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Georgia Department of Transportation Honors Ted Turner

20 April 2000

Georgia Department of Transportation Honors Ted Turner; First Annual 'HOVie' Award Given to Turner Clean Air Commuters Program

    ATLANTA, April 20 Saying Ted Turner has the interests of
Atlanta's future close to his heart, Georgia Department of Transportation
Commissioner Wayne Shackelford today honored the Turner Clean Air Commuters
Program inaugurated last year by Turner Broadcasting System Inc. (TBS) in
Atlanta.
    Shackelford presented the first annual "HOVie" Award, the recognition
portion of the Georgia DOT's "Luv the HOV" campaign, to Turner and the TBS
program.  The HOVie Award honors companies, organizations or individuals who
lead the way in encouraging Atlantans to carpool, vanpool, ride mass transit
and use high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes.
    The Georgia DOT campaign promotes the use of HOV lanes, and alerts metro
Atlanta commuters about construction of an 11.6-mile extension of the HOV
system on I-85 north into Gwinnett County.
    Launched less than a year ago, the Turner Clean Air Commuters program now
includes 900 regular MARTA riders, 51 carpools and five new vanpools --
involving 19.5 percent of Turner's 6,000 employees in Atlanta.
    Shackelford called the Turner program an example for all metro Atlanta
businesses to follow.
    "It gives us great pleasure to tell the citizens of Atlanta, of Georgia,
and of the world that Ted Turner, TBS, Inc., and their employees are making an
important, intelligent and creative contribution to mobility and air quality
in their own hometown," the commissioner said. "TBS, Inc., has set the pace
for employer-sponsored programs in Atlanta through its Turner Clean Air
Commuters Program, which encourages increased MARTA ridership, carpooling and
vanpooling."
    In accepting the award, Turner said, "We are thrilled to receive the first
"HOVie" Award from the Georgia Department of Transportation. Thanks to our
employees and everyone who helps to improve our environment by carpooling and
using public transportation -- it really makes a difference.  I'm very proud
of our Turner Clean Air Commuter program and I want to encourage other
companies to follow our lead. It's an excellent way to tackle Atlanta's
traffic and smog."
    During the award presentation at an Earth Day event at CNN Center,
Shackelford described Turner as "an individual who has achieved international
success on many fronts. But he took the time to commit his company's resources
and staff to develop a commuter program that has become another of his success
stories."
    Noting that Turner is known worldwide as a business visionary and
environmental advocate, Shackelford said, "All too often, a prophet is not
heard in his own hometown.  But I am here today to state for the record that
Ted Turner is a man who has the interests of Atlanta's future close to his
heart."
    Shackelford, who is retiring June 1, was joined by incoming Georgia DOT
Commissioner Tom Coleman and members of the State Transportation Board.