News & Features in 2009

New Benefit for Occasional Parkers
Employees, who have an occasional parking permit and pay by payroll deduction, should see an increase in their take home pay. Effective with October’s payroll, occasional parking fees are now deducted on a pre-tax basis. By expanding services and commuter benefits MIT is providing more ways to combat rising fuel costs and enable MIT members to reduce their carbon footprints.

Battery Recycling Program Expands
MIT now accepts all types of batteries for recycling. This includes alkaline batteries, just be sure to tape up the terminals on the 9 volt batteries. Batteries that must be recycled include: rechargeable batteries; such as nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, lithium ion (button batteries used in watches and hearing aids), lap top batteries and the lead acid batteries. Additional information is available on battery recycling.

Composting Program in the Forbes Cafeteria The MIT Department of Facilities and the Working Group Recycling Committee (WGR) have teamed up to create a new composting program in the Forbes Café in the Stata Center. In addition to recycling your plastics #1-7, glass and metal containers, you'll now be able to compost any leftovers. (Compostable items include food and paper goods, but do not include plastic dinnerware or styrofoam.)

For more information contact Facilities Recycling or read the Do's Dont's and How to's of Recycling (pdf).

New subsidy for using alternative transit.
Another incentive for employees to give up their commute by car is being launched by the Parking and Transportation Office. All eligible MIT employees who use an alternative form of transit—private bus lines and trains—may participate.

Once an employee submits the appropriate paperwork and is approved for the program, they are eligible to receive “commuter checks”. These special checks are vouchers issued monthly that can only be used to buy more tickets for your commute on alternative transit.

2009 Space Inventory
Space inventory reports for 2009 are available for review. All reports were due to the Office of Cost Analysis on August 10, 2009.

Department Space Evaluations (Room Lists) can be accessed through the following link: Departmental Space Evaluations. Space accounting floorplans can be viewed at: https://floorplans.mit.edu

Car insurance discounts for public transit users
Several auto insurance companies offer a discount to Massachusetts auto owners who use the public transit system as their primary source of transportation. Check with your auto insurance carrier for program details.

MIT Parking and Transportation can provide documentation as proof that you are a monthly transit user. Email tpass@mit.edu to request a letter.

Bike Awareness Day
On May 13, 2009 the Parking and Transportation Office hosted a Bike Awareness Day event at the Student Center Plaza from 11AM - 2PM. Bicycle activities and services included: information on commuting to work by bike, bike safety tips, minor bike repairs, and a campus bike tour. This event was held in conjunction with the Bay State Bike Week 2009. Many participants signed up to commit to riding at least once during the week of May 11–17.

Custodial staff collect paper, plastic and more. Custodial Servicesarea is responsible for collecting and transporting recyclable materials in MIT’s academic and administrative buildings. Contact either Chris Gile (l), Manager, or Carlos Alves (r), Assistant Manager of Custodial Services, if you have any questions about recycling pick ups in your office or lab. If you need desk-side bins, fill out the form on the SAPweb Building Services page. Allow 3-5 days for delivery.

MIT needs your competitive spirit to win RecycleMania! A national collegiate recycling competition, RecycleMania, is underway now through April. The scope of the competition recently changed to include an entire campus, rather than simply campus housing, allowing for the entire community to participate in the event. So, let’s work together at raising MIT’s recycling rate and win the competition!

The 2009 MIT Transportation and Commuting Fair was held on Wednesday, March 11 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on the Student Street in the Stata Center.

Sponsored by the Office of Parking and Transportation and the CRMTA, the event featured Zipcar, the EZ-Ride and Tech Shuttle services, MIT Saferide and the City of Cambridge and others.

Facilities offers home repair basics during IAP. Save money and make your home more energy efficient with tips from our Repair & Maintenance tradespeople; the folks who do the work everyday. During IAP, discover the secrets of quick repairs to faucets and toilets, learn to rewire a lamp, and how to fix a screen. Attend one or all of the hands-on sessions in window repair, plumbing, and electrical repairs.