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Washington, D.C. —In letters to members of both the House and Senate, President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) strongly urged support for legislation that would prevent a significant reduction in the mass transit benefit currently used by a great many federal workers.

“Many working people, including tens of thousands of federal employees who use public transportation to get to and from work, rely on this critical benefit, which provides much-needed relief in their commuting costs,” the NTEU leader wrote.

Without legislation, the current monthly mass transit benefit of $230, which equals the current parking tax benefit, would revert to $120 per month after Dec. 31. Pending legislation—H.R. 2412 and S. 1034, the Commuter Benefits Equity Act—would prevent the reduction by establishing permanent parity between the parking and mass transit portions of the transportation fringe benefit.

“Retaining the current monthly transit subsidy encourages greater transit ridership, which helps lessen congestion on roadways, reduces pollution and conserves energy,” President Kelley wrote. She added: “It certainly makes no sense for the government to provide workers using environmentally-helpful mass transit a lesser benefit than those driving and parking personal vehicles,” she said.

The NTEU leader reminded House members and senators the transit benefit was increased to $230 per month in earlier legislation, and in 2010, Congress acted to extend it through the end of this year. Impacted federal employees who are already subjected to a two-year pay freeze are struggling in the current economic climate, she wrote, emphasizing that “a reduction in these benefits would impose a severe financial burden on them.”

NTEU is the nation’s largest independent union of federal employees, representing 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.