Soil Spring Community Webinar Series to Unpack What Creating Our Future Looks Like What is good for the soil is good for our communities. Deep healthy soil governs flood resilience, ...more
Public Investment AFTER Covid19
How can we know which uses of our public funds are the most productive in a recovery? Join this free webinar at 1 pm March 31 by Joe Minicozzi of Urban 3 to learn how ...more
Five Inspiring Stories
On March 18, Vital Communities held a webinar featuring five inspiring stories from energy committees across the Upper Valley. Stories included: Electric charging stations in Bethel An Upper Valley eBike lending library Energy saving window ...more
13th Annual Roundtable - September 15
You're Invited! The 13th Annual Upper Valley Energy Committee Roundtable will be held Tuesday, September 15, 5-8 pm in West Lebanon! This annual gathering of local energy volunteers is open to all, whether you serve on an ...more
Upper Valley Farm to School Forum: Trauma & Nutrition
Event Postponed We will be rescheduling the forum to the late spring or next fall Upper Valley Farm to School Forum: Trauma & Nutrition March 19 4:30-7pm Sharon Elementary School 75 VT Route 132, Sharon, VT 05065 Join the Upper Valley ...more
Climate and Community Resilience: Lessons from the Soil
Climate and Community Resilience: Lessons from the Soil Spring Community Webinar Series to Unpack What Creating Our Future Looks Like What is good for the soil is good for our communities. Deep healthy soil governs flood resilience, ...more
Renewable Energy Funding for Farms and Small Businesses
Get the information you need to move forward with a renewable energy or energy efficiency project in Vermont or New Hampshire. Join Ken Yearman, Rural Development Energy Coordinator for Vermont and New Hampshire; a farmer ...more
13th Annual Energy Committee Roundtable - March 18
You're Invited! The 13th Annual Upper Valley Energy Committee Roundtable is Wednesday, March 18, 5-8 pm in West Lebanon! This annual gathering of local energy volunteers is open to all, whether you serve on an energy committee, ...more
Renewable Energy Funding for Small Businesses
Get the information you need to move forward with a renewable energy or energy efficiency project in Vermont or New Hampshire. Join Ken Yearman, Rural Development Energy Coordinator for Vermont and New Hampshire; a farmer ...more
Improve Your Small Business Digital Marketing Presence!
Calling all Upper Valley farms and small businesses! Could your business benefit from professional consulting services to improve your marketing? With Rural Development funding, Local First is hosting free marketing workshops AND providing an opportunity ...more
TLC Upper Valley Success!
Local Investing Success with TLC Upper Valley! The Local Crowd (TLC) Upper Valley is a locally based crowdfunding platform that empowers individuals to invest in the businesses, organizations and initiatives that support vital communities in our ...more
Efficient Heating in Vermont
Check out this newly produced, six-minute YouTube video on Efficient Heating in Vermont, created by Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission. The video describes the types and benefits of home heating options and describes the current rebates ...more
Fall Guided Quest: Trees of Dartmouth Quest
Join Vital Communities' Valley Quest Coordinator Beth Roy on a guided treasure hunt of the trees of Dartmouth. Celebrate fall as we discover many exotic trees around the Dartmouth College Campus and learn about their ...more
A New Quest to Celebrate the Mascoma River Greenway!
Have you been on the Mascoma River Greenway yet? If not, it is time to check it out. I had a fantastic time follwing the new Quest of the Mascoma River Greenway. I took my ...more
Stand in Your Circle of Strength and Lead
Ed. Note: On May 30, Vital Communities honored 12 community leaders who’ve added immeasurably to the vitality of the Upper Valley at its annual Heroes & Leaders Celebration. The following are the event’s keynote remarks ...more
Heroes & Leaders: Creating a Vital Upper Valley
Every spring, Leadership Upper Valley, a program of Vital Communities, hosts the annual Heroes & Leaders Celebration to recognize individuals who make significant contributions to the Upper Valley. In 2019, we are pleased to honor ...more
A Lot Lighter with More Hands: Leadership Upper Valley
On the bright, sunny morning of June 13, Cobb Hill was waking up, and the soon-to-be graduating 2018 Leadership Upper Valley class was just arriving for their final meeting. Before the ceremony at Harpoon Brewery, ...more
Staff
Ana Mejia
Climate Projects Coordinator
Transportation, Energy
Transportation, Energy
— Ana Mejia, Climate Projects Coordinator
Ana Mejia is the Climate Projects Coordinator at Vital Communities. She is a Southern California native and first arrived to the Upper Valley in 2018. Ana received her Bachelor’s degree in Geology from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and her Master’s in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, where she wrote her thesis on solar home affordability and energy efficiency programs for low income families. When she is not actively working towards creating sustainable communities, Ana enjoys swimming, cross-country skiing, birding, and trying out new dessert recipes with her KitchenAid mixer.
Bethany Fleishman
Transportation Program Manager
Transportation
Transportation
— Bethany Fleishman, Transportation Program Manager
Bethany Fleishman was born at the old Mary Hitchcock hospital in Hanover, N.H., grew up in West Hartford, Vt., and now lives in Hartford Village, where she can see the White River and the trains from her window. She has a biology degree from St. Lawrence University and has worked in public health outreach, as a line cook in San Francisco, a pastry chef in Hanover, and as a member of the Town of Hartford Selectboard. She serves on the board of directors for both Advance Transit and Upper Valley CarShare and is a lifelong bike commuter.
