Unveiling of the Commuter Choice Tool Kit

U.S. Department Of Transportation	Deputy Administrator	400 Seventh St. S.W.     Washington, D.C. 20590
Federal Transit Administration

Dear Colleague:

On February 11, 2000, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the Commuter Choice program at public events in San Francisco, Chicago, and Atlanta. Commuter Choice programs permit employers to offer employees a tax-free benefit to commute to work by methods other than driving alone, due to recent changes in the Internal Revenue Code. The event was part of an ongoing campaign to expand participation in Commuter Choice programs and to help unify their identity across transit agencies.

At that event, FTA unveiled its new Commuter Choice Tool Kit that transit agencies will be able to use to provide guidance to employers about the tax-free transportation fringe benefit. The tool kit contains a program brochure which outlines the options available to employers for establishing such a program, an informational brochure designed for unions, a brochure tailored to the needs of Federal agencies, a checklist for getting started, answers to frequently asked questions by both employers and employees, sample forms and surveys to be used in implementing a Commuter Choice program, and a directory of Commuter Choice programs around the Nation.

Depending on whether you already have a program underway, these materials may either augment yours or serve as primary marketing materials to employers in your service area. The new Commuter Choice logo, which appears at the bottom of this letter, is intended to serve as an umbrella identification of the Commuter Choice program. Its use on marketing materials will be of particular value to large employers in your area that have offices in more than one region or in other states. In the event that you are developing new Commuter Choice materials or updating existing ones, we encourage you to use this logo which may be downloaded from our web site at [www.fta.dot.gov] under "Commuter Choice." The Tool Kit has also been posted on our web site.

Also, on January 27, 2000, the Internal Revenue Service published a notice of proposed rulemaking on Commuter Choice programs. You may wish to review this notice which begins on page 4388 and may be found through the following web site: [http://www.nara.gov/fedreg/].

Enclosed is a copy of the Tool Kit. Additional copies are available from your FTA Regional Office. Logo stickers that can be placed on your existing Commuter Choice marketing materials are available in two sizes (2" x 3/4" and 2 1/2" x 1"). Please contact William B. Menczer of my staff at 202-366-1698 or by email at William.Menczer@dot.gov if you have any questions about the Commuter Choice program or need logo stickers. We look forward to working with you on this exciting program.

Sincerely,
Nuria I. Fernandez
Acting Administrator

Related Item: Commuter Choice Program