You may have spent $1,464 too much on gas last year. New Park & Ride lot opens in Riverside County. Freeway carpool lane connector to close

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1 Inland Empire Commuter Services (IECS) rideshare marketing certificate class Telecommuter Appreciation Week Free transfers...changes to TAP...a chance to weigh in on where bus service will be in your area...we've got all the latest in transit news that will impact your rideshare program. Full story» Association for Commuter Transportation Bike to Work workshop More Events» For excellence in promoting ridesharing, the award goes to...you? It could! Just as Hollywood has its Oscars and Golden Globes, the rideshare industry, too, hands out awards, and if you're not applying for them, you could be selling your program short. Full story» Valentine's Day...St. Patrick's Day... celebrate upcoming holidays in rideshare style. Full story» Show your support for ridesharing by placing a 511 badge on your web site. If you think gas prices are high now... You may have spent $1,464 too much on gas last year Los Angeles/Orange/Ventura, go511.com Inland Empire, IE511.org Congrats to IE511.org New Park & Ride lot opens in Riverside County Freeway carpool lane connector to close Get news geared to commuters that you can forward to employees or incorporate into your own rideshare newsletter. Full Story» Are you a transportation geek?

2 Transfers are now free in Ventura County. The free transfers apply to VISTA, Gold Coast Transit, Camarillo Area Transit, Thousand Oaks Transit, Moorpark Transit, Simi Valley Transit and VISTA Dial-a-Ride. For details, go to goventura.org Bus rapid transit is coming to San Bernardino. Called sbx, the transit line will feature more frequent service, fewer stops and higher average speeds than conventional buses. Construction starts soon and it is expected to open in Maps and updates are at estreet-sbx.com Help shape transit service for your employees. Several transit providers are currently seeking public input as they decide on changes/cuts to existing service, including: Los Angeles: Six Metro public hearings will be held Feb. 1 17; for a list of proposed changes and hearing dates, go to metro.net Orange County: Orange County: Participate in an online study on what routes are most needed (and not) on bus and Metrolink, octa.net Ventura County: Help the county identify unmet transit needs by ing vkamhi@goventura.org, calling or attending a public forum on Feb. 7, 1:30 3:30 p.m. at Camarillo City Hall; details at goventura.org Buy and load cash on a TAP card at select Metro ticket vending machines. Big news for TAP card users: They can now buy a TAP card directly from a ticket vending machine, loading a set amount of cash on the card. To use the TAP card, they simply tap the card when entering the bus or rail station, and the price of a single-ride ticket is automatically deducted. Riders can also load day passes. Currently in the testing phase, it is available at 22 ticket machines, with plans to eventually expand to all machines. Loaded fares last for three years. For details and a list of specific locations where this service is currently available, go to metro.net The Southland now boasts the world's first major transit agency to operate only clean fuel buses. It earned the honor last month, when Metro "retired" its last diesel bus. The agency's new 2,228-vehicle CNG fleet reduces cancer-causing particulate matter by more than 80% and helps eliminate nearly 150 tons of greenhouse emissions per day. Quickly access the web site to any public transit provider in Southern California via 511 on the web. Just go to go511.com or IE511.org, then choose the "bus and trains" option, and then "find a transit provider." Both links feature drop-down menus that can take you directly to any of more than 50 transit providers in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura Counties.

