TheCapital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) and ShopRite Supermarkets, were joined by government, business and community leaders today to announce a first-of-its-kind transportation initiative providing an innovative, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly alternative to connecting employees with their workplace.
“We are pleased to partner with ShopRite to offer their store associates unlimited rides on CDTA buses anywhere and anytime they operate,” said CDTA Chief Executive Officer Carm Basile. “As a forward thinking and community minded business, ShopRite is the first Capital Region business to participate in our universal access program; a relationship where everyone wins. ShopRite employees will get free transportation to work and everywhere else they want to go; helping to keep our economy moving. ShopRite Supermarkets now has a program that ensures that its employees get to work safely and reliably and CDTA gains more riders which helps us to better serve our customers and extends our reach into the community. This corporate model will change the way public transportation services are delivered in the Capital Region.”
ShopRite Supermarkets currently employs approximately 1,000 store associates within the Capital Region. This number will increase to nearly 1,500 upon the upcoming opening of its new Slingerlands location. This agreement will provide all Capital Region ShopRite employees unlimited rides on CDTA services including CDTA’s regular route services offering over 60 routes and connections throughout the region, STAR paratransit service and NX Northway Express Commuter service. More than 70% of all CDTA customers use the service to commute to work.
“We are proud to partner with the CDTA on this innovative program that offers our associates free access to the entire CDTA system,” said Tom Urtz, Vice President of Human Resources and Community Affairs, ShopRite Supermarkets. “Our associates have been instrumental in the successful launch of our two – soon to be three – stores in the Capital Region. We are pleased to provide this added incentive to become part of the ShopRite family and reward those who currently are team members. We strongly believe that their satisfaction ultimately leads to a better customer experience.”
“CDTA and ShopRite have been outstanding partners with Albany County,” said Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy. “Anything that will help employees travel to and from work, or throughout the area to make their lives easier, is an asset to the community. That’s because when you help that employee, there is a ripple effect. We all benefit.”
The universal access approach with businesses is based on the success of CDTA’s programs with local colleges that comprise about 15% of CDTA’s total ridership. CDTA has universal access partnerships with RPI, Russell Sage, Schenectady County Community College, Skidmore College, the College of Saint Rose, and the University of Albany. Programs are customized with the institution normally paying a flat fee based on ridership.
“I am extremely proud of the efforts put forth by CDTA to not only enhance transportation options in our community, but also to improve quality of life by introducing this innovative partnership designed to help thousands of ShopRite employees get to work,” said Albany Mayor Gerald D. Jennings. “This program will help ease the burden of transportation that many commuters face, especially as gas prices continue to climb higher, and will help countless ShopRite employees find a safe, efficient, and reliable ride to work. I commend both ShopRite and CDTA for their vision in launching this collaborative program, and I anticipate its great success in our Capital City.”
Universal access programs provide affordable and convenient transportation solutions for educational and business partners and result in greater CDTA ridership. The universal access model encourages customers to take full advantage of unlimited service and adopt a sustainable lifestyle by incorporating CDTA travel into their daily living beyond the commute to school or work.
CDTA is actively looking to grow the universal access program and is working with several large employers interested in similar arrangements. For more information about CDTA employee transportation programs, call 518-437-6842 or 518-437-6165.
