Van Pools Blog
Fort Riley’s Vanpooling Program
July 23rd, 2010 0 CommentsA video done by Riley Television highlighting the benefits of vanpooling.
Army Mass Transportation Benefit Program: Monthly Benefit Increase
March 2nd, 2009 0 CommentsFrom ASA (FM&C) Resource Analysis and Business Practices (RABP) on 2/27/09
The recently enacted “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009″ includes a provision that significantly increases the benefit amount for the Mass Transportation Benefit Program. The maximum allowable benefit will increase from $120 per month per participant to $230 per month. The Act sets the effective date of the increase as 1 March 2009.
Per this increase, MTBP POCs have been instructed to review their information on participants who currently receive the maximum monthly benefit and determine which participants will be eligible to receive an increase. Instructions have been issued to program POCs for submission of information on participants who are eligible for an increase.
Participants who currently receive the maximum monthly benefit and believe they are eligible to receive an increase should contact their local MTBP POC for assistance.
Read more here
Stimulus Package Increases Transit Benefit Allowance, Vanpools Included
February 27th, 2009 0 CommentsFrom The Washington Post on 2/26/09, by Lena H. Sun
Stimulus Fund Package Almost Doubles Allowance
Increased Subsidy Might Mean a Boost in Ridership on Longest Rail Commutes, Officials Say
Good news for transit riders: Starting Sunday, the monthly transit benefit allowance increases to $230 from the current $120, thanks to the recently enacted economic stimulus package.
The new federal legislation allows employers to subsidize their employees as much as $230 a month, or $2,760 a year, in public transportation benefits. Or an employee can receive the benefit as a pretax payroll deduction or some combination of the two.
In the Washington region, more than 189,000 employees from 400 federal agencies and 4,000 private employers use the benefit and participate in Metro’s SmartBenefits program. The Metro program allows employers to assign a dollar value of each employee’s monthly commuting benefit directly to their individual electronic SmarTrip cards. Employees take the cards to machines in Metrorail stations between the first and last day of the month to claim the benefit.
Riders can then use the benefit on Metrorail and Metrobus, to pay for parking in Metro facilities, on regional bus systems, registered van pools and on MARC and Virginia Railway Express. (Smart cards are not accepted by MARC or VRE, but commuters can have their benefits assigned and receive the tickets or passes they need.)
Read more of this article here.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Increases Transportation Fringe Benefit
February 25th, 2009 0 CommentsWashington – This week, Congress took action on the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” and included a provision that would increase the cap on the transit/vanpool portion of the transportation fringe benefit to $230 a month, the same as parking. The change approved today by the committee would correct the current inequity between the transit and parking portions of the commute benefit, which affects millions of commuters.
In a statement, Jon Martz, Vice President of VPSI, offered the following:
“The action taken today by Congress is an important step forward in providing the American worker with cost effective commute alternatives. There are hundreds of thousands of vanpoolers around the nation who utilize the transit benefit on their daily commutes. These vanpoolers help reduce congestion by taking as many as 14 cars of the road per vanpool and conserving hundreds of millions of gallons of fuel each year. In many states, the cost of utilizing a vanpool exceeds the current cap on the transit benefit. This provision will provide those workers with much needed tax relief and fairness by establishing equity between the transit/vanpool and parking portions of the commute benefit.
“I specifically want to thank Senator Schumer and Congressman McGovern for their tireless leadership on this important issue. Their leadership and efforts will help provide a cost effective way for millions of Americans to get to and from the jobs that this legislation intends to create.
“I am also encouraged by the commitment to spur economic stimulus by appropriating a significant amount of funding towards highway and transit projects. I am confident that these funds will help reduce congestion, conserve energy, clean the air, and create jobs.”
About VPSI, Inc.
Established in 1977 and headquartered in Troy MI, VPSI is the nation’s leading provider of commuter vanpool services. With offices in forty (40) major cities in the U.S. and Europe and more than 5,200 operating vanpools, VPSI provides an environmentally friendly public transportation option that saves commuters time and money.
Vanpools are a qualified mode of public transportation under the transportation fringe benefit and are one of the many ways companies can obtain credit towards LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. VPSI serves industries, governments, individuals and Fortune 500 employees around the world. For more information, please visit www.vpsiinc.com.
White Sands Missile Range Launches New Vanpool Program
February 24th, 2009 1 CommentWhite Sands Missile Range (WSMR) is located at the base of the beautiful Organ Mountains, west of White Sands National Monument. It is the premier test range in the world. The Army installation range is committed to testing for government agencies, the Department of Defense and both private entities and foreign countries. The Range covers two million acres (3200 square miles). WSMR is located about 30 miles one-way from Las Cruces, New Mexico, 50-miles from Alamogordo and 45-miles from El Paso, Texas.
White Sands Missile Range Vanpool
In August 2008, WSMR launched a VPSI vanpool program with leadership and support from Mr. Jeffrey Mack, Transportation Department. Immediately, over 200 employees signed up for the Federal Mass Transit Benefit. Three groups started vanpooling in September 2008 and as of February 2009, twenty-three active groups enjoy their new ride to work. Our special thanks to Jeffrey Mack, Josetta Leyva and Elaine Smith.
The Federal Mass Transit benefit provides a pre-tax allowance of up to $120 per month to eligible Federal employees (Military, Civilians or NAF members). Coupled with the tax-free, Federal Transit Benefit, vanpooling is an exceptionally cost-effective, safe and convenient alternative to driving to and from work alone, especially for these employees with longer commutes or those not well served by traditional fixed-route transit.
Elaine George, primary driver for her WSMR vanpool, explains her experience, “Since starting the vanpool in September 2008, not only have I saved on gas and wear and tear on my personal vehicle, but I don’t have to worry about parking. With so many people vanpooling now there is plenty of parking available. Vanpooling has also given me the opportunity to meet 13 new friends.
“Bringing this Program to White Sands was the best thing Management has ever done for us. I would also like to thank Alice Lee-Cook, Deb Asbacher, and Gael Parkinson for their continued fantastic assistance!”
Vanpool rider Brendalyn Dugger continues, “I think the biggest benefit to vanpooling is that I don’t ever have to drive my own car, or even drive at all. It’s nice to just get in and let someone else worry about driving.”
White Sands Missile Range Van
The program serves over 300 vanpoolers and each month saves them almost 400,000 commuting miles, reduces their fuel consumption by over 15,000 gallons and eliminates over 160 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
The advantages of the vanpool program is both environmental and financial. Many of WSMR employees realized that it pays them back to vanpool to work.
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Testimonials
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