3 For excellence in promoting ridesharing, the award goes to... you? It could! Just as Hollywood has its Oscars and Golden Globes, the rideshare industry, too, hands out accolades for those who pave the way to a better commute. Awards can do wonders for your rideshare efforts. In fact, if you re not applying for awards, you could be seriously selling your program short. "Getting an award goes beyond putting it on our walls and our shelves," says Paul Goldman with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, which recently won honors in the Rideshare Diamond Awards. "It gets the word out. It puts a focus on what we re doing that we re trying to reduce traffic." The county s award was promoted in newsletters and other outreach to management, the community and employees. It was also a nice feather in the cap of the ETCs, and a copy of the award was placed in each of their personnel files. "It helps that those who participate know their efforts are being recognized by outside agencies," adds Goldman. "Why bother entering? I'll never win." You might be surprised. It's often the specific details - a good idea that other rideshare programs can emulate - that draws judges' attention. That can come in big or small packages. In Ventura County, Solarworld was recognized for its rideshare program that it runs on a budget of...zero. Says Ventura County Transportation Commission s (VCTC) Alan Holmes, "An award is a chance for us to give employers a muchdeserved pat on the back. It is also an important tool that lets the ETC showcase the value of what they do." According to Holmes, it could be what s needed to justify an increase in budget, to forestall program cuts, or to remind employees of the rideshare services available to them. Participating in awards programs typically requires that you submit an application. Aware of how busy ETCs are, most organizers have made every effort to streamline the process. Here, we list some upcoming awards: Rideshare Diamond Awards recognizes outstanding rideshare programs and marketing ideas in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties When: Now accepting applications (through March 30) via Details: No cost to apply. Awards will be presented at a luncheon on May 24 hosted by Metro, Orange County Transportation Authority and VCTC; contact blanchardd@metro.net Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) Awards honoring rideshare innovations for rideshare programs throughout the U.S. When: Accepting applications early summer Details: Awards will be presented at a conference Aug in Chicago, actweb.org Clean Air Awards recognizes people and programs contributing to clean air Sponsored by: South Coast Air Quality Management District When: Applications are accepted in summer for the event, typically held in October Details: aqmd.gov or call AdWheel Awards honors the best in rideshare marketing, brochures, web sites, etc. Sponsored by: American Public Transportation Association When: Applications are accepted online in summer for the event, typically held in October Details: apta.com

4 If you think gas prices are high now... Gasoline prices have been on the rise and are predicted to reach $4 a gallon by summer in some areas, according to gasoline expert Fred Rozell. The Southern California average price for gas hit a penny shy of 2008 s all-time high for January with $3.34 per gallon making the $4/gallon price seem all the more plausible. "A dollar more per gallon isn't that much probably about $750 more per year for each motorist but there's a psychological aspect to gas prices," he has said. "People are going to be up in arms about this." For the latest in news on gas prices, go to aaa-calif.com You may have spent $1,464 too much on gas last year Sitting in traffic causes Southland motorists to burn an extra 50 gallons of gas a year, adding up to $1,464 in extra gas costs, according to a recently released study. The Urban Mobility Report by the Texas Transportation Institute found that the average motorist here spent 63 hours sitting in traffic in 2009, up from 60 the year prior. Only motorists in the Chicago and Washington, DC areas lost more time (70 hours) in traffic. The greater Los Angeles area, however, continued to be ranked #1 in the nation in traffic congestion. According to the report, on a national level, congestion costs added up to $115 billion, and the total amount of wasted fuel 3.9 billion gallons equaled 130 days of flow from the Alaska Pipeline. The report is available online at For Metro's take on it, visit The Source at metro.net Congrats to IE511.org The Inland Empire 511 traveler information system won "Project of the Year" from the Women's Transportation Seminar Inland Empire chapter. WTS is a member organization that works to advance the careers of women in transportation. For details, go to wtsinternational.org New Park & Ride lot opens in Riverside Riverside County has a new Park & Ride lot at Mt. San Jacinto College. Served by eight Riverside Transit Agency routes and open to carpoolers and vanpoolers, the 26-space lot is free of charge, although a permit is required. For details or to get a permit, contact Riverside County Transportation Commission at , rctc.org/permits Freeway carpool lane connector to close The northbound I-405, westbound SR22 and 7th Street connector into Long Beach will close for one year, starting this month, according to Orange County Transportation Commission. It is part of a project that will construct two new direct carpool lane connectors, add new carpool lanes and improve overall safety. For details on the West County Connectors Project, construction updates and information on alternate travel options, go to octa.net Are you a transportation geek? Tom Vanderbilt, author of Traffic, offers a tongue-in-cheek list of ways to tell if you re a "transpo-geek" on his blog, How We Drive. Link to it here: howwedrive.com/2010/12/17- you-might-be-a-transpo-geek-if

