ORS > DATS > Transhare > Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Application Questions
- I don't seem able to apply for Transhare online (through CAPS). Why?
  - If you have parking privileges (a parking hanger), you will not be able to apply online until you turn in your NIH parking hanger. You can receive a temporary parking permit for your dashboard for the day you plan to drive in and return your permit to the Parking Office. While at the office to return the permit, it is recommended you apply for the NIH Transhare (or other susbidy program). Please email the NIH Parking Office, nihparkingoffice@ors.od.nih.gov to receive your temporary permit.
- How is the Transit benefit amount determined?
  - The Internal Revenue Code (IRC), section 132(f) (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-18-57.pdf) is the specific law that regulates the amount that an employer is allowed to give.
- My SmarTrip® card has been lost/stolen or it has stopped working. What should I do?
  - For more information, please visit our page, Replacing Lost or Broken SmarTrip® Cards.
- How do I apply to receive the monthly transit subsidy?
  - NIH Transhare applications can be submitted online, in person, by email, or via fax at (301) 480-0854.
    
    Please note that regardless of the submittal method, if you need a SmarTrip^® card, you will have to come to the NIH Parking Office in person, Monday through Friday, 8:00AM-4:00PM. If you would rather not have to come to the Parking Office, or it is difficult you can always purchase a SmarTrip card from Metro or another retailer.
- How do I determine my month commuting costs?
  - Depending on the transit provider, you may have to calculate your monthly costs. A good tool for this is WMATA’s trip planner which determines one-way trip cost for a majority of the Washington, DC area. Then just multiply your one-way costs by 2 to get your daily. Once you have your daily, multiply by the total number of work days in an average month to obtain your monthly costs. Any days you regularly telework should be subtracted from your total monthly commuting days.
    
    Work Schedule
    
    Typical Commuting Days in a Month
    
    8 hour days
    
    20
    
    AWS, 5/4/9
    
    18
    
    AWS, 4/10
    
    16
    
    Part time
    
    Varies
    
    Example: 8 hour days
    
    One-Way costs: $3.20 x 2 = $6.40 Daily x 20 work days = $128 monthly costs
- How do I check to see if my application has been approved and processed?
  - If you submitted your application online, you will receive an email confirmation, stating that your application is being processed. Once your application has been approved, you will receive another email to complete your process and some further information. Our system will also generate automatic emails for modifications, renewals and terminations. Please do not reply to these emails. Contact the NIH Parking Office if necessary, (301) 496-5050.
    
    If you submit your application in person, you will receive confirmation before you leave the Parking Office.
- I just found out about the program, but I have been taking mass transportation for some time. Can I be reimbursed for these expenses?
  - No, unfortunately we cannot provide reimbursements for personal money previously spent on mass transportation before an employee enrolls in the NIH Transhare program.
- Do I need a SmarTrip® Card if I ride in a Vanpool, MARC, VRE, Commuter Bus, Metro Access etc.?
  - Yes, the card is the mechanism that enables NIH to provide your monthly subsidy. For these modes of transit you must use either CommuterDirect.com (VRE & MARC) or WMATA's allocation system (vanpools, commuter buses and all other non-SmarTrip,^® enabled modes of transit). For more information please visit our page, full listing is provided Using Your SmarTrip,^® Card.
Member Questions
- How do I use transit benefits on a mode of transit that is not SmarTrip® enabled (i.e vanpool, MARC, VRE, etc.)?
  - Instructions vary by provider, but generally an allocation to your desired transit provider must be established with WMATA. For more details and specific instructions for your transit provider, please see, Using your SmarTrip® card.
- Can I use transit benefits to pay for parking?
  - No. Parking costs have never been allowed as part of the NIH Transhare Program. This rule is outlined in our Transhare Policy, as well as in numerous other federal agencies. Program participants must certify annual to not use the benefits to pay for parking or receive parking benefits.
    
