Boston councilor proposal would mandate companies to allow employees to use pretax income to pay for CharlieCard

BOSTON — If you’re the type to pay for your CharlieCard or commuter rail pass on a daily or weekly basis, a proposal could help encourage you to pay on a monthly basis using pre-tax income.

Some believe it may also encourage more companies to offer better commuter benefit programs.

“Every single day every single week it does add up,” said Hannah McLean.

It’s a cost that can creep up for T and commuter rail riders, especially those who pay for it as they go.

“It’s super expensive to take the T for a week. That’s two of my meals,” said Charlotte Hardin, commuter.

District 1 Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards is proposing an ordinance she believes would give employees at companies throughout the city an incentive to purchase monthly passes, and save money doing so.

“It makes sense I get this benefit, why wouldn’t I fight for my constituents to have the same thing?" Edwards said.

Edwards wants to make it a mandate for companies to at least give employees the option of using pre-tax income to pay for monthly transit passes.

A pre-tax benefit is already offered by the City of Boston and many private companies.

“Everyone is required to offer this as a benefit. We’re hoping people benefit up and provide more transportation benefits to their employees,” Edwards said.

“It would make more companies aware of how to offer this to their employees,” said Scott Rogers, commuter.

A growing list of major U.S. cities including New York and San Francisco have already give the thumbs up to similar transit benefit ordinances.

But some Bostonians we spoke with, whose employers already offer the benefit, aren’t so sure it’s enough of an incentive.

“My company offers it but it’s such a pain to get it set up with the paperwork,” said Maddie Werner. “I feel like the company should make it easy for us millennials in the job market to figure it out.”

“I think the system needs to be fixed. The incentive isn’t going to drive more people to use the T," said Nancy Antin.

Some business leaders aren’t sold on it, either.

The president and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce told Boston 25 News:

We have always and will continue to encourage our employers to incentivize their employees to use public transportation. However we are reluctant to support any kind of mandate on employers.”

“They’re not critical of the benefit, they’re critical of government in business, and that’s their job,” said Edwards.

The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce has been focusing on a different strategy in recent months to encourage T ridership, calling on state leaders to consider pricing strategies.

Meantime, Edwards will be calling for a hearing on the proposed transit benefit ordinance at Wednesday’s City Council meeting, and is pushing to have it passed this year.

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