Transportation program saves Wright-Patt commuters thousands

  • Published
  • By Brian Brackens
  • 88 ABW Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Before enrolling in the Mass Transportation Benefit Program (MTBP), a federally-funded program designed to reduce the number of vehicles on the road by providing subsidies that fund transportation for federal employees, Stel Kirbabas estimated that she spent two hours a day and more than 2,000 miles a month driving to and from work.

Kirbabas lives in Cincinnati, and is the chief of the Workforce Development Branch for the Contracting Directorate within the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center here. She said that the drive to work each day was taxing, and it took a financial toll on her and her husband - also an employee at the base, who drove separately due to scheduling differences.

"My husband and I have worked at Wright-Patt for 25 years, and before we joined our vanpool two years ago, we averaged over 40,000 miles a year on our two cars," said Kirbabas. "We spent hundreds of dollars a month on gas, upkeep and the maintenance of our vehicles. The time and attention it took to drive each day was really tough."

When Kirbabas found out about MTBP and the funding it provides to cover the cost of rental vans and bus fares for federal employees commuting to and from work, she was amazed.

"When I first heard about the program, I said it couldn't be real," said Kirbabas. "Not only does it save riders money, but it takes hundreds of cars off the road, and it's great for the environment."

The van Kirbabas' commutes in is managed by a private company which receives funding from MTBP subsidies to cover the costs of rental fees, upkeep of the vehicle and gas.

"The company pays for the maintenance, they pay for cleaning, they pay for tune-ups, and repair," said Kirbabas. "If a tire blows or anything goes wrong with the van, they pay for it all. It doesn't cost the rider anything."

Military and civil service employees have the option of joining an existing van or creating a new "pool" to commute to work. Each van must maintain a minimum of seven riders, who alternate driving responsibilities.

According to Kirbabas additional benefits to using the transportation program are that it reduces stress and increases work productivity.

"Riding in a vanpool allows employees to come to work more awake and alert," said Kirbabas. "And when I'm riding, I'm working, so I end up giving the government two free hours of work a day."

Ray Scriven, program analyst for the 88 Air Base Wing Civilian Personnel office, is Wright-Patterson AFB's MTBP application coordinator. He said that the base has 31 vanpools, and 310 program participants.

"This is a great program," Scriven said. "We have folks who are commuting from as far away as Richmond, Ind., and as close as Centerville, Ohio. Given the option of putting miles on someone else's vehicle, it makes sense to sign up for the MTBP."

For more information about MTBP, contact Scriven at (937) 257-8305.