Commuter Benefits Program
After a series of public workshops held in fall 2013, the Air District is proposing adoption of Regulation 14: Mobile Source Emissions Reduction Measures, Rule 1: Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program. With the goal of reducing harmful emissions from motor vehicles, Regulation 14 would 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).
A public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. The hearing will be held in the Board Room at the Air District offices, 939 Ellis Street, 7th floor, San Francisco. Air District Board meetings start at 9:45 a.m. See theNotice of Public Hearing under related documents.
Interested parties also are invited to submit written comments on the proposed Regulation 14 and supporting documents. Comments may be submitted via e-mail to commuterbenefits@baaqmd.gov, or by postal mail to:
David Burch, Principal Environmental Planner
Bay Area Air Quality Management District
939 Ellis Street
San Francisco, CA, 94109
Written comments on the regulatory proposal and Negative Declaration must be received by 5:00 p.m., Friday, February 21, 2014. For additional information, visit the Air District’s website.
The program will be presented to MTC's Planning Committee on March 14. If Regulation 14 is approved by the Air District Board at the March 19 meeting, the program will be forwarded to the Commission for final approval at their March 26 meeting.
Should the Air District Board of Directors adopt the proposed rule and if the Commission concurs with this action, then Bay Area employers would have six months to comply with the requirements of the program.
Public Hearing
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
9:45 a.m.
Bay Area Air Quality Management District
939 Ellis Street, 7th floor, San Francisco
Related Documents
- Pubilc Hearing Notice (PDF)
- Proposed Regulation 14 Rule 1 (PDF)
- Staff Report (PDF)
- Socioeconomic Analysis (PDF)
- CEQA Notice of Intent (PDF)
- CEQA Negative Declaration (PDF)
See also:
- Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program
October 2013
Submit your comment
In order to receive a reply to your comment, please provide an email address.