Grand Valley again listed as a 'Best Workplace for Commuters'

Grand Valley State University has again been named one of the nation’s Best Workplaces for Commuters by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for being a leader in offering superior commuter benefits.

Best Workplaces for Commuters, a voluntary partnership program, recognizes employers who provide environmentally friendly commuter benefits to employees. The designation shows Grand Valley is committed to reducing pollution, commuter costs and traffic congestion, and improving the quality of life for employees.

“We are one of only two universities in the state to hold this designation,” said Erin Babson, operations manager for Pew Campus and Regional Centers. “This helps make the community and university aware of how much our transit system benefits the environment by lowering emissions.”

Grand Valley’s transit system was evaluated in several areas, including usage, cost, availability of services and population of commuters. Bus ridership has increased every fall since a partnership between Grand Valley State University and The Rapid began in 2000. Babson said ridership is up 13.2 percent from fall 2008 to fall 2009. She added that in 2005-06 there were a total of 684,746 riders compared to a total of 2,411,631 riders in 2008-09.

Bus ridership in 2008-09 saved students:
• $18,183,696 in auto operating costs
• 1,567,560 gallons of gas
• $3,651,197 in fuel costs

Grand Valley State University attracts more than 24,400 students with high-quality programs and state-of-the-art facilities. Grand Valley is a comprehensive university serving students from all 83 Michigan counties and dozens of other states and foreign countries. Grand Valley offers 77 undergraduate and 28 graduate degree programs from campuses in Allendale, Grand Rapids and Holland, and from regional centers in Muskegon and Traverse City. The university is dedicated to individual student achievement, going beyond the traditional classroom experience, with research opportunities and business partnerships.

For more information, contact Erin Babson at (616) 331-6700, or Grand Valley News and Information Services at (616) 331-2221.