New Year (Thank Heavens) = Same Commute!

It is tradition for your newsletter editor to appeal to your need to start something new with the dawn of each new year. "It's a New Year!" "Get Into Shape by Getting Out of Your Car!" "New Year = New Commute!"

This year, many of you are teleworking due to The Virus That Shall Not Be Named, leaving us to say...good job!

Honestly, when BTS extolled the benefits of telework prior to 2020, none of us imaged being in this extreme scenario, which has brought certain challenges to light. Grappling with technology and having our work/life boundaries completely obliterated chief among them, along with the overly sensitive "mute" button on Zoom.

All of this is to say that we see you all rising to meet these challenges like a boss and we at BTS thank you and salute your perseverance.

Employer Recognition Awards

Commuter Connections (part of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments) is currently seeking nominations for their Annual Employer Recognition Awards for companies who are leaders in providing transit benefits to their employees, marketing transit to their employees, or have a successful telework program.

Please note the Awards Committee will only be considering programs that have been in place on or before January 1, 2020, as a year or more of a program in place provides a better opportunity to show successful, sustainable, and quantifiable impacts of your program. So your stellar telework program of 2020 will not be able to be considered this year.

If you would like for your company to be considered, please contact Kristen Blackmon at KBlackmon@bethesda.org. The deadline for nominations is Friday, January 29, 2021.

Ride On Buses Continue Free Rides

As Metrobuses start collecting fares again, Ride On buses will continue to operate free of charge.

In the Spring, Ride On adjusted its boarding procedure to protect drivers from COVID-19. Since then, riders have been boarding from the rear doors of buses and fares were not able to be collected due to the placement of the fare boxes at the front of the bus.

Ride On will continue this practice even though WMATA Metrobuses resumed front boarding and fare collection on January 3, 2021. According to the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, "Installation is underway to add protective partitions in the fare collection area at the front of each bus in the County’s fleet of nearly 400 buses."

For more information, click here.

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New Year (Thank Heavens) = Same Commute!

Employer Recognition Awards

Ride On Buses Continue Free Rides

BTS Seeks an Advisory Committee Member