Programs: Employer Support Program
DART's Employer Support Program (ESP), which was established
in 1974, enables participating employers to offer a tax-free
subsidy for their employees who use transit for their commute.
Currently, around 50 organizations in the Des Moines area
offer this benefit, paying up to 100% of employees' monthly
transit fares.
 Why
Should Your Company Participate?
Employer
Benefits
Employee
Benefits
Tax-Free
Transit Benefits
A
Program for Every Budget
Everyone
Wins
We're
Here to Help You
Companies
Already Participating
Why Should Your Company Participate?
Whether you have 5 employees or over 5,000 employees, it
just makes good business sense to participate. This transit
benefit not only encourages employees to use public transit
to commute to work, it also reduces the need for available
employee parking and helps reduce traffic congestion and air
pollution. Now there are tax incentives to make participating
in DART's ESP an even better deal for employers and their employees.
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Employer Benefits
- An innovative incentive that gives you the competitive
edge in attracting and retaining employees.
- An affordable option that can save your business money
by reducing the need for parking.
- Tax savings are available when your business pays all
or part of the monthly transit fares for employee.
- An option to subsidize the program as a benefit, in addition
to compensation.
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Employee Benefits
- A savings of hundreds of dollars in annual commuting costs
including less wear and tear on cars and savings on maintenance,
fuel, insurance and parking bills.
- A stress free commute that gets employees to the office
on time and ready to work.
- The convenience of getting their monthly bus pass at the
office.
Tax-Free Transit Benefits
It really does pay to participate in ESP! The transit commuter
benefit allows employers to give their employees up to $115 per month to cover transit or vanpool commuting costs as a
tax-free benefit. The employer's cost of providing this benefit
can be deducted as a normal business expense. Even better,
unlike ordinary wage payments, employers do not have to pay
their share of Federal Payroll taxes on transit commuter benefits.
This savings alone is usually more than enough to cover any
cost of administering the program.
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A Program for Every Budget
Increasingly, employers, as a matter of policy, are offering
fully subsidized transit benefits to employees. Some employers
do so to reward employees for their contributions and accomplishments.
Others are subsidizing a portion of the monthly fares and
allowing the employees the option to fund the balance from
pre-tax income. If your company cannot cover the cost of the
benefit this year, you may want to consider a pre-tax deduction
program. By establishing a pre-tax deduction program, you
permit your employees to exchange part of their gross income
for employer-provided transit or vanpool costs.
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Everyone Wins
Participating in ESP is an opportunity to make a positive
impact on the environment by reducing congestion on roadways
and improving air quality. With DART's ESP, everyone living
and working in the Des Moines area is a winner, especially
with the heavy traffic congestion predicted during the reconstruction
of I-235.
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We're Here to Help You
DART's ESP is as user-friendly for the employer as it is for
the employee. We'll help you create and set up the Employer
Support Program that meets your needs. Our employees will
provide the necessary support services to make your program
a success.
To enroll in DART's Employer Support Program, simply give
us a call at 283-8111. A representative of the DART
will be available to answer your questions and explain your
transit options.
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Companies Already Participating
ADP-National Service Center
Alliance Technologies
Allied Group
American Republic Insurance
Amerus
Bankers Trust
Belin, Harris, Helmick & Heartney
Blood Center of Iowa
Brown Winick Law Firm
Broadlawns/Primary Health Care
Business Capital Corporation
Cahaba GBA
CICIL
City of Des Moines
Civic Center of Greater Des Moines
Communications Data Service
Davis, Brown, Koehne, Shors, Roberts
The Des Moines Register
Duncan, Green, Brown, Langeness, Eckley
Employers Mutual Life
Hotel Fort Des Moines
ING
Iowa Lutheran Hospital
Iowa Methodist Hospital
Iowa Student Loan
Iowa Title
Katecho
Kemin Industries
Life Care Services
Marsh
Mercy Hospital
Meredith Corporation
Metro Waste Authority
Mid American Energy
Nyemaster
One Beacon Insurance
Peddicord & Wharton
Polk County
Principal Financial Group, Inc.
Ruan Companies
U.S. District Court
Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Iowa
Wells Fargo Mortgage
Younkers
July 2007
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