Being commuter-friendly has an extra perk for Florida employers––applying to become a certified Best Workplace for Commuters (BWC) employer is free! BWC is a Florida-based national program seeking to change how Americans commute to work each day by supporting companies that provide their employees with great alternatives to driving alone. Because the program is headquartered in Florida, BWC application fees are waived for Florida employers who want to join the movement. Organizations that become BWC members receive local and national acknowledgement as well as continued training and support for their commuter-friendly efforts.

Candidate organizations must demonstrate they offer progressive workplace programs that promote multiple feasible transportation options to employees. Some examples of transportation benefits include supporting employees who walk and bike to work, subsidizing transit passes, providing carpool resources, and some larger employers even offer workplace shuttles. In return, the BWC program offers guidance and resources to qualifying employers, including education, toolkits, tracking systems, and more, so that organizations have the best chance of successfully shifting employee travel modes, helping ease commuter congestion on roadways and reducing an organization’s negative environmental impact. BWC also promotes designated companies nationally, giving future job applicants an additional benchmark to look for when considering a prospective employer.

Tampa Bay employers that have been named BWCs:

• Altierus Career College (Tampa, FL)
• Bank of America (Tampa, FL)
• Bealls, Inc. (Bradenton, FL)
• Center for Urban Transportation Research (Tampa, FL)
• City of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg, FL)
• Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County (Tampa, FL)
• St. Petersburg College (Clearwater, FL)
• Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority-TBARTA (Tampa, FL)
• Tampa Downtown Partnership, (Tampa, FL)
• Tindale Oliver (Tampa, FL)
• University of South Florida (Tampa, FL)
• VHB (Tampa, FL)
• Westshore Alliance (Tampa, FL)

Please visit the BWC website to learn more about the BWC program and to submit a free application. Not there yet? The BWC website also offers information and ideas for cost-effective programs for employers striving to be more commuter-friendly.