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
Renewable Energy Funding for Farms and Small Businesses
Join Vital Communities, Hanover Co-op Food Stores, and USDA Rural Development for a webinar and workshop series to learn about opportunities to fund renewable energy systems and energy efficiency projects with the REAP (Renewable Energy ...more
Make Your Pitch to The Local Crowd UV!
We're accepting proposals for the next round of The Local Crowd Upper Valley crowdfunding campaigns! Do you have an incredible project just waiting to happen—one that would strengthen your business, our community, and the local economy—if ...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
Flavors of the Valley Vendor Registration is Open!
Registration is open for the 19th annual Flavors of the Valley, the Upper Valley's premier local food tasting expo. With 50+ vendors and more than 800 attendees, Flavors is a valuable marketing opportunity for farms and ...more
Canaan Keeps FarmRaisers Alive
Kale. Carrots. Beets. Potatoes. Powerkraut®! These are just a few of the delightful local foods I've received from Root 5 Farm over the past few months as part of my fall FarmRaiser—a community-supported agriculture (CSA) fundraiser ...more
Canaan Keeps FarmRaisers Alive
Kale. Carrots. Beets. Potatoes. Powerkraut®! These are just a few of the delightful local foods I've received from Root 5 Farm over the past few months as part of my fall FarmRaiser—a community-supported agriculture (CSA) fundraiser ...more
Rooted in Community = Giving Back All Year
Locally owned businesses are rooted in the Upper Valley and donate time and money every month of the year as they support nonprofits, schools, and communities. Keep your dollars where your heart is and support the ...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
Nov. 19 Green Real Estate Crash Course
Vital Communities is offering its popular Green Real Estate Crash Course again on Tuesday, November 19, at Service Credit Union, just off I-89 in Lebanon, NH. Earn 3 elective credits in VT and NH. Register online at vitalcommunities.org/greenrealestate This is NOT your average CE ...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
Celebrate Farm to School Month With Our Fall Farm to School Forum
Meet Your Local Farm to School Network! The Upper Valley Farm to School Network invites you to gather in your region to build local connections with peers and Farm to School practitioners, and access resources. Find ...more
A New Quest in Pomfret, Vermont
Earlier this summer I had the fortune of working with the amazing staff of the Artistree Community Arts Center in Pomfret, Vermont on offering a Questing Camp. Over the week the campers learned about the ...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
12th Annual Roundtable - May 7
You're Invited! The 12th Annual Upper Valley Energy Committee Roundtable is Tuesday, May 7, 5-8 pm in West Lebanon! This annual gathering of local energy volunteers is open to all, whether you serve on an energy committee, wish to ...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.
