Commuting to work a real bear

By Connie Cartmell, ccartmell@mariettatimes.com
A 16-mile commute by bicycle to Marietta every day wasn’t exactly what Ivy Thompson, 21, had in mind when she accepted a summer internship at the Ohio Department of Transportation, District 10, office on Muskingum Drive.

But gas prices got in the way.

“I would be driving if gas prices were cheaper,” Thompson said. “I am saving a lot.”

It’s happening all over the U.S.

Employees and employers are struggling to find ways to cut the cost of doing business — and getting there to do it.

Car pools, four 10-hour days, working from home, riding a bicycle or motorcycle and even walking to the office are all options gaining in acceptance and numbers.

Thompson, a senior in public relations and sports management at Heidelberg College in Tiffin, said safety is always a concern when she’s riding to and from work, so she avoids Muskingum Drive and takes back streets.

ODOT has not ignored the plight of its employees in the midst of soaring gas prices.

“Our main maintenance forces in nine counties are on four 10-hour days now,” said Stephanie Filson, public information officer at District 10. “It saves the employees money and saves the state.”

She and her husband both work for ODOT, live in Coolville 25 miles west and, because they are on different schedules, drive two cars into town.

“He just got on four 10s, and I have seen the impact on our gas. It’s down just from that change alone,” Filson said.

In years past, there were moves to put the four-day schedule in place, but not a lot of enthusiasm, she said. This year there was quick acceptance of the new hours.

More motorcycles and bicycles than ever before fill the parking lot on Muskingum Drive, and car pools are encouraged.

“We go to a lot of meetings in Columbus, and now we do our best to car pool when we drive a state car up there,” Filson said.

Large, gas-guzzling pieces of state machinery, like dump trucks, are moved around with more discretion today, Filson said. ODOT attempts to schedule all the equipment on a job for one day instead of spreading it out through the week.

“It’s to and from the work site that uses the most fuel,” Filson said.

At Magnum Magnetics in Devola, Kelly Shultz, director of human resources, is providing a model for employees by riding his motorcycle to work to save gas.

“I’m about 27 miles out (from work) and riding my bike whenever I can cuts my fuel use in half,” Shultz said. “I can fill up for maybe $12, and I get 40 to 50 miles per gallon.”

He knows many employees who also ride a motorcycle to work.

“I know of one guy who just bought one, primarily to save gas money. He rides rain or shine,” Shultz said. “I also heard from our safety manager at Caldwell who said he’s got a guy who lives pretty close and rides his four-wheeler to work.”

Across America, employers are trying to do what they can to help employees cope, and employees are also coming up with innovative options themselves.

Some companies are installing shower facilities and dressing rooms for employees who ride bicycles to work. Magnum Magnetics is one step ahead. There are already showers for their production workers.

Pizza delivery is one job that relies heavily on fuel.

“We just raised what we pay our delivery drivers (for a single delivery) to help cover increasing gas prices,” said Tim Myers, owner of East of Chicago Pizza, 111 Pike St. “We can only do so much, but when gas went to $4 a gallon, if we didn’t give them an increase, they would lose money.”

Myers said the average pizza delivery distance is six-and-a-half miles. Drivers also get minimum wage, but because they use their own vehicles for delivery, maintenance is an issue as well as fuel.

Restaurant employees at his pizza business are also taking steps to save money commuting.

“A lot of my employees are opting to walk,” Myers said.

At Marietta Memorial Hospital, Washington County’s largest employer, so far there’s little specifically being done to impact employee commuting, according to Jennifer Offenberger, director of marketing and public relations.

“Certainly we do encourage car pooling when possible,” she said. “Our people pull from so many different areas and all directions.’

What Memorial has done is offer nurses 12-hour shifts, three days on duty one week, four days the next week, to limit the number of days of travel.

“When there were times when some nurses had to remain on duty because of staffing, we offered them gas cards,” Offenberger said.