Commuter Benefits Program

SCOE participates in the Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program. This is an initiative designed to reward employees who help reduce air pollution and traffic congestion by decreasing single-occupant commute trips. The program provides financial incentives for employees who help reduce air pollution and traffic congestion by carpooling or bicycling to work.

Thank you for your participation in this program. By carpooling and biking to work, you are helping reduce traffic congestion and protect the environment.

Who can participate?

All SCOE employees are eligible for this voluntary program.

What are the financial incentives?

Employees who carpool to work are eligible for a financial reward of $3 per day for each day that they carpool. Employees who ride a bicycle to work at least 10 times per month are eligible for a financial reward of $20 per month.

How do I sign up?

To participate, employees should follow the these steps.

• Register on the SCOE Commute Reward, which is part of the 511 system. Look for the Register To Join button to create your profile and password..
• Your Sonoma Commute Rewards account will provide a Trip Diary for recording your commuting trips. Log into your account to record your trips in the Trip Diary no later than the last working day of the month. It is recommended that you record your trips weekly. You must complete your monthly Trip Diary to receive the incentives paid by SCOE.

How do I receive my commute reward?

At the end of each month, SCOE will verify the information in your Trip Diary and issue a supplemental paycheck for the reward amount you are due. Note that it may take up to 60 days for your reward to be processed. The supplemental paycheck that includes your commute reward will be taxed. Please check with your tax advisor for any potential tax benefit for these commuter subsidies.

Is there anything else I need to know?

Sonoma Commute Rewards provides some additional rewards for participating commuters. These incentives are not funded by SCOE.

Sonoma Commute Rewards offers the following:

• Trip planning tools and carpool matching
• Earn points that go toward gift cards of ones choosing
• Emergency Ride Home credits (4 credits per year)

This program complies with current California Government Code requirements that enacted a regional commuter benefits ordinance for the Bay Area, including Sonoma County.