PEF members in the greater Albany area who use a CDTA (Captial District Transportation Authority) swiper card for bus service will see a change in the way they can save due to a CDTA fee hike.
Starting April 1, CDTA swiper cards will no longer be available for purchase through PEF Membership Benefits. In conjunction with the recently announced fare increase, CDTA has decided it must end the deep discount it historically offered to PEF and Civil Service Employees Association members.
Previously, the five-day card, which had a face value of $36, was offered to PEF members for $27.50.
“Years ago, people in the Capital District were unable to participate in the pre-tax transportation program which was restricted to the five boroughs of New York City. At the time the program started, CDTA received the money from the federal government to subsidize tickets to promote greater mass transit ridership,” said Robert Carrothers, PEF director of contract administration.
“That’s important, because CDTA lost the subsidy. In fact, it lost the subsidy several years ago, but continued the favorable pricing arrangement for PEF and members in other eligible negotiating units,” he said.
CDTA’s decision to raise fares and end the discounts was also based on the recent expansion of the pre-tax transportation program available to all New York state employees. This program allows employees to pay for their monthly transportation costs using pre-tax money, which can save the employee up to 40 percent of the ticket cost. In terms of actual cost, state employees receive a greater economic benefit by participating in the pre-tax program than from the discounted pricing, according to Carrothers.
“We have worked with the state and CDTA to try to get more favorable pricing,” Carrothers said. “We succeeded in obtaining a 10 percent discount over the face value, and given that state employees are likely the single largest group of employees using swiper passes, we were hopeful additional discounts could be obtained. So far, we’ve made little progress in expanding the discount, but we are pleased the discount continues to apply to the increased fares.”
Beginning April 1, the five-day pass which has a face value of $55, will be offered to NYS-Ride enrollees for $49.50.
The NYS-Ride program is open to all state employees who are members in an eligible negotiating unit and receive biweekly paychecks from the Office of the State Comptroller. A minimum of two successive bi-weekly payroll deductions is necessary to start purchasing cards. Members should also be aware WageWorks commuter debit cards will not be accepted for CDTA purchases.
Commuting costs are paid through convenient pre-tax payroll deductions that save money each payday. If your commuting costs are higher than the pre-tax maximum of $120 per month, the remainder is deducted on a post-tax basis.
The plan offers flexibility to change your election each month if your needs change. You can order your monthly transit pass or vanpool voucher at nysride.com or by calling WageWorks customer service at 1-866-428-7781.
