TSB-2013-09 Save Award: Opportunity for Senior Rates
TRANSIT BENEFIT PROGRAM BULLETIN
Bulletin No: TSB 2013-09
Date: March 25, 2013
SUBJECT: Save Award: Opportunity for Senior Rates
Purpose: To inform eligible Federal Transit Benefit Participants of the opportunity to save Federal dollars for their agency.
BACKGROUND: In 2009, President Obama launched the SAVE Award (Securing Americans Value and Efficiency), seeking ideas from federal employees to make government more effective and efficient and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. In December 2012, the winning submission proposed that all federal employees who receive public transit benefits shift from regular transit fare to the reduced senior fare as soon as they are eligible. In the D.C. area the change will lower the cost of the transit subsidy by 50 percent. http://www.whitehouse.gov/save-award
INFORMATION: In the D.C. area, WMATA offers a senior rate of 50 percent off of peak fares. Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and Maryland Area Regional Commuter Train (MARC) offer discounts of up to 50 percent, depending on the route. The age to start receiving these discounts is 65. According to a 2007 survey conducted by the American Public Transportation Association, 57% of the responding transit authorities offered a fare discount for seniors. http://www.apta.com/gap/policyresearch/Documents/report_public_transportation_programs_seniors_dec_2007.pdf
ACTION: Check with your transit authority and follow their procedures to register for the senior discount. In the D.C area the senior discount program enrollment steps are found on the following websites:
- WMATA http://www.wmata.com/fares/reduced.cfm
- VRE http://vre.org/programs/seniors.htm
- MARC http://mta.maryland.gov/senior-reduced-fare-program
If you have any questions regarding this bulletin you may email us at: transerve@dot.gov .