CAP Fiscal Year 2001 Annual Report
July 1, 2000 Through June 30, 2001

Moving into the year 2001, Arlington County’s Commuter Assistance Program continues its strong reputation as one of the most successful and innovative TDM (transportation demand management) programs in the country. As CAP looks ahead to 2002 and beyond, it is important to once again review the recent past and monitor progress so that adjustments can be made to maximize its usefulness to commuters. The following tracks performance of the Commuter Assistance Program for the completed Fiscal Year 2001.

The Commuter Store™ and CommuterPage.com®

Record Number of Fares Sold. During FY 2001 the stores sold a record $5,736,865 in tickets, tokens and passes (fares) an increase of 34% versus $4,287,204 sold in FY 2000 and 59% more than the $3,605,769 sold in FY99. Sales increased at all three outlets over the past fiscal year. Crystal City sold $2,798,104 for a 39% increase, Ballston sold $729,819 for a 16% increase and Rosslyn sold $1,025,088 for a 17% increase.

Yet, the most drastic increase in fare sales for FY 2001 continued to be on the Internet. Sales via CommuterPage.com®’s Commuter Direct™ service were $1,183,841 or 20.6% of total sales volume versus $763,702 or 17.5% in FY 2000. These numbers indicate a 55% increase in Internet sales over the past fiscal year alone. As Crystal City staff is responsible for fulfillment of Commuter Direct sales, they are usually included in that store’s sales figures.

More Retail Customers, Many More Internet Customers. Overall, the number of store customers has remained fairly steady over the past fiscal year. During the Fiscal Year 2001 the Commuter Stores™ served 131,174 customers. Crystal City served 56,467 customers for a 43% share, Ballston served 22,705 for a 17% share and Rosslyn served 52,002 for a 40% share.

The number of Internet visitors via CommuterPage.com®’s Commuter Direct™ service saw another fiscal year of unprecedented growth. CommuterPage.com® continued as the region’s best one-stop-shop for commuting news and information serving between 26,000 and 52,000 “visitor sessions” per month, surpassing the average monthly customers at the stores, ranging from 1,700 to 5,900.

Commuter Choice CD-ROM Introduced. On July 18, 2001 a new CD-ROM entitled “Commuter Choice: Where Commuting Means Business” was launched for distribution by the Arlington Transportation Partners (ATP). The CD seeks to help employers better understand the advantages of commuter assistance programs. Most importantly, it explains through interactive media how to set up the often administrative-intensive programs so that they can begin assisting their own employees with the cost of commuting while reducing their own taxes. The disc was developed over two years and funded by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and Arlington County.

Other Highlights

• “E-Governments” Award. CAP was one of ten agencies or jurisdictions to receive the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ (COG) first annual “E-Governments” honor award. The award recognizes programs that succeed in delivering government services through information technology.
• Rosslyn Area Bike To Work Day Celebration. Arlington Transportation Partners hosted the Arlington Gateway Park pit stop for Bike to Work Day 2001 offering refreshments and entertainment.
• The Arlington Commuter Guide. In June 2001, CAP distributed over 180,000 “Commuter Guides” to Arlington workers and households. The guide highlights commuter-friendly options in bus, rail and even telecommuting.

Arlington Transportation Partners’ Employer Services

Arlington Transportation Partners employer services program grew from 127 “member” companies in 1998, to 239 companies in 1999 and 290 companies in 2000. At the end of FY 2001 this number reached an unprecedented high of 344 companies representing 102,174 employees throughout Arlington and Washington, D.C.

ATP’s employers are classified by levels that correspond to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Commuter Connections’ Employer Services criteria (Level-1 – meeting with a company; Level-2 – buy in, information distribution; Level-3 – Metrocheck and other high level programs such as an ETC; Level-4 – shuttle and other capital expenses and more.) The ATP’s adopted employer classification of the COG model is as follows:

• Level 1 (Bronze) Employers express some interest in commuter programs and distribute information to their employees
• Level 2 (Silver) Employers actually market commuter benefits to employees
• Level 3 (Gold) Employers offer incentives for Commuter Programs, such as Metrocheck
• Level 4 (Platinum) Employers offer more than one Level 3 program

 Based upon these Levels, twenty-nine percent (29%) of the 344 ATP network employers are classified as participating at Level-1, nine percent (9%) at Level-2, fifty percent (50%) at Level-3 and twelve percent (12%) at Level-4.

 Other Highlights

• Approximately 194 of our 344 employer paticipants, or 56.4%, provided Metrocheck for their employees.
• The ATP has elevated three Arlington employers into the U.S. EPA Sponsored National Commuter Choice Leadership Initiative.
• Over 2,500 CommuterChoice CD-ROM packages were distributed to commuter industry and local Arlington employer contacts.

The ATP network continues to experience steady growth in providing employers with unique on-site TDM programs.