    The subsidy that NIH issues on SmarTrip cards will not be permitted to pay for parking at Metro facilities. Personal funds can be loaded in the stored value purse on the SmarTrip Card to pay for parking. Even if you have $270 in your transit benefit purse, you cannot pay for parking with transit benefit funds!
- What if I change positions at NIH? What if I change from a fellow to an employee?
  - As long as your NED record (or your NIH ID) remains active, you will continue to receive your transit subsidy.
- How can I update or change information in my NIH Enterprise Directory “NED” account?
  - Please check your NED (https://ned.nih.gov) record to confirm your work and personal contact information is up to date and ready to receive messages from NIH. To access and/or update your NED profile, please follow these steps:
    Click on the NED link (https://ned.nih.gov)
    Click on the link "Update Your Information"
    Log into NED
    Under the Self Service tab on the left side, select "Update My Record"
    Under the Personal Information section, confirm all personal contact information is up to date
    If changes need to be made, select the "Edit" button and update the information
    When finished, scroll to the bottom, check the "I Agree" box and select "Continue"
    Next, scroll to the bottom of the page and under the section titled, "AlertNIH Notifications," click on the "Edit" tab
    Confirm the personal contact information you want to receive emergency notifications to is included in the "Send AlertNIH Notifications" box by highlighting it and moving it using the arrow button
    Once complete, select the "Continue" button to return to the main screen
    Click on the "Submit" button to complete the update and exit your record
    On the main screen, logout of NED using the drop down box under your name.
- My monthly transportation cost is $300 per month. How much will I receive starting February 1, 2019?
  - You will automatically receive maximum subsidy amount of $270 per month.
- My monthly transportation cost is $60 per month. Can I take advantage of the new maximum subsidy amount?
  - No. You are only allowed to receive your actual commuter costs (e.g., $60) – that is, the costs for commuting between your home and worksite.
- With the new increase will I have to make any changes in your CAPS system to my account?
  - No. The NIH Parking Office staff will automatically adjust subsidy benefits for those with a SmartBenefits account to reflect each individual’s transit cost based on their Transhare Application of record.
- What if I do not have a SmartBenefits account? Will I have to take any action because of this?
  - If you ride MARC, VRE, MTA Commuter Bus, or in a vanpool and have an allocation assignment of benefits established with WMATA, there are additional steps you need to take. We will send an additional email with instructions to those affected.
- My SmarTrip card has been lost/stolen or it has stopped working. What should I do?
  - For more information, please visit our page, Replacing Lost or Broken SmarTrip® Cards.
- I have recently moved or my method of commuting has changed. How can I adjust my monthly commuting costs?
  - This can be done 24 hours a day online through our CAPS system. For more information or other options to change your information please see our Modification page.
- I need to drive to work today because I have a Doctor’s appointment, or I need to take my child to school. How can I get a temporary parking permit?
  - NIH Transhare members are authorized up to six (6) temporary parking permits per calendar quarter (e.g. Jan.-Mar). Each day will be counted as one of the authorized six per quarter. Members cannot carry over unused permits from quarter to quarter.
    
    Members who work on campus are authorized to print their temporary permits off online through the CAPS system. After logging in to the system, please choose “Print Temporary Permit,” and your permit will be generated to print at your computer. Please note, that every time the submit button is pressed, another permit is charged against your six per quarter. It is strongly recommended that you ensure there are no problems with your printer before printing.
    
    Permit requests can be made up to 14 days in advance of the requested date.
    
    Permit requests for other worksites may be made in person, via email, or over the phone, (301) 496-5050. Permits must be printed for each member’s request and may take a few minutes (depending on customer volume), so please plan accordingly if requesting in person.
- My address in CAPS is incorrect, what should I do?
  - The account information CAPS displays after you choose to perform an action is the information the system recieves directly from NED. You can either contact your AO for assistance to update it, or you perfrom a self-service NED update by following these instructions: Self-Service Update. Addtionally our system also allows your home address to be updated locally in CAPS through your requested transaction.
- How do I use my transit benefits?
  - Instructions vary by transit provider. For more details, please see Using your SmarTrip® card on Transit Providers.
- Why does the NIH Transhare Program make me recertify annually?
  - The annual recertification process allows NIH to comply with all regulations, policies and guidance set for by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget. The recertification allows NIH to know each employee has understood their responsibilities under the program at least once a year.
- I am leaving NIH, or I want to drive to work. How do I withdraw from the program?
  - You can be removed from the program at any time. Please visit our Termination page for more information or log into our CAPS system. If you know you are leaving in a few weeks, you can elect to have your termination take effect on a certain date. Once you are removed from the program, you will be eligible to receive other benefits, such as a parking permit, or a bike subsidy.
SmarTrip Cards
- Do I have to buy my own SmarTrip® Card?
  - Eligible employees are offered SmarTrip^® cards when joining the NIH Transhare Program. Employees can elect to use their own personal card, or they may be issued one card by NIH. NIH will not replace any card that is lost, stolen or damaged, the employee must replace the card at his or hers own expense.
- Where can I get a SmarTrip® Card?
  - SmarTrip^® cards can be purchased at Metrorail stations with parking facilities, Commuter Stores, CVS stores, Metro online purchases, or at over 400 retail locations across the Washington, DC Metro area. Please view the WMATA Sales Locations page for a full listing.
    
