Transit Benefit Program Requirements and Expectations Reminder

BROADCAST MESSAGE

TO: All U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Employees

FROM: Linda J. Washington, Acting Assistant Secretary for Administration

RE: Transit Benefit Program Requirements and Expectations

The purpose of this message is to provide notice to all DOT managers, supervisors, and transit benefit participants of the requirements and expectations related to the transit benefit program and the serious consequences associated with any violations of these requirements.

By signing the certification statement in the transit benefit application, each employee participating in the transit benefit program is entering into a contract with the U.S. Government which states:

• You are not named on a worksite parking permit at any Federal agency, nor otherwise participating in a carpool.
• You are using transit benefits only for your regular home to work transportation, and will not transfer or sell the fare media to anyone else.
• The amount of transit benefits you receive does not exceed your actual monthly commuting cost by public transportation.
• It is a violation of law to provide false or fraudulent information to obtain transit benefits, or to transfer or sell transit benefits.
• You are responsible for adjusting your transit benefit amount upon changes to your commuting methods or work schedules such as extended leaves or telecommuting.

It is imperative that employees familiarize themselves with these requirements as violations can result in revocation of transit benefits privileges and other serious consequences up to and including removal from Federal service.

To protect the integrity of the transit benefits program, the Department will be implementing an increased level of oversight to ensure all participants are complying with these provisions and that any misuse or abuse is addressed promptly and effectively. For example, the Department will be enlisting managers and supervisors to verify and approve their employees’ eligibility to participate in the program and the amount of their transit benefit. In the weeks to come, we will be providing additional information and guidance