Community Transit

Employer Services

At Community Transit, we offer a variety of free services designed to support Employee Transportation Programs.

ETC Staff Development and Support

The Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC) is an integral part of every Employee Transportation Program. At Community Transit, we offer a variety of free services designed to support the ETC and increase the success of this key person. These services include:

• Annual rideshare promotions: Wheel Options and ridematching.
• Promotional materials
• Training courses
• Networking meetings
• New employee orientation materials
• Commute information display boards
• Variety of marketing materials
• Employee survey assistance
• Relocation assistance
• Reserved carpool/vanpool parking signage
• Annual awards program to recognize top ETCs, employers and "Smart Commuters"
• Our Peer Advisory Board provides the opportunity to guide our programs

Trip Reduction Strategy Consultation

Community Transit offers consultation services to assist in the development of appropriate trip reduction strategies. These services include:

• Alternative work hours and telework programs
• Subsidy and incentive programs
• Carpool and vanpool programs
• Bicycling and walking programs
• Vanshare programs
• Carsharing programs
• Parking management programs

Employee Bus Passes

ORCA –One Regional Card for All– is the smart, easy way to ride the bus, train or ferry. Providing a bus pass for all your employees may be more affordable than you think. Contact our Transportation Demand Management Specialists or visit www.orcacard.biz to learn what programs are available for your worksite.

The ORCA “smart” card is accepted on seven regional transit systems (Everett Transit, Community Transit, King County Metro Transit, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and the Washington State Ferries).

Guaranteed Ride Home

Community Transit offers free emergency transportation to ridesharing employees who are registered with their employer's Commute Trip Reduction program. Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) will provide up to 65 miles of free taxi service (one-way) to take you home or to the place of your emergency. GRH program provides transportation to ridesharing employees when emergencies or unforeseeable situations arise during the workday.

If you work late, get sick or miss your ride - GRH has you covered. Employers simply need to sign a Guaranteed Ride Home agreement with Community Transit to take advantage of this valuable service. Check with your Employee Transportation Coordinator or Human Resources department to see if your company offers Guaranteed Ride Home.

If your company doesn't have GRH and would like more information, contact Community Transit's Transportation Demand Management staff at ctr at commtrans dot org. We're ready to help.

Peer Advisory Board

The Peer Advisory Board is a representative committee of Employee Transportation Coordinators who work on special projects and serve in an advisory capacity to other Employee Transportation Coordinators and Community Transit’s Transportation Demand Management Specialists. Learn more about the Peer Advisory Board.

Presentations

Community Transit’s Transportation Demand Management staff is available to provide presentations to Employee Transportation Coordinators, managers, employees and other interested groups. We appreciate the opportunity to educate employers about the important benefits of commute alternatives. Community Transit’s Transportation Demand Management staff is happy to meet with Employee Transportation Coordinators anytime. Contact them today to schedule a presentation or individual meeting.

Transportation Fairs and Events

Community Transit’s Transportation Demand Management staff is happy to help Employee Transportation Coordinators plan, promote and implement transportation fairs and other special events at their worksites. Assistance includes design and provision of materials, staffing of booths and on-site ridematching and trip planning.

Transportation Demand Management staff can also attend “Lunch and Learn” meetings for employees who are interested in learning more about alternatives to driving alone in a round-table environment with out the full transportation fair. Contact Community Transit’s Transportation Demand Management staff today to schedule an event at your worksite.
 

Program Materials

Community Transit provides a variety of program materials available to worksites in Snohomish County and Bothell at no cost.
 

• Brochures: CTR program, Vanpool, Swift, ORCA and more.
• Bus Plus Book: Community Transit and Sound Transit route schedules and maps.
• Carpool Signage: Carpool parking signs and hangtags are an easy way to monitor your parking. Registration stickers are also provided.
• Commute Options Displays: We have three sizes of displays for your worksite as well as tabletop brochure racks.

Wall display, narrow

Wall display, wide

Table top display

Tax Benefits for Transportation Programs

Public Transportation Subsidy

Federal law now allows employers two ways to offer their employees a commute benefit free of payroll taxes: Companies can offer employees a tax-free employer-paid subsidy or a pre-tax payroll deduction (or a combination of both) to reduce an employee's cost of public transportation (bus, train, ferry or registered vanpool).  The law applies when the company (or qualified third party) delivers the commute benefit to the employee in the form of a pass or voucher.

Click here for our guide "Tax Benefits for Transportation Programs" (pdf).

See page 18 of the IRS "Taxable Fringe Benefit Guide" (pdf) for basic information on federal guidelines related to qualified transportation benefits.