TransitCenter, Inc.

Moving America to Mass Transit

One of the best ways to reduce air pollution, traffic congestion and dependence on foreign oil is to get more people out of their cars and onto mass transit.  Yet 77% of Americans still drive to work alone.   Fewer than five percent use public transportation.

The nonprofit TransitCenter engaged Makovsky to raise the profile of TransitChek®, the first commuter benefits program in the nation, and encourage lawmakers to raise the amount of pretax income that workers could use to pay for mass transit through their employer-sponsored benefits programs.

Our efforts paid off big time, generating millions of media impressions and increasing awareness from 42% to 53%.   Today, in companies that offer commuter benefits, 62% of employees participate.  And the Federal stimulus package just signed into law has almost doubled the transit cap by increasing the pretax savings to commuters from $120 to $230.