As the national pioneer of the transit benefits field, we are very proud of the impact our business has had. Commuter Check now serves more than 40 cities with its transit voucher services, and numerous employers nationwide with its Commuter Check Premium product. In total, over 200,000 employees are served and over 8,000 employers have enrolled. Our business boosts public transportation revenues and ridership.

For example, Commuter Check has served the San Francisco Bay Area since 1991, and a 2006 survey of Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) riders confirmed that over 60 percent of employed peak period riders now receive transit benefits from their employer (either as fare subsidy or employee-paid pre-tax payroll deduction). The growth in employer participation has been constant and is in the largest measure attributable to Commuter Check’s marketing, the appeal and efficiency of its services, and its relationships with various partners in the Bay Area. It is estimated that Commuter Check has expanded Bay Area transit agency revenues at participating employers by over 20 percent. Similar impacts of Commuter Check programs have been seen in other cities. In short, Commuter Check has led the adoption of transit benefits nationwide.

Three other studies have also demonstrated the impacts and value of Commuter Check.

Three evaluations of the San Francisco Bay Area Commuter Check Program are summarized below. The first assessed the impacts of the program via a survey of participating employees. The second was primarily a customer satisfaction survey of participating employers. The third reviews employee assessment of the program at a prominent Bay Area employer.

Impacts of the Commuter Check program
In November 1994, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission commissioned a survey of Bay Area employees who receive transit subsidies in the form of Commuter Checks. Survey cards were sent to 239 Bay Area employers that purchased Commuter Checks for their employees. Approximately 1,800 survey cards were completed and returned by employees from 149 employers. The response rate from these 149 employers was estimated to be 45%.

Key findings of the survey are summarized as follows:
	•	About a third (31%) of the employees who receive Commuter Checks increased their use of transit. These employees reported an average increase of 3.24 transit trips per week. New transit trips were reported for both commuting and non-work purposes.
	•	The increase in transit use as a result of Commuter Check was more pronounced at employers outside San Francisco. Employees outside San Francisco reported an increase in transit commute trips of 48% compared to 25% in San Francisco.
	•	An estimated 17 million vehicle miles were removed from Bay Area roads in 1994 due to Commuter Check, and an estimated 61 million tons of pollutants were avoided.
	•	Most of the users who increased transit riding as a result of Commuter Check had been non-users or infrequent users.
	•	A large majority (79%) of respondents noted improved opinions of their employer as a result of receiving Commuter Checks, a third (35%) noted reduced stress from not driving to work or driving less often, and a third (33%) said job satisfaction had improved. Improvements in on-time arrival and productivity were also noted.

Commuter Check Customer Service survey
In September 1999, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) conducted a survey of Bay Area employers participating in Commuter Check. Commuter Check began in the Bay Area in 1991, and by August 1999, Commuter Checks had been sold to over 2000 employers. Through the mid-1990s, the program was expanding by approximately 35% a year. Since the pre-tax employee-paid option became available in June 1998, the rate of growth has exceeded 100%.

The survey was sent to approximately 1,350 employers who had ordered Commuter Checks within the previous 15 months.

Key findings of the survey are summarized as follows:
	•	38.5% of respondents chose to offer Commuter Check to improve their employee benefits package. 20% chose it to save money.
	•	91% of respondents said that there were no major obstacles in implementing Commuter Check.
	•	94.5% of respondents rated “excellent” or “good” when asked their overall satisfaction level with Commuter Check.
	•	94.8% of respondents said that orders arrived as anticipated.
Click here to view of the entire study.

Chronicle Books survey
Chronicle Books, an affiliate of the San Francisco Chronicle, has offered Commuter Check to their employees since 1993. Their program began by offering all employee not receiving parking a monthly $30 Commuter Check.

In 1995, Chronicle Books' employees were surveyed about the overall benefits package. Employees were asked to rank 15 benefits by how satisfied they were with each benefit, and also by the importance of each benefit.

The employees ranked Commuter Check second in the level of satisfaction provided, and sixth in importance (behind the "heavy hitters" of health coverage, vacation, dental plan, 401k and vision care). Approximately 20 percent of Chronicle Books' employees do not receive Commuter Check, suggesting that even higher ratings would have resulted if only the transit users were surveyed.

Kate M. Coldwell, Chronicle Books' Manager of Human Resources, noted, "We thought this was significant, especially given the low cost of the benefit. With Commuter Check, the benefit is immediate and employees are made aware of it every month. In addition, I always appreciate the ease of purchasing and using the vouchers."

Implemented in 1991, the Bay Area Commuter Check Program now (2005) involves over 5000 employers of all sizes and types.