5 Holidays are a great opportunity to promote ridesharing because they provide easy tie-ins to your rideshare message. Here are some ways to celebrate any holiday this year with a rideshare twist. Chinese New Year, Feb. 3 Organize a trip on bus or rail to Chinatown or a local Chinese restaurant, a great way to introduce employees to local transit. Valentine s Day, Feb. 14 Hand out candy hearts to your ridesharers, or hold a "meet your rideshare match" or "love your commute" party. Academy Awards, Feb. 27 Host your own version of the Oscars by honoring ridesharers in categories from "longest running carpool" to "Ridesharer of the Year." St. Patrick s Day, March 17 Remind employees that ridesharing is a "green" way to commute with a green bagels & cookies brunch. First Day of Spring, March 20 Do some "spring cleaning" by organizing an onsite carwash free for vanpools and carpools. National Poetry Month, April Hold a contest to have staff write poems or limericks about their commute. Offer prizes and feature the best in your rideshare newsletter or web site. April Fool s Day, April 1 Send an telling staff you re canceling the rideshare program their relief when you let them know it s an April Fool s joke is a reminder of how much they value the benefits you offer. Tax Day, April 15 Take the sting out of paying income taxes in the future by instituting a Commuter Choice program in which you allow employees to pay for transit or vanpool costs with pre-tax dollars. Earth Day, April 22 Promote local Earth Day events, earthday.org Administrative Professional s Day, April 27 Urge staff to "give an administrative professional a ride to work." Bike to Work Day, May 19 Host a pit stop for bicyclists, or set up "bike pools" so a seasoned cyclist can show someone new the ropes, californiabikecommute.com Memorial Day, May 30/Flag Day, June 14/Independence Day, July 4 Run a campaign that emphasizes the patriotic elements of sharing the ride, such as less dependence on foreign oil and making America a better place to live. Park(ing) Day, Sept. 17 This oddball event has people converting parking spaces into public parks for the day. Set up a park near your work site and invite employees for a brown bag lunch (and distribute rideshare information while you re at it), parkingday.org Rideshare Week, Oct. 3-7 Your county transportation agencies provide materials for a campaign then add your own contests, ideas & flair. Halloween, Oct. 31 Traffic is scary drive the point home with a haunted house, "trick or treat" event or by dressing up in a rideshare-themed costume. Thanksgiving, Nov. 24 Say "thanks" to your ridesharers in whatever way you can with a small gift or treat, a party or even a heartfelt note. New Year s Eve, Dec. 31 Give everyone who submits a "rideshare resolution" a chance to win a prize.

6 EVENTS Inland Empire Commuter Services (IECS) rideshare marketing certificate class is Feb. 16 at the Riverside Marriott Hotel. Press Enterprise and The Business Press columnist Kathy Bowling will present on social media, branding and marketing. This is a marketing certificate workshop. To RSVP, call IECS4HELP. Telecommuter Appreciation Week is Feb. 27-March 5, sponsored by the American Telecommuting Association, ATA4YOU, yourata.com Association for Commuter Transportation Bike to Work workshop and marketing certificate class is March 16 and will update employers on the latest bicycling resources in Southern California and offer help with planning California Bike Commute events, act-southernca.org NETWORK MEETINGS Coachella Valley ETC Network meets bi-annually; call IECS4HELP. Glendale TMA meets regularly; call Orange County Network meets regularly; call or sharetheride@octa.net Pasadena TMA meets every other month; call John Miranda at Riverside County ETC Network meets tri-annually; call IECS4HELP. San Bernardino County ETC Network meets tri-annually; call IECS4HELP. Santa Monica ETC Network meets regularly; call South Bay/Westside TMA meets monthly; contact Christina Corrales at , christina_corrales@equityoffice.com Torrance Transportation Network meets regularly; call Kim Fuentes at Warner Center TMO meets monthly; call TRAINING Metro Commute Services upcoming briefings where Los Angeles area employers can learn about the transportation survey process and services Metro has to offer are Feb. 9, 1 3 p.m., March 9, 9:30-11:30 a.m. and April 13, 1-3 p.m. For more information or to reserve a space, blanchardd@metro.net COMMUTESMART NEWS Editor/Writer: Jill Smolinski Art Director: Harlan West For subscription information or to change your COMMUTESMART NEWS address, contact your representative at the rideshare office nearest you. Metro Commute Services One Gateway Plaza MS Los Angeles, CA Business: OCTA s Commuter Solutions 550 S. Main St., Orange, CA Mailing address: PO Box Orange, CA Business: Ventura County Transportation Commission 950 County Square Dr., Ste. 207 Ventura, CA Business: , ext. 119 Inland Empire Commuter Services Office location: 7355 Magnolia Ave. Riverside, CA Mailing address: PO Box Riverside, CA Business: IECS4HELP ( ) Commuter Information 511 Go511.com IE511.org CommuteSmart.info South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) offers one-day ETC training for $ Upcoming sessions are Feb. 10 and March 17 at the AQMD offices in Diamond Bar, Feb. 23 at Metrolink offices in downtown Los Angeles, March 9 at UC Irvine and March 30 in Burbank. Contact the AQMD's training program at etctraining@aqmd.gov or visit the AQMD at aqmd.gov HWDS01/11