Travelers a Tri-State Rideshare Challenge Winner

HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Americans take more than one billion motor vehicle trips per day, which contribute to roughly 50 percent of urban air pollution and 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. As such, Travelers (NYSE: TRV) was a participant in Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell’s Tri-State Five Million Mile Rideshare Challenge, a regional initiative to encourage commuters to share rides to reduce the miles being driven on area roads throughout Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.

More than 10,000 commuters participated in the challenge, sharing 138,800 rides which resulted in 5,040,000 fewer miles driven, 210,000 gallons of gasoline saved and the prevention of 2,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Travelers ranked third place in the challenge, with more than 8,500 shared miles. The company will be recognized by Governor Rell at an awards ceremony to be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, July 28 at the State Capitol.

“Travelers is committed to supporting initiatives that encourage environmentally responsible behavior,” said Andy Bessette, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Travelers. “Encouraging our employees to participate in the Rideshare Challenge allowed us to further reduce the impact our operations have on the environment.”

Travelers commuters participated in the Tri-State Challenge through NuRide, the nation’s largest free, online ridesharing network. Travelers is one of the employers in the NuRide network. NuRide commuters receive rewards for the number of shared-ride trip they take daily, and points can be redeemed for restaurant gift certificates, tickets to shows and more.

Travelers’ environmentally responsible corporate practices don’t stop with encouraging ridesharing. The company is engaged in ongoing recycling and paper suppression initiatives as well as activities to encourage employees to conserve energy such as the EPA Climate Leaders “Change a Light Bulb” project. Additionally, Travelers’ two largest campuses in Saint Paul, Minn., and Hartford, Conn., received the EPA's ENERGY STAR® label, distinguishing these buildings as among the most energy efficient in the United States. On the business side, through the activities of the Climate Change Committee, the company monitors and responds to the risks and opportunities posed by climate change in order to provide insurance products and services that support environmentally friendly behavior and help our customers adapt to the impacts of changing climate trends. Examples include insurance discounts for hybrid car drivers and electric powered boats as well as insurance programs for clean energy technology such as wind power farms. In addition the company recently conducted a Green Building webinar for customers. Travelers is also actively involved in the EPA’s Climate Leaders, Business Roundtable Climate Resolve Project, the Carbon Disclosure Project and is a member of the United States Green Building Council

About Travelers

The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) is a leading property casualty insurer selling primarily through independent agents and brokers. Travelers understands that life and business are inherently dynamic and that the best way to serve customers is to deliver insurance in-synch with evolving risks. The company’s diverse business lines offer its global customers a wide range of coverage in the auto, home and business settings. Travelers is a Fortune 100 company, with 2007 revenues of approximately $26 billion. The company has more than 33,000 employees. For more information on being in-synch, visit www.travelers.com.