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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09. Bay Area Commuter Benefits Programq. o ' Central Contra Costa Sanitary District August 19, 2014 TO: ADMINSTRATION COMMITTEE VIA: ROGER S. BAILEY, GENERAL MANAGER DAVID HEATH, DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTR ION /a FROM: TEJI O'MALLEY, HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER SUBJECT: BAY AREA COMMUTER BENEFITS PROGRAM Senate Bill 1339, signed into law in late 2012, authorizes the Bay Air Quality Management Districts and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to adopt and implement a regional commuter benefits program on a pilot basis through December 2016. In March of 2014, the MTC and the BAAQMD both approved the launch of the Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program ( BACBP), a joint pilot program that requires employers with 50 or more full -time employees in the Bay Area to offer commuter benefits to their employees. Employers subject to the program must select a commuter benefit and implement their program by September 30, 2014. The BACBP is modeled after other commuter benefit programs that have been established in recent years by several Bay Area employers, including the City of San Francisco, the City of Richmond, the City of Berkeley, and the San Francisco International Airport. The BACBP promotes the use of alternative commute modes such as transit, ridesharing, bicycling, and walking. The intent of the BACBP is to decrease motor vehicle travel and traffic congestion and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants, thus protecting public health and the climate. The BACBP requires that employers implement at least one of the following options by September 30, 2014: • Option 1: Pre -Tax Benefit: The employer allows employees to exclude their transit or vanpool costs from taxable income, to the maximum extent permitted by federal law (currently a maximum of $130 per month). • Option 2: Employer- Provided Subsidy: The employer provides a transit or vanpool subsidy to cover or reduce the employee's monthly transit or vanpool costs, to a maximum of $75 per month. Central Contra Costa Sanitary District Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program Page 2 of 3 Option 3: Employer- Provided Transit: The employer provides a free or low - cost bus, shuttle, or vanpool service for employees. Option 4: Alternative Commuter Benefit; The employer provides an alternative commuter benefit that is as effective as the other options in reducing single- occupant vehicle trips and /or vehicle emissions. Option 4 is split further into two Options, 4A- Primary Measures and 4B- Secondary measures (see table below for the list of measures). If an employer was to choose Option 4A, it would have to select at least one primary measure and at least two secondary measures. If it were to choose Option 4B, it would have to select at least four secondary measures. Primary Measures I Secondary Measures • Carpool subsidy ($3 /day that employee carpools) • Bicycle subsidy ($20 /month) • Telecommute schedule • Compressed workweek • Parking Cash -Out • Electronic vehicle (EV) implementation (fleet changeover, EV car share for employees, etc.) • Preferred parking for carpoolers • Provide employer- specific carpool match service • Employer - provided membership in car - sharing program • Participation in an emergency /guaranteed ride home program • Secure, on -site bicycle parking • Showers and bicycle lockers for employees • Employee commuting awards program (e.g., bonus vacation day, free lunch, gift card, etc.) • On -site amenity (e.g., ATM, cafe, catered lunch, on -site childcare, dry cleaning, etc.) • Provision of shared mechanism for viewing real time commuting information (e.g., flat screen monitor in lobby) • Lunchtime shuttle Central Contra Costa Sanitary District Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program Page 3of3 Staff has analyzed all options and is recommending Option 4B as the most cost - effective and operationally viable option at this time. The four secondary measures that staff is recommending are as follows: • Preferred parking for carpoolers • Participation in an emergency /guaranteed ride home program • Secure, on -site bicycle parking • Showers and bicycle lockers for employees These four measures can be implemented immediately to ensure that the District is compliant with the mandate. Although staff is recommending this option at this time, it does not prohibit the District from enacting other measures to promote alternative commute modes above and beyond those being recommended. If the Committee would like additional information on any other alternative commute modes, staff can provide that at an upcoming Committee meeting. Staff will be available during the meeting to answer any questions or provide clarification.