Yesterday, Best Workplaces for Commuters released a tool that compiles data from the National Compensation Survey taken by the Bureau of LaborStatistics BLS. The tool tracks Subsidized Commuting for the civilian workforce and look at the demographics of people who receive a subsidy for their commute. The data looks at who was receiving support from their commuters for their non-SOV commute including transit and carpooling. The data does not include people who receive subsidized parking. The Coalition for Smarter Transportation was struck by several data points:
- While still a small portion of the overall workforce, there is an increasing number of workers who receive some sort of subsidy from their employer.
- More employers on the coasts provide subsidy, but we are seeing a significant increase in the number of employers who provide subsidy in the South.
- Middle- and upper-income employees are more likely to receive support from their employers
- Larger employers are more likely to provide support versus employers with less than 100 employees.
CoaST policy director Jason Pavluchuk had the following to say,
“Best Workplaces for Commuters has created a critical tool that will allow us to monitor the progress of employee benefit programs. When employers provide subsidized support for non-SOV commuting, employees are more likely to take advantage. More work needs to be done to show employers the benefits of getting involved. We are pleased to see an increase in the number of employers providing subsidized commuting options, but more work needs to be done.
CoaST encourages local governments to enact smart policies that provide financial and technical support to employers. We are working on developing a policy playbook that will highlight examples such as Washington State’s Commute Trip Reduction program, and San Francisco’s TDM policies. In addition, CoaST is working to expand the number of employees who are provided transit benefits. CoaST has created a tool kit for municipal government looking to enact transit-benefit policies”
