Achieving lower commuting costs and climate protection without raising taxes.

March 26, 2014 - (Boston, MA) Today, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission approved Regulation 14 Rule 1 of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, which requires a commuter benefit program to be in place for all employers that have 50 or more full-time employees in the nine-county Bay Area. This regulation is a result of SB 1339, which was signed into law by Governor Brown, requiring a pilot project to be in effect until January 2017. According to the text of the bill, SB 1339, the state believes that by requiring large employers to offer commuter benefit programs, it will encourage greater use of mass transit and vanpools. For those employees who already commute to work using mass transit, it will offer them significant tax savings. Participating employers will also reduce their tax burden. Employers will have until September 30, 2014, to comply with this regulation.