Stamford Commuters Contest Federal Tax Benefit Changes

Local Metro-North commuters are thankful for the easy rides this winter, but do not count the potential elimination of a federal commuter tax benefit among their recent blessings.

"The federal government has nothing to do with Metro-North except for a tax benefit to encourage commuting," CT Metro-North Rail Commuter Council president Jim Cameron said.

Between 2009 and Jan. 1, 2012, the Commuter Transit Benefit was a $230 pre-tax, employer-provided benefit for subway riders in Connecticut and other states where mass-transit is prevalent.

The benefit was not extended in this form on Jan. 1, dropping the tax benefit to $125 a month for mass transit riders. Having received hundreds of letters from CT residents who want the full tax benefit restored, prominent state politicians such as Senator Richard Blumenthal (D) and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D), have announced that they are actively working in the interests of commuters.

“Transportation is the second largest household expense for American families struggling in an already tough economy," DeLauro said at a recent press conference in New Haven. Similarly, Sen. Blumenthal stated:

"Failure to extend this tax benefit will harm working families and small businesses, as well as clog the roads, contaminate our air, raise gasoline usage, cost consumers, and impose unfair discrimination against mass transit users...commuters face an unconscionable double whammy-- higher fares, and an effective tax increase, unless we do the right thing and renew the full $230 benefit.  I will enlist others in this fight for fairness."

The TIGER grant that was to the Stamford Transportation Center in December is not considered federal assistance. CRCC states that they are involved with restoring the federal tax credit on the behalf of Stamford commuters who've expressed concern.

Despite a which went into effect on Jan. 1, the 2012 "warm winter" has been good for commuters, according to Cameron, in comparison to 2011, when a large number of Metro-North trains required repairs, or shut down altogether. 

"The winter is going really well for the railroad. The older models had these electronic boxes hanging underneath them, and they literally sucked in snow. That's what happened, last year, when 150 cars stopped working," Cameron said. "We have had no complaints...the cars are overcrowded, but no one's complaining."