DENVER — There is a lot riding on people using public transit, carpooling and finding greener ways to commute, like the air we breathe.
But for some people, it still isn't enough to change their habits. State leaders realized they needed to sweeten the deal. So back in 2022, the Colorado legislature passed a bill called the Alternative Transportation Options Tax Credit.
Nisha Mokshagundam works with the Denver Regional Council of Governments, and Audrey DeBarros is the executive director for the nonprofit Commuting Solutions.
They say the tax credit essentially allows businesses with three or more employees to get money back on investments they make into green transportation, whether that's subsidizing RTD rides or Ubers.
"If an employer would like to buy a few bikes and helmets and employees can use a bike during their lunch hour or to run an errand instead of driving," DeBarros said.
The program is in its pilot phase right now, with some of the rulemaking still in the works and efforts underway to get the word out.
Businesses can get up to $1,000 in tax credits per employee.
"Over a decade, we've been engaged in a voluntary program and what we find is that when an employer supports eco-friendly commuting, those long-term behavior changes are much more likely to happen and be sustained," said Mokshagundam.
"We're here to make a case that there's strong interest from the private sector so that hopefully, this funding opportunity will continue long-term or become a part of something even bigger. So that's really our metric of success is that this has some lasting power to it," DeBarros said.
You can get involved by reaching out to the Denver Regional Council of Governments or Commuting Solutions.
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