With TransitWorks, Who Says Theres No Such Thing As a Free Ride?

New Local Program Allows Employers to Subsidize Commutes Using TANK

FT. WRIGHT, KY (PRWEB) September 26, 2004 -- In the past, an inexpensive, tax-deductible benefit that gives workers a safe, stress-free commute to and from the office everyday may have sounded too good to be true. Today, however, a new program known as TransitWorks", is bringing this dream to reality.

Part of a national effort designed to increase the use of public transportation, TransitWorks (the local name for the program) was enabled after a recent change in federal tax code. This change now allows employers to subsidize employee transportation costs or offer workers pre-tax benefits with payroll deductions.

While the program is obviously advantageous for employees, businesses also receive returns for their participation. Companies who sign up for TransitWorks will gain benefits such as improved employee recruitment and retention, reduced payroll and/or business expenses, the ability to allocate more parking for customer use and to help employees arrive at work on time and with less stress," said Gina Douthat, Director of Communications and Development for TANK. They are also helping serve the community by reducing the number of vehicles on our congested highways."

With TransitWorks, companies can design the program to best suit their needs:
•   Pre-Tax: Employees can pay the full cost of a monthly pass -- pre-tax -- through payroll deduction.
•   Shared: Employees and their employer share the cost of the monthly pass.
•   Employer-Sponsored: Employers can pay the full cost of the monthly pass.

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With TransitWorks, Who Says Theres No Such Thing As a Free Ride?, p. 2

Plus, while there is little for companies to do once the initial employee application process and agreement forms are completed, administrative functions associated with the program can be outsourced to a third-party administration, WageWorks, for a small fee.

To help launch TransitWorks, TANK will be hosting a breakfast for representatives from over 40 Northern Kentucky businesses on September 30, 2004 in the Navigation Room at the Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport. According to spokesman Ted Bushelman, the airport was pleased to be involved with the event because public transportation is an important part of any community and has been especially important in helping attract workers to the airport." In fact, TANK's 2X airport route is an example of a successful route developed from the needs of local businesses.

Although the breakfast is the official launch of the program, similar incentives have been in place for years, with businesses such as Provident Bank, Scripps Howard, Federated Department stores, and American Annuity already signed on. TANK officials hope that the TransitWorks breakfast will be the beginning of long standing relationships with other area businesses. "Companies throughout the region can really benefit from this program," said Douthat. Our hope is that Human Resources representatives will attend the breakfast, collect information about the program and develop stronger relationships with our staff members."

For more information about TransitWorks or to attend the event, businesses should contact Kim Dube, TANK Business Marketing Coordinator at 859-814-2145 or send an e-mail to her at kdube@tankbus.com.

About TANK
The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky is an integral part of the Northern Kentucky community, serving Boone, Campbell, and Kenton Counties as well as downtown Cincinnati for more than 30 years. Close to 4 million passengers each year rely on the more than 100 TANK buses throughout the region to get them where they need to be. TANK is on the web at www.tankbus.org

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