Commuter Challenge I News

This page includes:
• Headlines and links to recent transportation news
• Newsbriefs about local and national transportation happenings
• Pacesetter Newsletter archives

Headlines

SeattlePI.com—Transportation Page
Local transportation news articles and up-to-the-minute information.

SeattlePI.com—Seattle Transportation Watch (Blog)
Forum and blog posts by Seattlepi.com's Scott Guiterrez.

It's Not About Rising Fuel Costs. It's About Time. (Blog post) The TDM Professional, July 21, 2008.

News Briefs

Light Rail is Here!
The 13.9-mile Central Link light rail line from Westlake Station to Tukwila International Boulevard Station will open for service on July 18, 2009. More information.

Qualified Transportation Fringe Benefit Rates for 2009 - Update
Employers may provide workers with up to $230 per month in tax-free transit and vanpool benefits in 2009. Effective March 2009, as part of the stimulus bill, the monthly limitation regarding the aggregate fringe benefit exclusion amount for vanpools (commuter highway vehicles) and transit passes was increased from $120 to $230 per month. The monthly limitation regarding the fringe benefit exclusion amount for qualified parking is $230. Commuters can receive both the transit and parking benefits (i.e., up to $460 per month). Employers can allow employees to use pretax dollars to pay for transit passes, vanpool fares and parking.

Beginning in 2009, employees can be reimbursed up to $20 per month for biking to work. The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 added qualified bicycle commuting reimbursements to the types of qualified transportation fringe benefits. The benefit can not be combined with those other qualified transportation fringe benefits. (www.nctr.usf.edu/clearinghouse/)

Pacesetter Newsletter

Commuter Challenge newsletter archives contain selected articles from the former Pacesetter newsletter.

Photo Courtesy of King County Metro Transit