Metro News Release

For immediate release: February 25, 2009

SmartBenefits® allowance to increase to $230 a month in March

Federal legislation ups transit benefit

Employers and employees will see the transit benefit allowance increase to $230 a month beginning March 1, thanks to the recently-enacted economic stimulus package that raises the tax-free or pre-tax transit benefit for workers from $120 a month.

The new federal legislation enables employers to offer their employees up to $230 a month, or $2,760 a year, in public transportation benefits, or allows an employee to receive the transit benefit as a pre-tax payroll deduction, or some combination of the two.

In the Washington region, employers and employees taking advantage of the commuter benefit program use SmartBenefits®.

Metro’s SmartBenefits® program allows employers to electronically administer the transit benefit program and directly load the benefit to their employees’ SmarTrip® cards. Area workers can use the transit benefit on Metrorail and Metrobus, on regional bus systems including ART, CUE, DASH, George, Ride On, Fairfax Connector, Loudoun County Transit, PRTC, The Bus and the DC Circulator, registered van pools, and MARC and VRE commuter rail.

To date, approximately 400 federal agencies and 4,000 private employers participate in the SmartBenefits® program. Their participation provides valuable transit benefits to more than 189,000 employees in the region.

For more information about Metro’s SmartBenefits® program, visit http://www.wmata.com/business/employer_fare_program/. Area federal and private employers also are invited to attend a free SmartBenefits® seminar to learn about the transit incentive program on Wednesday, March 4. The seminar will take place from 8:45 a.m. to noon at Metro headquarters, 600 Fifth Street, NW. Employers wishing to participate in the seminars can register by clicking on SmartBenefits® on MetroOpensDoors.com.

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News release issued at 2:15 pm, February 25, 2009.