Another Try Possible on Transit Subsidies

Although House-Senate conferees on a highway bill dropped a provision that would have increased the subsidies that agencies may pay to their employees to use mass transit or van pools in commuting, the plan may yet pass Congress this year, officials say. The Senate added language to the highways measure to increase the monthly tax-free maximum from the current $105 to $155, effective in 2006. House members didn’t object to the increase but considered the issue one of benefits, not transportation. The proposal may be tacked onto another bill, perhaps one affecting tax or benefits policies, in the fall.