http://www.metro-magazine.com/news/story/2013/10/coalition-urges-congress-to-retain-transit-commuter-benefit.aspx?ref=Express-Tuesday-20131029&utm_campaign=Express-Tuesday-20131029&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter
October 29, 2013
Getting America to Work (GATW), a nationwide coalition advocating for
federal investment in the nation’s bus and rail transit systems, is
urging members of Congress to keep public transportation affordable for
2.7 million American families by stopping scheduled cuts to the tax-free
benefit for commuters using public transportation to get to work.
Current
law allows workers and employers to pay up to $245 in monthly transit
costs with tax-exempt dollars. This is the same maximum tax-free amount
allowed for a similar benefit for those who drive to work and pay for
parking. However, on Jan. 1, the transit benefit maximum is scheduled to
be cut almost in half, to $125 per month, while the parking benefit
will remain at a maximum of $245.
“Keeping parity between
commuter benefits for transit and parking is nonpartisan, common sense
policy,” said Joe Costello, executive director of the Northeastern
Illinois Regional Transportation Authority and Chairman of Getting
America to Work. “Transit benefits encourage more workers to use public
transportation, reducing traffic congestion, the demand for gasoline and
air pollution. I urge Congress to preserve transit-parking benefit
parity.”
Now that the government shutdown has ended, Congress is
turning its attention to a long-term budget deal. Two bills, H.R. 2288
and S. 1116, have been introduced to preserve transit parity. If these
bills are not passed or included as part of a budget deal, workers who
rely on public transit will have their maximum pre-tax benefits for
commuting cut in half on Jan., 1, 2014.
“We must take positive
action to preserve pre-tax benefits for those who rely on public
transportation to get to work,” said Stephen F. Lalli, executive
director of the Oklahoma Transit Association in Oklahoma City. “The
scheduled $120-per-month disparity between benefits for drivers and
those who use public transit is unacceptable and unfair. Congress must
stop the scheduled transit benefit cut.”