By Lee Davidson

| The Salt Lake Tribune

The Utah Transit Authority is not happy that the federal government is now giving twice as much financial incentive for commuters to drive and park than to take mass transit.

"We feel there should be parity in the benefits for parking and transit," UTA spokesman Gerry Carpenter says, and notes the agency has contacted Utah’s members of Congress and relevant committees to push for that — along with other transit agencies nationally.

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On New Year’s Day, the amount of money commuters are permitted to take out of their paychecks tax-free to pay for transit fares or van pools dropped to $125 a month, down from $230 a month.

Meanwhile, the parking benefit was increased from $230 to $240 a month.

That happened because Congress failed to extend the transit benefit before a sunset provision took effect. But the parking benefit is permanent, with built-in increases.

"We feel there is danger in incentivizing driving over public transportation. If you incentivize driving, people are going to be more likely to drive their car and park than they will to take public transit," Carpenter said, adding that will bring "increased congestion, more time wasted in traffic and poorer air quality."

The American Public Transportation Association — which represents transit agencies nationwide — is also pushing to get Congress on board for restoring higher transit benefits, which had been raised in 2009 as part of the economic stimulus package.

"Federal tax law should not have a bias in favor of one method of commuting over another," APTA President Michael Melaniphy said in a press release. "It is time to get this country back to work. Every American deserves a fair opportunity to access jobs, including those who chose to take congestion-reducing, environmentally responsible public transportation."

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said Thursday he and others will make a major effort to restore higher transit benefits as Congress prepares to reconvene and consider other tax provisions.

"The fact that this transit tax credit expired as the clock struck 12 on New Year’s is unacceptable, and I’m going to do everything I can to see the full extension of these commuting benefits," he said at a Staten Island train station on Thursday while announcing his push.