Schwenk, Judith C.

715240

NTL-PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION-Transit Economics and Finances

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This report documents the history and current operation of the TransitCheck

programs in the New York City and Philadelphia areas, evaluates their impacts

on local commuters and operators, and assesses how well they have achieved the

goals of the implementing organizations, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and the participating operators and employers.

Both programs have made progress toward increasing transit ridership, reducing

commuter dependence on the automobile, improving employee mobility, reducing

cash fare payment for operators, and fostering cooperation among operators and

the transportation and business communities. The programs enable employers to

compensate employees with benefits in a more cost-effective manner than a

conventional salary increase, because the value of TransitChek vouchers given

to employees is a tax deductible business expense. Employees receive a tax-free

benefit that subsidizes their commute to work. As more employers enroll,

TransitChek has the potential to convert significant numbers of riders to

transit in a noncoercive way, and contribute toward regional compliance with the

1990 Amendments to the Clean Air Act.

US Transportation Collection