More than 50 Maricopa County Travel Reduction Program employers and individuals took center stage to be recognized for their exceptional clean air activities this year at the 29th Annual Clean Air Campaign Awards and Luncheon. In attendance were nearly 500 guests who continually support and promote trip-savings as a way to keep pollution from Valley skies.

“It’s our honor to recognize the many local employers and their employees who are making a commitment to help improve air quality and reduce congestion in the Valley,” said Valley Metro Interim CEO Scott Smith. “They are very dedicated to making a difference for all of us as they carpool, vanpool, walk, bike or ride transit to work or school.” 

According to the Valley Metro Transportation Demand Management survey, about one fifth (21%) of employed residents or students carpool, which is the highest level since 2008. At the same time, there are nearly 400 Valley Metro vanpools in operation that help save 4.3 million of drive alone miles and 175,000 gallons of fuel each month.

“While riding the bus and train, I pay bills, study and hunt for Pokemon,” said Gustavo Garcia with Charles Schwab in Phoenix. “The best part, though, it saves me more than $300 in fuel each month.” Garcia is the recipient of the Outstanding Transit Rider award and takes transit to work five days a week.
 

2016 Clean Air Campaign Award Winners:

Outstanding Transportation Coordinator – 50-250 employees
Adrienne Encinas – Desert Botanical Garden

Outstanding Transportation Coordinator – 251-500 employees
Darlene Stogner – Bechtel Corporation

Outstanding Transportation Coordinator – More than 500 employees – Public Employer
Sue Taaffe – City of Tempe

Outstanding Transportation Coordinator – More than 500 employees – Private Employer
Benny Rios – Bank of America

Maricopa County Outstanding Travel Reduction Program – 50-250 employees
VZB Communications, Inc.

Maricopa County Outstanding Travel Reduction Program – 251-500 employees
VEREIT, Inc.

Maricopa County Outstanding Travel Reduction Program – More than 500 employees – Public Employer
City of Peoria

Maricopa County Outstanding Travel Reduction Program – More than 500 employees – Private Employer
Charles Schwab

Outstanding Leadership
Glenn Rufrano, VEREIT, Inc.

Outstanding Marketing & Creativity – Event or Campaign – Less than $500 budget
City of Avondale

Outstanding Marketing & Creativity – Event or Campaign – More than $500 budget
City of Mesa Bicycle and Pedestrian Program

Outstanding Bike Program
City of Tempe

Outstanding Commuter – Bus or Light Rail Rider
Gustavo Garcia – Charles Schwab

Outstanding Commuter – Carpooler or Vanpooler
Roberto Olivas and Santos Gaxiola – Town of Paradise Valley

Outstanding Commuter – Bicyclist or Walker
Ben Connor – Charles Schwab

Outstanding Multi-modal User
Veronica Nixon – Desert Botanical Garden

MAG Livable Communities
City of Avondale

Corporate Sustainability – 50-499 Employees
First Transit West Transit Facility

Corporate Sustainability – 500-1,500 Employees
Express Scripts, Inc.

Corporate Sustainability – More than 1,500 Employees
Honeywell

People’s Choice Most Creative Bulletin Board
Cochise Elementary

Blue Sky Award
Sean McLaughlin, CBS 5

Wheels on the bus: Here are the most Popular Valley Metro bus routes
Phoenix Business Journal
By Dale Brown
 
The riders taking the No. 29 Valley Metro bus route on its 21-mile journey along Thomas Road between Banner Estrella Medical Center in the West Valley and 86th Street in Scottsdale may not realize it, but they’re No. 1 this week.
 
Today the Phoenix Business Journal published the inaugural edition of its list of the Most Popular Valley Metro Bus Routes. The list was ranked by average daily ridership on weekdays, and according to data provided by Valley Metro, the No. 29 route along Thomas Road was No. 1 with a daily average of 9,609 riders. The No. 41 route along Indian School Road was second with an average of 8,168 riders, and third on the list was the No. 17 McDowell Road route with an average of 7,329. All together, the 25 most popular routes accounted for a daily average of 117,874 riders.
 
The full lists are available to print edition subscribers. Check out page 22, with additional coverage on page 23. The list and the accompanying coverage are also available online, in the subscriber content area. Individual lists are also available for download in comma-separated values (.csv) format.
 
For a full year’s worth of Phoenix Business Journal research, check out our 2015-16 Book of Lists. It’s available in print and data download formats.