[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 6, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E15]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  THE CREATING OPPORTUNITIES TO MOTIVATE MASS-TRANSIT UTILIZATION TO 
                          ENCOURAGE RIDERSHIP

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                         HON. MARK STEVEN KIRK

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 6, 2009

  Mr. KIRK. Madam Speaker, as our economy continues to struggle, an 
immediate and cost-effective way to offer relief to consumers is to 
provide incentives for mass transit use. According to a study published 
by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), public 
transportation use in the U.S. saves an annual 1.4 billion gallons of 
gasoline. Factoring in the current average gasoline price of $1.65 per 
gallon, public transit saves consumers more than $2 billion in gas 
costs per year.
  Greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles also pose a severe 
threat to our environment, as emissions from our transportation sector 
account for nearly a third of all U.S. emissions. Public transit, 
however, reduces CO2 emissions by 37 million metric tons annually. This 
is equivalent to the electricity used by nearly five million homes. If 
we want to get serious about emissions reductions, we must get serious 
about investing in public transit.
  Current law allows businesses, governments, non-profits and employees 
to purchase tax-free transit benefits. However. there is no tax 
incentive for employers to directly subsidize their workers' 
transportation costs. The bipartisan Creating Opportunities to Motivate 
Mass-transit Utilization To Encourage Ridership (COMMUTER) Act of 2008 
offers employers a 50 percent tax credit for all transit benefits 
provided to employees, up to $115 per employee per month. Under the 
COMMUTER Act, employees could receive up to $1,380 in free mass transit 
funds each year, with the employer receiving $690 in tax credits per 
employee. As family budgets continue to tighten, an extra $1,400 to 
$2,800 could help ease the burdens of health care and education or help 
bolster retirement savings.
  A study recently conducted by BusinessWeek Research Services 
estimates that 53 percent of employees in Chicago, San Francisco and 
New York would take public transportation if their employer provided 
access to current transit benefits. Out of the respondents, 60 percent 
said their company does not provide tax-free commuter benefits.
  I believe we must work to provide long-term solutions to our energy 
crisis, such as passing long-term tax incentives for research and 
development of renewable and alternative energy, fuels and vehicles; 
eliminating the so-called boutique fuels and offering the nation one 
clean burning fuel; financing energy development projects in China, 
central Asia and the Gulf to meet Chinese energy needs apart from oil; 
and increasing fuel economy standards.
  But our economy, environment and national security cannot wait ten, 
twenty or thirty years for the entire restructuring of our energy 
policy--we need to take action now. I am proud to offer the COMMUTER 
Act with Representatives Dan Lipinski (D-IL) Judy Biggert (R-IL) and 
Peter Roskam (R-IL) and to help provide that immediate relief. I hope 
Congress will act swifly and in a bipartisan manner to pass this 
important legislation.

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