Two Watertown Companies Honored for Efforts to Provide Commuting Options

Two Watertown companies received awards for their efforts to provide commuting options besides driving the Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced. 

Athenahealth received a gold medal in the Excellence in Commuter Options (ECO) Awards and Tufts Health Plan got a silver medal. Nearby Mount Auburn Hospital also got a gold medal. See the whole list of medal winners here.

MassDOT sent out the following information:

The Baker-Polito Administration today celebrated the efforts of more than 200 Massachusetts businesses, colleges, and universities in promoting active, healthy and sustainable travel options at their worksites. At the eighth annual Massachusetts Excellence in Commuter Options (ECO) Awards ceremony at historic Fenway Park, the honorees were cited for their work to improve air quality and decrease traffic congestion by providing programs and resources to encourage employees to commute by public transit, carpool, vanpool, bike, on foot, teleworking, or working a compressed work week.

“We are proud to join our transportation colleagues in recognizing the innovative alternatives these businesses and institutions are offering for commuters across Massachusetts to reduce emissions and improve overall air quality,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Massachusetts is committed to decreasing emissions within our transportation sector and these employers are helping the Commonwealth to meet this goal.”

“We commend all of these employers for offering robust programs that are beneficial to the health of commuters and the environment,” said Lieutenant Governor Polito. “Congratulations to all ECO honorees, we look forward to your continued contributions as the Commonwealth remains focused on decreasing our transportation sector emissions and reaching our goals.”​

“MassDOT is pleased to see so many employers within the Commonwealth taking steps to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by offering resources to help employees make smart and efficient transportation choices,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack. “These public-private partnerships allow us to provide commuter resources to a large audience as we continue to make environmentally sound investments and improvements in our transportation infrastructure.”

In addition to the more than 200 employers recognized at this year’s ceremony, seven employers received a Spotlight Award for outstanding efforts in promoting commuting options.

Spotlight Award recipients are as follows:

Private Employer – Reebok International Ltd.

State, Federal, Government Entity – Massachusetts Port Authority

Healthcare Facility – Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Colleges and Universities – Harvard University and MGH Institute of Health Professions

Municipality – City of Worcester

Rising Star – Bentley University

Honorable mentions were given to Tufts University and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

MassDOT hosts the ECO Awards ceremony in collaboration with MassRIDES, the statewide commuter outreach program, and MassCommute, a coalition of Massachusetts Transportation Management Associations. MassRIDES and MassCommute actively support over 800 employer partners and member organizations across the state in an effort to reduce drive-alone trips.

The ECO Awards Ceremony is presented with sponsorships from 128 Business Council, AECOM, Bay State Commute, Charles River TMA, Eastern Bank, Edenred, Hubway, LimeBike, MassDOT, Rideshare by Enterprise, Ride Systems, Seaport TMA, Transaction Associates, Transit Screen, and WeDriveU.

To see a full list of ECO Award winners, visit:  https://commute.com/congratulations-eco-award-winners/   

For transportation news and updates visit the MassDOT website, mass.gov/massdot, blog: mass.gov/blog/transportation, or follow MassDOT on Twitter @MassDOT.

For more information about MassRIDES, the Statewide Travel Options Program, visit commute.com, facebook.com/massrides or follow MassRIDES on Twitter at twitter.com/massrides and Instagram at instagram.com/massrides.

For more information about MassCommute, the Massachusetts Transportation Management Associations, visit masscommute.com or follow MassCommute on Twitter at twitter.com/masscommute.