Two local organizations join Reboot the Commute initiative, encouraging area employers to help reduce region’s traffic congestion

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – Two local employers, Geocent and Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic, have joined the Reboot the Commute initiative. Both organizations are individually pledging their commitment to help reducing the Charleston region’s traffic congestion. With the addition of these two organizations, 20 local businesses representing a collective workforce of more than 42,260 are participating in Reboot the Commute.

Launched in April 2019, Reboot the Commute is an employer-led traffic mitigation campaign, spearheaded by the Economic Leadership Council of Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA), that challenges other employers to help reduce regional traffic congestion. It includes an online guide that organizations can use to implement positive changes by encouraging alternative commuting strategies like telecommuting, staggered start times, ridesharing, changing the timing/approach to in-person meetings, and connecting employees to local transit resources like CARTA and LowcountryGO.

Addressing traffic congestion is a priority issue for business, academic, and community leaders throughout the three-county region. According to the Charleston Center for Business Research, 80% of area commuters drive alone in a car to work. 60% commute between 6 and 8:30 a.m. If just 4 percent of the region’s commuters change their behavior during peak times, it could completely clear an entire lane of Interstate-526 for all 19 miles.

“Over the past couple of years, Geocent has made several changes to make our employees’ work lives better. Some of these changes were around alleviating stressful commutes by adopting telecommuting, flextime, subsidies for use of mass transportation, options to bike to work, and much more,” said Rick Gremillion, Geocent’s Chief Operating Officer. “We recognize commute times are getting worse, resulting in less work/life balance for our employees and we will do whatever we can to alleviate those challenges. We love what the Charleston community is doing in order to bring awareness to the need for flexibility in the workplace and we are proud to be a part of this campaign.”

“NIWC Atlantic is eager to be a part of the Reboot the Commute initiative. As a large employer in the greater Charleston area we know that small changes can make big impacts,” said Navy Capt. Wesley Sanders, NIWC Atlantic commanding officer. “Many of our employees work from home or on flex schedules to help reduce the number of cars on the road during peak hours. We will continue to support efforts in our community to help address the commuting issues that so many of us face. Supporting efforts to improve our community is a win for our employees and the command.”

Each resident can immediately be part of the traffic solution by altering how and when they commute and encouraging others to do the same. Some strategies are not viable for certain companies and occupations, but there are many ways to avoid traveling during the most congested times, and the Reboot the Commute Guide outlines those for businesses and commuters alike. Every change will have a significant impact. Together, if we all do a little bit, we can solve our traffic problems and bring more work/life balance to our lives.

“When Reboot the Commute launched in April with 18 business and academic organizations pledging their commitment to reducing congestion, I hoped many other employers would follow their lead. I’m pleased Geocent and NIWC have answered that call,” said David Ginn, President & CEO, Charleston Regional Development Alliance. “These 20 business and academic organizations are leading through action and their collective impact will be significant for our region.”

The 20 organizations who have committed to encouraging their employees to #ReboottheCommute:

Benefitfocus
Boeing South Carolina
Booz Allen Hamilton
Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce
Charleston Regional Development Alliance
Charleston Southern University
Charleston Trident Association of Realtors
The Citadel
College of Charleston
Evening Post Industries
Geocent
Google South Carolina
The InterTech Group
Kiawah Island Golf Resort
MUSC
Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic
Roper St. Francis Healthcare
South Carolina Aquarium
Trident Health
Trident Technical College

About Charleston Regional Development Alliance

Charleston Regional Development Alliance is a professional economic development organization representing Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties. CRDA directly assists companies with competitive location or expansion projects by connecting them with the right people, the appropriate resources and the most meaningful and relevant information. CRDA promotes the Charleston region’s business, academic and lifestyle strengths worldwide to attract the world’s best companies, entrepreneurs, and talent. The goal is to strengthen regional employment, build our base of high-value industries, and significantly improve the economic future for all who live and work in greater Charleston.

ABOUT GEOCENT

Geocent provides innovative technology and high-end engineering services to solve the most difficult problems across a wide variety of functional areas; steadily earning clients’ trust, becoming an invaluable part of their organization, and advancing them beyond expectations. Geocent delivers subject matter expertise combined with corporate core competencies spread across two primary business units working in unison to serve the needs of its clients. Its history of successful contract management and sales support has made it a sought-after supplier to the federal government. Whether enabling space exploration, protecting our homeland, or serving veterans, Geocent’s projects combine science, technology, and strategy to create big solutions for the world’s most difficult challenges.

ABOUT NAVAL INFORMATION WARFARE CENTER (NIWC) ATLANTIC

As a part of Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, NIWC Atlantic provides systems engineering and acquisition to deliver information warfare capabilities to the naval, joint and national warfighter through the acquisition, development, integration, production, test, deployment, and sustainment of interoperable command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, cyber and information technology capabilities.

Media Contacts:

Claire Gibbons, CRDA Director, Global Marketing & Communications
Direct:  843.760.3351 or [email protected]

Blake Eckert, Geocent Marketing Director
1-504-405-3374 or [email protected]

Lonnie Cowart, NIWC Atlantic Public Information Officer
[email protected]

###