Boulder-based company Commutifi has partnered with Liftango to create a program that gets employees to the office while reducing single-occupancy vehicle travel. The program is designed to take advantage of House Bill 22-1026, or the Alternative Transportation Options Tax Credit. The legislation allows for a 50% return on Transportation Demand Management (TDM) costs.
The house bill, originally drafted as HB 1138, would have required large employers to provide alternative transportation options for employees. While it is no longer a requirement, there is an incentive for companies to support employees who use transportation other than a single-occupancy vehicles from 2023-2024. The final details are still being worked out by the state, while a press release from Commutifi recommends looking into its program early to confirm if it is a viable option for individual companies.
By partnering with Liftango, Commutifi will be able to provide employers with alternative transportation options for their employees. Liftango provides carpool and transportation solutions. When combined with Commutifi’s data-driven programs that support commuters, the partnership creates a user-friendly system for both employees and companies. Overall, the goal is to lower emissions, reduce parking capacity issues and contribute to corporate sustainability.
Andy Keeton, head of Insights for Commutifi, said the program will work two ways: one side of the online web portal will be administration facing, the other side will be for employees to log their transportation choice. The program also uses data to find if it is worth using transportation other than single-occupancy vehicles.
“[Companies] are going to be able to start getting that 50% credit for the next two years, so we’re really trying to encourage employers [to] get started now and start spending that money,” Keeton said.
If companies do choose to take advantage of this program, Keeton said there should be a benefit to the environment. At this time, it’s unclear how much of an impact it will have once in use.
“If we can even encourage one person at a company [to use alternative transportation]... that’s going to be a net positive environmental impact no matter what, the question is how big,” Keeton said. “That really comes down to how many employers know that this exists and then decide to take some action on it.”
To begin working with this program, contact hello@commutifi.com. There will be a short conversation to determine the potential savings through this tax credit and then get started in using the Commutifi and Liftango program for free.
