Association for Commuter Transportation

2014 Conference – San Francisco

August 5, 2014

Ben Cohen

Assistant Director, Transportation & Workforce Programs

About the Partnership

Founded in 1985 as The Greater BWI Commuter Assistance Center -

the same year that Ronald Reagan began his second term as President,

Bill Gates introduced Windows 1 and a new Toyota cost less than $5000!

Our Evolution

In 1993, we changed our name to The BWI Business Partnership, reflecting our broader role in economic development.

Today, our activities also include workforce development and tourism, though we have never forgotten our core mission as a TMA!

The Benefits of Transit

We are believers – and we know that you are, too!

Why?

• Transit connects wage earners to job centers• Transit saves employers on high turnover costs,

accrues payroll taxes and helps keep potential benefit recipients off of public assistance

Working with Employers

Along with our role as the county’s rideshare agency, The Partnership’s Share Getting There team works very closely with three of Maryland’s largest employment centers …

Fort George G. Meade

BWI Marshall Airport

Arundel Mills Mall & Maryland Live! Casino

Our Shuttle Programs

In FY14, the Partnership currently oversaw several shuttle projects that connect transit-dependent workforce to their worksites throughout Central Maryland:

❶ The LINK Shuttle ❸ Work on Wheels

❷The Sunrise Shuttle ❹ The MillsRide Shuttle

The LINK Shuttle

At Ft. Meade, we’ve been running a shuttle for the state’s largest employer for over 20 years. The LINK Shuttle connects this Federal agency’s main campus to two commuter transit hubs and four satellite worksites, all within twelve miles of its main campus.

The LINK Shuttle

The LINK Shuttle is a successful Public/Private Partnership in action!

Through Executive Order #13415, this DoD agency is able to use Federal funds to establish

a shuttle to mass transit hubs for their employees.

The Sunrise Shuttle

For the past eight years, we have been working with BWI Marshall Airport administration and airport employers to improve job-access on Sunday and Holiday mornings, when traditional public transit operates limited service.

“The Sunrise Shuttle has been a blessing. The drivers are friendly and courteous.

I don’t have to wait out in the cold or rain because it runs on time.”

Jean McDaniels Chimes Employee BWI Marshall Airport

“

The Sunrise ShuttleUsing JARC funding, we started a shuttle from Baltimore City to BWI Marshall Airport. Ridership grew, clearly establishing the fact that this service was needed. As of June, 2014, the Maryland Transit Administration has adopted our route as an express spur of a regular local bus route.

A successful JARC-funded demonstration program which resulted in new MTA Express service!

Work on Wheels

Work on Wheels is a workforce connection serving Baltimore City residents and suburban Howard County employers.

Howard County and the Department of Social Services fund this service jointly.

The Partnership assists Social Services in identifying available jobs for their clients in Howard County. We oversee daily shuttle operations, transporting users to interviews and, later, to jobs.

Work on Wheels is a Success!

Work on Wheels is now in its 15th year and remains a unique and successful strategy for filling jobs with dependable employees.

“Work on Wheels gets me to work on time every day. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to keep this job.

Thanks to this dependable service, I’ve just been hired as a permanent employee.”

James Cantow Goodwill IndustriesColumbia, Maryland

MillsRide

Maryland Live! Casino and entertainment complex is a 24-hour a day operation that opened in 2012. It has become a major regional employer, with over 3,000 employees.

The casino is located on the grounds of the mega-sized Arundel Mills Mall, which was already the state’s largest tourist destination!

MillsRide

Funded by Federal JARC dollars, the MillsRide shuttle connects Arundel Mills Mall and Maryland Live! Casino employees to a transit hub seven miles away. It operates during evening hours when other connections have ceased.

MillsRide

MillsRide is a demonstration grant project that we are hoping will follow in the successful footsteps of the BWI Sunrise Shuttle! We working closely with Maryland Live! management, who now understand the importance of TDM and transit to their workforce.

In Summary

In each of these four instances, we are providing commuter assistance to get people to work –supporting regional economic development.

And ... It’s working!

New Shuttles, New Funding Streams

Rather than relying upon conventional, government-run transit routes, we’ve focused on more cost-effective “last mile” shuttle connections, seeking new funding streams to operate these services.

Our Experience

The creative use and combination of funding sources and partnerships have enabled us to continue serving the complex transportation needs of our growing region.

Questions?