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Workers will have a $230 pre-tax commuter benefit starting March 1 Date published: 2/26/2009
By KELLY HANNON Fredericksburg-area commuters could get a free ride to work, thanks to the federal economic stimulus package. The pre-tax benefit for commuters who ride a bus, train or vanpool to work is increasing to $230 a month starting Sunday, March 1. The current pre-tax limit is $120 a month. The new ceiling nearly doubles the maximum amount a federal agency or private employer can give to an employee to spend on bus, train and vanpool rides to work every month. Some employers choose to give workers extra money to offset the cost of their commute. Other employers do not provide a subsidy, but allow workers to purchase bus, train or vanpool tickets with pre-tax income. In other cases, employers provide less than the maximum subsidy, perhaps $100 a month, and employees can use pre-tax income to make up the difference. The value of all these options will now rise to $230 a month. The higher figure will remain in place until Jan. 1, 2011. "I think it's an amazing incentive," said Diana Utz, director of GW RideConnect. "It's wonderful." Many federal agencies currently provide the maximum allowable subsidy of $120 a month. If agencies provide the new maximum of $230 a month, it could make riding a vanpool or bus free. The average cost of vanpool Dale Zehner, Virginia Railway Express chief executive officer, told the VRE Operations Board last week he thinks the benefit change will increase ridership. On the Fredericksburg Line, a rider with a full $230 subsidy could buy a $270 monthly pass from Fredericksburg to Union Station and L'Enfant Plaza for $40. Riders traveling shorter distances on VRE would pay even less. A rider traveling from Brooke and Leeland Road in Stafford County to Crystal City or Alexandria would pay $7.30 a month. Utz and GW RideConnect match commuters with carpool, vanpool and transit options to their work destinations, a free government service to Fredericksburg-area residents.
Date published: 2/26/2009
if it is being funded with Federal $$$ then F'burg and Stafford do not have the Right to prevent folks that live in Spotsy or King George or Caroline from using the lots or VRE. And Federal Subsidies have been used for the lots and VRE.
Everyone getting a free ride.
and third, don't think that if there is a sudden spike in riding because it's free, don't think for a second as a Spotsy resident that Stafford and F'burg won't be working on forcing you out of their parking lots. So Spotsy will indeed have to come up with a way to get a station. Sorry that some people are jealous haters, but according to VRE stats, most riders are GS-15s making over $100k...if fellow residents don't appreciate that spending potential, then these folks just might move out of the county.
It sounds good for those who ride or want to ride VRE, but there are some key caveats to watch for. One, don't think VRE isn't plotting right now how to greedily raise it's rates so that riders have to still pay out of pocket. You'd think that they'd just be happy with the steady stream of new revenue but I somehow doubt it. Second, if people start cramming onto the trains, parking lots will be maxed out. You can put more cars on the trains but you can't make the lots bigger...yet.
when I worked in Mclean for 6 yrs in the 80's all that van pool cost and ect ... no writing off on income tax then guess I worked for the wrong people lol .. this is very lucky and for those that do.
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