Commuter Benefits Program

Learn about and register for the Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program.

Notice Regarding Fraudulent Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program Letters

It has been reported that companies throughout the Bay Area have received letters dated January 1, 2025, February 1, 2025, and February 14, 2025, with misinformation about the Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program. These letters were not sent by the Bay Area Air District or the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and contain misinformation. Please disregard these letters if you received them. If your company is registered in the Commute Benefits Program, you can check the Commuter Benefits Program website to verify your company’s registration in the system.

If you have questions, please contact the Commuter Benefits Program at (510) 285-3182.

The Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program(89 Kb PDF, 4 pgs, revised 4/24/2018) is an air quality rule administered by the Air District and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Under this regulation, Bay Area employers with 50 or more full-time employees in the Air District’s nine-county jurisdiction are required to provide a commuter benefit option(s) to their employees. Those employers can choose from one or more of the following options:

Option 1

Pre-tax benefit that allows employees to exclude their transit or vanpool cost from taxable income in accordance with section 132(F) of the Internal Revenue Code. See 511.org

Option 2

Employer provided transit subsidy. See 511.org.

Option 3

Employer provided shuttle or van pool. See 511.org

Option 4

Alternative commuter benefit that is as effective in reducing single occupancy vehicle trips. See 511.org

Option 5

Telework policy that allows telework one or more days a week for all employees whose assignments can be performed remotely. See 511.org

Registration

To comply follow these steps:

Designate a commuter benefits coordinator for your organization
Determine the best benefit(s) for your workforce
Register at 511.org
Notify your employees of the benefits being offered to reduce single occupancy driving
Log in and update registration data annually

For more information, visit the Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program page on 511.org and refer to the Commuter Benefits Program resources:

Employer Compliance Verification

To confirm that your employer is currently offering commuter benefits, first check with your employer or human resources office. To see the current list of registered employers, visit 511.org.

If your employer is subject to the requirements of the Commuter Benefits Program and is not offering employees commuter benefits, let us know at: commuterbenefits@baaqmd.gov.