Educational Materials

To help your company set up internal "Avoid the Rush" policies and educate employees about the benefits of alternative transportation, the Transportation Management Association (TMA) offers a variety of educational materials. These resourceful guides will help your company evaluate work schedule needs and design successful internal "Avoid the Rush" employee programs. We also offer free posters, brochures and articles for employee newsletters.

Presentations

The TMA staff can come present to your employees, customers and/or vendors to provide information about construction and commute options. One popular strategy is to invite us to your company’s staff meeting(s) or to provide a Grab & Go informational table in a key area of your business. Contact us today at 515.286.4969 to schedule a presentation or Grab & Go.

Program Assistance

Regardless of resources, your company can create an internal "Avoid the Rush" program to encourage employees to use commute alternatives. TMA's staff will work with you to begin, maintain or expand a transportation program. As a part of this service, the TMA will provide a baseline database so you can track your organization's success online.

Construction Updates

Companies involved in the “Avoid the Rush” campaign receive weekly e-mail updates detailing that week’s construction projects. These updates are provided via e-mail to one contact at each business. Your business can then post or forward this update to employees to inform them of road closures or construction occurring in the metropolitan area.

advocacyAdvocacy

The TMA is committed to being an advocate for the business community regarding transportation issues. The TMA can serve as a conduit to address concerns to the appropriate entities in the most productive fashion. Please contact the TMA at 515.286.4969 or email tma@drivetimedesmoines.org.

Commuter Tax Benefit Program Information

With amendments to federal tax law known as "Commuter Tax Benefits," employers can now more easily provide financial commute assistance to employees. You can provide employees tax-free transit and vanpool benefits at little or no cost to you. Learn more at http://www.dmmta.com/programs_employer.html.

Please discuss these with your CPA for more information.

"T21 Compensation Plus"

Businesses can give employees up to $100 a month as a fringe benefit to commute via bus or vanpool and the employer gets a tax deduction and savings on payroll taxes that would be paid as a taxable fringe benefit.

For example, XYZ Company gives employee John Smith the fringe benefit of $100 a month to buy bus tickets to get to work. The benefit is excluded from John's taxable wages, and XYZ Company is excluded from paying federal payroll taxes on the transit commuter benefit.

"T21 Set Aside Plus"

Employees can set aside up to $100 a month of pre-tax income to pay for transit costs and save on payroll taxes that would be paid on income.
For example, Sam's Mart has just hired Abby Johnson. Abby wants to be a monthly bus pass holder and authorizes Sam's Mart to withhold $100 a month from her pre-tax pay to buy her monthly pass. Abby's $100 set aside is exempt from federal income and payroll taxes. Sam's Mart also saves on the payroll taxes that would have been paid on Abby's income.

"T21 Combination Plus"

The employee and employer share the cost of commuting via bus or vanpool, up to $100 a month and share the tax credits described above.
Juan Gomez works at Valley West Mall and uses the University Rt. 3 bus to get to work. Juan sets aside $30 a month from his pay to buy his monthly bus pass. Valley West Mall rewards Juan with a perk of $35 to help buy the bus pass. Both Juan and Valley West Mall share the income and payroll tax exclusions up to a total of $100 a month.

Parking Cash Out

Employers can offer their employees the option to "cash out" of their existing parking space. For example, if a company subsidizes parking for their employees at $80 a month, a parking cash-out program would allow employees to choose from the following options:

Keep the parking space worth $80/month
Give up the parking and receive $80 extra each month in taxable salary, or
Receive $80/month in tax-free transportation benefits to pay for transit or vanpooling.