If you are a business owner, providing Group Passes to your staff can be a benefit for everyone. Why should you consider group passes for your employees? Here is some information that can help you make an informed decision about providing a valuable benefit to your employees.

 

Benefits

 

• Provide a low cost benefit to employees

• Free up parking spots and save money on parking structures, leased lots, and building additional parking lots.

• Expand potential employee pool

• Reduce traffic congestion

• Risk free with emergency ride home program

• Qualify for Oregon’s BETC Program

• Or….Pre-Tax pass purchase for employees

 

Federal Tax Benefits

Federal law allows employers to offer a tax-free benefit for commuting to work
using public transit.  This can work in one of three ways….

 

• Employee authorized a payroll deduction and the purchase is made with pre-tax dollars.
• An Employer can share the cost with the employee, with both receiving a tax benefit.
• The company pays for the cost of the pass.  The employer can deduct the amount paid from their taxable payroll, as well as claim a tax-deductible business expense.

 

Business Energy Tax Credit (BETC): 

The BETC program allows businesses the option of receiving 35% of the cost of providing bus passes for employees as a State of Oregon tax credit.

 

Employer Options

 

Direct Billing - Issue passes to employees upon request, and BAT will bill monthly for only the number issued. 

 

Group Pass Program - (See Group Pass Policy)

 

The monthly cost is calculated on where your employees work and live and the number who work during transit operating hours for a low monthly cost, but the benefit applies to all your employees.

 

Example: A firm has 515 employees

 

• 70% live/work in Bend and 85% work between 7:30am – 5:30pm.
• 10% live in La Pine, Redmond & Prineville and work in Bend with 70% working between 7:30am – 5:30pm.
• 10% live in Madras/Sisters/Prineville and work in Redmond, 60% of which work during transit operating hours
• 10% live/work in Redmond, 60% of which work during Redmond Transit operating hours.

 

Monthly Cost Calculation:

• 515 x .70 x .85 x $5 = $1,532
• 515 x .10 x .70 x $20 = $721
• 515 x .10 x .60 x $20 = $618
• 515 x .10 x .60 x $8 = $247

= $3,118 per month

 

All 515 employees would receive unlimited rides on the
Bend Area Transit system including seasonal service (Ride the River)
by showing their employee pass.

 

Included:
* Emergency Ride Home Program
* Learn to Ride Program, Ride Planning Events
* Annual Renewal

 

 

User Based Group Ride Programs: 

These are all individually structured contracts adoption by City Council and the participating entity.
Examples:

 

1.  University – Students have free transit use with their student ID.  These programs often are costs shared (a quarterly amount is included within the student fee structure and/or the University makes up the difference with the total contract price).

2.  Downtown Business Association – Businesses purchase a route such as a circulator and by paying the full cost of the service have control over service frequency, day/time of service, and advertise free bus service to access the supporting businesses.                                              

 

CET GROUP PASS PROGRAM

 

A Group Pass Program is one in which the cost of transit fares is shared by a group.  Bend Dial-a-Ride is not inclusive of this program.  All persons within the group receive the transit benefit whether or not they actually use the service.  The employer enters into an annual contract for services with the COIC.  In this way, the cost per person for the service is significantly reduced, and ridership within the group can be expected to increase significantly.

 

Qualifying Organizations: 

 

COIC will consider any organization, public or private, for a group pass program if it: 

 

1.  Includes at least 10 individuals

2.  Is financially capable and legally empowered to enter into a contract with COIC and meet the financial obligations dictated by that contract.  The group pass program will apply to all members in the organization. 

3.  COIC will consider qualifying organizations on a first-come/first-served basis, only if the COIC has the service and equipment capacity to serve that organization.

 

An Organization may enter into a contract for a group pass program with COIC for a subgroup of the organization.

 

Cooperative Organizations:  Many organizations have fewer than 10 employees and wish to participate.  In order to meet this growing need, COIC will allow associations to pool member organizations into a single employee pool and enter into a group pass contract within the guidelines above.  The association may be for government, profit or non-profit, but will be held responsible for the agreement and collecting required information and payment from the participants.

 

Pricing:A base rate per employee per month will be levied on individuals within the organization.  The organization may choose to participate in a program for only one specific zone or multi zone.  Based on the price per zone listed below, all employees regardless of number of hours worked, who have regularly assigned day shifts (between 7am-6pm, M-F) will be counted based on if they need a zone 1, zone 2, zone 3, or multi-zone to travel between work and home.  Organizations with unusual employment structures for hours worked and or seasonality, such as schools may negotiate a more tailored pricing approach with COIC.  Once each year the organization who has entered into a group pass contract with COIC will supply a list of all employees with the following information: last name/first initial, work location, home address, and standard shift.  COIC will “certify” the correct employee count per zone and issue a certification to be used for billing the rest of the year.

 

Zone 1	Zone 2	Multi Zone
$5 per month per employee	$8 per month per employee	$20 per month per employee

 

Term of the Contract:Contracts will normally be for a one-year period, with annual renewals. 

 

Pass Identification: Group pass participants are to have photo identification that is easily verified by the bus driver. The photo identification may be either the organization's, in which case it must have a COIC zone designated validation sticker, or issued by COIC.  In either case, the cost of issuing the photo identification will be borne by the organization.  Participating organizations will be responsible for administering the program within their organizations.

 

Marketing:COIC will provide trip planning assistance for the individuals of a group pass organization.  Marketing of the service to individuals of a group pass organization will be conducted where it is determined to have a significant impact on ridership.

 

To Learn More:
Contact -     Heather Ornelas                             or      Karen Friend
Bend Transit Manager                                                Cascades East Transit Manager
(541) 322-5875                                                        COIC Dept. Director
hornelas@bendareatransit                                          (541) 548-9543
                                                                               kfriend@coic.org