San Francisco Bay Area employers with 50 or more full-time employees including public agencies, private businesses, and non-profit organizations are now required to offer commuter benefits to their employees in order to comply with the Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program developed pursuant to CA Senate Bill 1339. The program is modeled on local ordinances in several Bay Area cities (Berkeley, Richmond, San Francisco, and the San Francisco International Airport). Through this program, employers must offer their employees one of four Commuter Benefit options:
What are my options?
1. Option 1 - Allow employees to exclude their transit or vanpool costs from taxable income, to the maximum amount, as allowed by federal law (currently $130 per month).
2. Option 2 - Employer-provided transit subsidy (or transit pass) or vanpool subsidy up to $75 per month.
3. Option 3 - Employer-provided free or low cost bus, shuttle or vanpool service operated by or for the employer.
4. Option 4 - An alternative employer-provided commuter benefit that is as effective as in reducing single occupant vehicles as Option 1-3.
The various commuter benefits outlined are designed to encourage employees to take transit, vanpool, carpool, bicycle and walk, rather than drive alone to work. It is anticipated that employees will be more willing to use commute alternatives when encouraged by their employer’s through this Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program. The program is designed for employers with 50 or more full-time employers. However, some employers with fewer than 50 Bay Area employees may be subject to a local commuter benefits ordinance that have been adopted by the cities of San Francisco, Berkeley, and Richmond, as well as the San Francisco International Airport.
Employers are required to notify employees of the commuter benefit that they will provide and document implementation of their commuter benefits program and make records available to the Air District and/or MTC upon request.
NEED ASSISTANCE?
Visit the Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program for more information and to register. To request free assistance or for more information, just click on the "Needs Assistance" section or call 511 and say "Commuter Benefits." Employer Services Representatives are available in each county to provide free assistance to employers in setting up programs. There is a help line specialists available at (510) 273-3680.
The Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program is a partnership of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, managing employer outreach for the Program, and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, developer of Regulation 14, Rule 1: Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program and managing compliance for the Program.