• New CharmPass Reward Now Available in CommuterCash
• MD 295 Corridor Pilot Update
• Spotlights: Maryland Department of Planning, Elite Spice, and Brittany Brothers
• Montgomery County Commuter Services Webinar: Help Your Employees Get to Work: Navigating Rising Costs and Commute Disruptions 
• CCM Outreach: Expanding Partnerships & Engaging Commuters
• Resources

We have exciting news! We have reached 100 Employer Partners! 🎉 

Thank you to the Maryland employers who have joined the Commuter Choice Maryland Employer Partner Program and are helping employees access smarter commuting options.
 

Reaching 100 Employer Partners is an exciting milestone, and we're proud to work alongside organizations that are investing in their workforce while supporting more sustainable and cost-effective commuting.

Interested in learning more about the free commuter resources available through Commuter Choice Maryland and joining the free Employer Partner Program? Learn more at (website) CommuterChoiceMaryland.com.

We’re excited to announce a new CommuterCash reward on the menu: a CharmFlex 3‑Pack!

This new reward gives users three passes in their CharmPass account to use on Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) Local Service by simply earning points by commuting in the free CommuterCash mobile app. Each pass is valid for unlimited Local Service from the time you activate it in your CharmPass app until 3:00 a.m. the following day.

The CharmFlex 3‑Pack reward is valued at $11.70 but active CommuterCash participants may currently redeem it at the Bronze reward level for 1,000 points ($10).

To request the CharmFlex reward in your CommuterCash app, you must provide the email address that matches your CharmPass account in the rewards redemption screen. Once the reward is processed (30 ‑ 45 days from request), you’ll see the CharmFlex 3‑Pack in your CharmPass app, and it’ll be valid for three years.

To learn more click the button below (website).

The Maryland Department of Planning - Building Momentum for Sustainable Commutes Across Maryland State Government

The Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) is on a mission that goes beyond what would traditionally be expected. With land use, long-range planning, and climate change mitigation at the center of its work, MDP has also turned its attention inward, to how its own employees get to work and whether those commutes can be made greener, healthier, and more sustainable. 

Leading that effort is Jason Dubow, Director of the Research, Review, and Policy Division, who has become one of the newest transportation demand management (TDM) advocates within the Maryland state government. 

The Maryland Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) Commuter Choice Maryland (CCM) staff recently sat down with Dubow to talk about how MDP is approaching TDM, what it has been like to build awareness and engagement across multiple state agencies, and what he hopes this growing effort will look like in the years ahead.

To learn more about MDP, click the button below (PDF).

Getting to Work: How Elite Spice Made Commuting Easier for Employees

Elite Spice is a spice processing and distribution company in Howard County, Maryland. It’s more than just a business for Sharon Bar, Vice President of Administration, “It also happens to be my family’s business.” In her role, Sharon oversees everything that impacts the company’s employees: HR, safety training, insurance, and benefits. The company’s people-first mindset drives everything they do, and it led Elite Spice to embrace providing commuter benefits nearly six years ago, before COVID-19 made transportation a mainstream workplace concern.

To learn more about Elite Spice, click the button below (PDF).

Brittany Brothers: Inspiring Behavior Change from Barre to Commuting

Brittany Brothers did not arrive at Transportation Demand Management (TDM) through a traditional planning path. She studied mass communications at Towson University, with a focus on public relations and advertising, and joined MDOT as an outreach coordinator in the Office of Planning in 2019. In that role, CCM quickly became her primary focus. Her job was to communicate the program to employers and commuters, and she learned to tell its story well before she was asked to manage it. She has honed her messaging instincts outside the office, too. Teaching barre fitness since 2023, she sees the same core challenge in both: simple, flashy, straight-to-the-point messaging gets people in the door. Once they engage, the harder work of changing behavior can begin.

Join Montgomery County Commuter Services for an insightful webinar to learn about the local and regional resources available to help Montgomery County employers lower costs, reach their sustainability goals, and minimize their employees’ commuting challenges. 

This free webinar will discuss: 

• Montgomery County Commuter Services' complimentary suite of services to assist with creating or enhancing your commuter benefits program, 
• How to leverage subsidies and tax credit programs to lower your bottom line, 
• Programs to help your employees get to work efficiently and affordably and boost employee satisfaction, and 
• Opportunities to earn recognition for your commitment to sustainability through transportation. 

Don’t miss the opportunity to enhance your commuter benefits program and provide Better Ways to Work for your employees! Click here (website) to secure your spot!

Have you seen us out and about? The CCM Team continued to expand partnerships and engage commuters through a variety of events and community touchpoints. Working closely with employer partners participating in the MD 295 Corridor Pilot, CCM exhibited and presented at an average of six events per month, including lunch-and-learns, pop-up tabling events, and partner-hosted events such as the MDOT Safety Fair and BWI Safety Fair.

CCM also strengthened its collaboration with MDOT MTA by participating in the Meet the Manager event series at Park and Ride locations throughout the region. These events provided opportunities to connect directly with commuters and promote transportation options, programs, and incentives, including Ride Together Rewards, Guaranteed Ride Home, and CommuterCash. The Meet the Manager event was well received by riders, generating a range of follow-up feedback, from thoughtful suggestions to messages of appreciation. Participants valued the opportunity to connect directly with transit leadership and hear about existing statewide commuter incentive programs they could take advantage of, highlighting the importance of rider engagement and open communication.

Looking ahead, CCM will continue its community presence through partnerships with local organizations and participation in farmers markets in Glen Burnie and Baltimore, helping raise awareness of different commuting options other than driving alone and available commuter benefits. 

Upcoming Events

Come see us at one of our upcoming outreach events throughout the summer:

• Glen Burnie Farmer's Market - July 16
• BMI Farmer's Market - July 25
• Farmer's Market - Merriweather Row - August 20
• Maryland State Fair - Select dates August 28 - September 13

Are you interested in hosting an event or having us attend your event? Please reach out to us at (email) [email protected].

Events are constantly being added. Keep an eye on our events webpage to stay up-to-date on CCM outreach efforts.

Resources

• Ride Together Rewards
• MDTA Key Bridge News
• Maryland Commuter Tax Credit
• CommuterCash
• Commuter Choice Maryland Employer Partner Program
• Walktober
• Coordinated Highways Action Response Team (CHART/511)
• Statewide Park and Ride Lots Map
• Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) Green Registry