Metro officials are rethinking a plan to change riders’ SmartBenefits after an outpouring of anger and confusion over a provision that called for returning unused fare money each month to employers.
The transit agency said late last month that it would change how it administered the employee benefit plan that gives riders up to $230 to pay for transit through their employers. Some companies or federal agencies give the benefit to employees, others allow workers to pay for it with their pre-tax wages.
The move upset riders whose SmartBenefits use pre-tax wages, fearing they might lose their money. Human resources managers walked out of explanatory meetings. It also angered some transit advocates such as Greater Greater Washington’s David Alpert for delaying planned improvements to the plastic farecard system. Others were confused as to how they would know how much money they had left during a month.
“Over the past couple of weeks, we have heard a lot of comments from customers about this change in SmartBenefits,” General Manager John Catoe said in an online chat. “I’ve decided that we need to rethink the changes that we are making.”
“Over the past couple of weeks, we have heard a lot of comments from customers about this change in SmartBenefits,” General Manager John Catoe said in an online chat. “I’ve decided that we need to rethink the changes that we are making.”
His announcement came a day after a presentation to the Metro board on the plan was postponed without explanation. A draft of the unheard presentation called for letting employers choose whether to use the existing system or have the benefits revert to them.
Catoe has not offered details as to how he may change the plan, only promising that he would have more information in the next few weeks.
The delay could force Metro to create a less complicated plan. The change was supposed to begin Jan. 1, but with less than two months until then, human resources managers will have little time to learn the new rules, educate their employees and let them make changes.
HR managers had to scramble earlier this year to adapt to the program: the federal government increased the maximum benefit this spring from $120 to $230 per month. Some 207,000 people use the program through Metro, with many federal employees getting the full benefit as a job perk.
