Commuter Benefits Program | 511 Contra Costa

WHO: Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)

WHAT: Public hearing to consider the adoption of proposed Regulation 14: Mobile Source Emissions Reduction Measures, Rule 1: Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program. The proposed rule will serve as the foundation for the Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program (Program).

WHEN: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at 9:45am

WHERE: 939 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94109 at the 7th Floor Board Room

WHY: The objective is to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and criteria air pollutants by expanding the number of employers who provide commuter benefits to their employees.

Background

California Government Code § 65081 (added by Senate Bill 1339) authorizes BAAQMD and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to jointly adopt and implement a Bay Area commuter benefits ordinance on a pilot basis through 2016.

How it will affect employers

The proposed rule will require employers with 50 or more full-time employees in the Bay Area to select one of the following four commuter benefit options to offer to their employees:

Allow employees to exclude their transit or vanpool costs from taxable income, up to the maximum amount allowed by current federal law;
Provide a transit or vanpool subsidy to reduce, or cover, employees’ monthly transit or vanpool costs;
Provide a low-cost or free shuttle, vanpool, or bus service for employees (operated by or for the employer); or
Propose an alternative commuter benefit that would be equally as effective as the other options in reducing single-occupant vehicle trips (and/or vehicle emissions).

Employers will also be required to:

Register through a web-based registration process;
Designate a contact person;
Notify employees of the commuter benefit selected and maintain records to document the implementation; and
Provide information needed for Program evaluation.

What will happen

Should the Air District Board of Directors adopt the proposed rule and if MTC concurs with this action, then Bay Area employers would have six (6) months to comply with the requirements of the program.
Comments
You may submit comments to the proposed rule and supporting documents to commuterbenefits@baaqmd.gov or to
David Burch
Principal Environmental Planner
Bay Area Air Quality Management District
939 Ellis Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
Written comments must be received by 5pm Friday, February 21, 2014.

Public Hearing Notice

Proposed Rule and Supporting Documents

The staff of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) will conduct public workshops to present, discuss, and receive comments on draft Regulation 14, Rule 1: The Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program.
What is the Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program?
California Senate Bill 1339, signed into law in fall 2012 created the Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program (Program). Employers with 50 or more full-time employees in the Bay Area are required to provide commuter benefit options to their employees.

Employers can select one of the following four commuter benefit options to offer to their employees:
The option for employees to pay for their transit or vanpool expenses with pre-tax dollars, as allowed by current federal law;
A transit or vanpool subsidy to reduce, or cover, employees’ monthly transit or vanpool costs;
A low-cost or free shuttle, vanpool, or bus service operated by or for the employer; or
An alternative method that would be equally as effective as the other options in reducing single-occupant vehicle trips (and/or vehicle emissions).

Building on the success of similar programs adopted in the cities of San Francisco, Berkeley and Richmond, as well as the San Francisco International Airport, the Program facilitates a regional approach to encourage the use of sustainable commute modes, such as public transit, ridesharing, bicycling and walking, in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality.
In the Bay Area, where these programs are already in place, most employers have chosen the pre-tax option (option 1 above), which can provide economic benefits to both employers and employees through tax savings. Employers can reduce payroll taxes (approximately 9 percent of subject wages), and employees can lower their commute costs by up to 40 percent.
Plan Implementation
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission are currently developing plans for adopting and implementing the Program, and will conduct public workshops to present, discuss and receive comments on the Program. View dates and locations of upcoming workshops.
See also New Bay Area Commuter Benefit Policy

Tag: Commuter Benefits Program

Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program Public Hearing (2014)

Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program Public Workshop (2013)