Commuter science

Michael Sloan

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A California university president in the 1950s once said that the most persistent problems he faced were “sex for the students, athletics for the alumni, and parking for the faculty.” These days, that last problem often involves persuading staff and faculty that they don’t need a parking space—or a car—to get to work. At Yale, it seems to be succeeding. The university has been named one of 237 “Best Workplaces for Commuters” by the National Center for Transit Research.

The program recognizes employers that offer “exceptional” commuter benefits. At Yale, those include the ability to buy transit passes with pre-tax income, car pool–matching services, three free parking stays per month for employees who commute by mass transit or car pool, and guaranteed emergency rides home. The university and Yale New Haven Hospital are the only Connecticut employers on the list.