The District of Columbia has officially re-opened and many organizations and businesses are planning their transition back to the physical worksite. As more employees return to their regular commute, there are many ways that you can help increase their confidence in using public transit again. While employees are planning their trips to work, they may have questions about reinstating their pre-tax benefits or subsidies for transit or vanpools. Additionally, over the past year, we've received some questions related to DC Commuter Benefits Law compliance that we've addressed below in order to help you meet those requirements....

This new year brings a welcomed spirit of new beginnings and the perfect opportunity to rethink your commute. Will you be returning to the office full-time or a few days a week? Have you considered resuming your pre-pandemic commute? Are you exploring other travel options for getting to work? You should ask yourself these questions, among others, when considering the commute that best meets your needs....

Is your workforce prepared for natural disasters like flooding, hurricanes, and earthquakes; extreme heat or cold; snow or ice storms; or pandemics like the coronavirus (COVID-19)? The public health emergency requires new levels of preparedness to stay safe, even while workers are spending more time at home. Knowing what to expect ahead of time—and what’s expected of you—goes a long way toward protecting your business and keeping employees safe. Due to COVID-19, many organizations had to quickly adapt and allow employees to start teleworking without a formal policy in place. In fact, a growing number of employers plan to continue allowing employees to telework for the foreseeable future. Working from home may be the "new normal" moving forward. To help you better adjust, goDCgo provides complimentary assistance in developing a formal telework policy for your company as well as guidance on developing an effective transportation program for employees....

If you work nontraditional or late-night hours, you may find that you are left with fewer commute options to get to and from work. Since the public health crisis, public transit and other commonly used travel options have become even more limited in order to encourage people to stay home, practice social distancing, and ultimately protect the safety and well-being of commuters....

Prepare yourselves! This summer, WMATA will initiate phase two of its Platform Improvement Project by reconstructing platforms at four Orange Line stations and connecting the Silver Line to new stations in Metro's network. To finish the project on time, all stations west of Ballston will be closed starting Saturday, May 23, 2020: Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church, East Falls Church, Wiehle-Reston East, Spring Hill, Greensboro, Tysons Corner, and McLean. Ballston-MU station will remain open and serve as the western destination on the Orange Line. Silver Line service will be temporarily suspended. You should allow extra travel time and start planning alternatives if your commute will be affected.* *Please be sure to check the transit providers' websites for any updates or changes to schedules given the public health crisis....

Initially, women were only celebrated on International Women's Day on March 8. In 1978, this day extended to become Women's History Week and the movement expanded nationwide as other communities initiated their own celebratory observations. Two years later, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the week of March 8, 1980 as National Women’s History Week. Subsequent presidents continued to proclaim a National Women’s History Week in March until 1987 when Congress passed a law designating March as Women’s History Month....

Welcome to the new decade! Starting January 1st, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) increases the monthly pre-tax deduction limit for transportation fringe benefits from $265 to $270; that's $5 more towards your transit or vanpool expenses! So, make sure to let your employer know if you'd like to increase your commuter benefits election. Not yet saving money on the cost of your public transportation or vanpool to work? Let's fix that! Whether you’re an employer or employee, we can give you the tools you need to gain a competitive edge or to save time and money on your commute. Visit goDCgo.com/commuter for transportation options and resources to help you explore a new commute....

Are you a DC organization with 20 or more employees? The DC Commuter Benefits Law requires businesses (including non-profits) with 20 or more employees (full-time or part-time) in DC to offer commuter benefits. Starting on November 14, 2019, businesses operating in Washington, DC that are not in compliance with the DC Commuter Benefits Law, will be subject to fines. What are the fines for non-compliance? For the first offense, each month that a business is not in compliance could result in a fine of $100 per covered employee. Repeat offenders would see fines of $200 per employee for the second offense, $400 per employee for the third offense, and $800 per employee for subsequent offenses. To review the regulation in the Notice of Final Rulemaking, click here....

Since launching in 2010, goDCgo has continued to have a major influence on DC commuters choosing to travel sustainably. goDCgo is an initiative of the District Department of Transportation and the leading resource for sustainable transportation information and options in Washington, DC. We work with DC employers and residential and hospitality industries to provide complimentary consulting services to encourage and support the use of active transportation and public transit. Our goal serves to decrease traffic congestion, improve air quality, and create a better quality of life in the DC area for commuters, residents, and visitors....

Thank you and congratulations to all of our employers and commuters who participated in the first-ever goDCgo Commuter Challenge! Participating organizations included the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), the DC Department of Energy and Environment (DDOE), the World Bank Group, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), Washington Gas, Community of Hope, and TCG. We hope everyone enjoyed the competition and was inspired to turn this challenge into a forever lifestyle. Thanks to your efforts, we’ve collectively logged over 8,500 clean trips, burned 753,440 calories, saved 106,100 pounds of carbon emissions, and reduced 90,400 car miles during the month of September. This just goes to show that making the choice to walk, bike, or take public transit even one day a week can help make DC a greener city. YOU have the power to make a difference!...