    If you already own a SmarTrip^® card, you will need to register it correctly with WMATA in order for the NIH Parking Office to be able to make your transit benefit available on your card.
- How do I use transit benefits on a mode of transit that is not SmarTrip® enabled (i.e vanpool, MARC, VRE, etc.)?
  - Instructions vary by provider, but generally an allocation to your desired transit provider must be established with WMATA. For more details and specific instructions for your transit provider, please see, Using your SmarTrip^® card on Transit Providers without SmarTrip® card readers.
- Why does my card display $0 balance at the farecard & pass machine?
  - All WMATA SmarTrip cards have multiple “purses” or accounts that store various funds or money.
    
    Transit Benefit Purse: The transit benefit purse is loaded on the first of the month by funds made available by NIH. It will hold as much as your certified monthly commuting cost (not to exceed $270). Funds from this purse are spent first, before personal funds, when commuting until the entire benefit allotment has been depleted. Any unused funds do not rollover at the end of the month. These funds cannot be used for parking expenses (compliant with IRS regulations). Funds cannot be transferred into the personal stored value purse. You may view the balance at faregate, farebox, or online through a SmarTrip® Online Account, but not at farecard & pass machines.
    
    Personal Stored Value Purse: The personal stored value purse contains your personal funds for parking or transit and holds up to $300. Funds may be added at Metrostation kiosks or online. Funds on this purse do roll over from month to month. You may view the balance at farecard & pass machines, parking lot SmarTrip® targets, faregates (only after you have spent all transit benefit purse funds for the month), or online through a SmarTrip® Online Account.
    
    *Important Note: You must have personal funds in the personal stored value purse in order to leave a Metro parking facility. Even if you have $270 in your transit benefit purse, you cannot pay for parking with transit benefit funds!
- What is a WMATA SmarTrip® Card?
  - A SmarTrip^® card is a permanent, rechargeable farecard. It's plastic, like a credit card, and is embedded with a special computer chip that keeps track of the value of the card.
    
    Using a SmarTrip^® card is fast and easy. Instead of inserting a farecard through the Metrorail faregate slot, you simply touch the SmarTrip® card to the circular targets on top of or inside station faregates. Likewise, you can tap the SmarTrip^® farebox on Metrobus to pay your fare with SmarTrip^®.
    
    SmarTrip^® cards can be used directly on the following modes of transit:
    
    Metro Train/Metro Bus
    DC Circulator
    PRTC - OmniRide
    ART (Arlington Transit)
    DASH (Alexandria Transit Company)
    CUE Bus System
    FAIRFAX Connector
    TheBus (Prince George’s County)
    Loudoun Commuter Bus
    Montgomery County RideOn
    REX (Richmond Highway Express)
    
    SmarTrip^® cards cannot be used directly on the following modes of transit. You must use a transit benefit allocation for service on the following transit providers (further details can be found at our website, Using your SmarTrip® Card):
    
    Vanpools
    VRE
    MARC
    MTA Commuter Buses (Dillon, Keller, Eyre Buses)
    National Coach Works/ MARTZ
    Quick's Bus
    Metro Access
Program Information & Policies
- What is the NIH Transhare Program?
  - The NIH Transhare Program is an employer-provided mass transportation fare subsidy that is offered to eligible employees who use mass transportation for their commute to and from work. Employees are provided their monthly subsidy benefits electronically through WMATA registered SmarTrip^® cards.
- How did the NIH Transhare Program originate?
  - The NIH fist began offering a transportation subsidy in 1992 to employees. In 2000, President Clinton signed Executive Order 13150, “Federal Workplace Transportation,” which requires Federal agencies to provide employee incentives to use mass transportation to commute to and from work.
- Who is eligible to receive mass transit benefits?
  - To be eligible to receive a monthly mass transportation subsidy you must meet one of the criteria below:
    
    A full time employee of NIH
    
    An employee of another HHS agency, whose worksite is at the NIH Main campus and is not currently receiving a transit subsidy from HHS or any other agency
    
    A fellow of NIH
    
    A volunteer at NIH
    
    Paid interns/students hired for the summer months
    
    The following types of employees are NOT ELIGIBLE to receive the subsidy from NIH:
    
    Contractors
    
    Guests of NIH
    
    Any person, regardless of status that is receiving parking benefits
    
    Any employee or similiar that is receiving any other transportation or parking benefit from another agency.
- Do I have to turn in my parking permit in order to receive transit benefits?
  - Yes, if you wish to receive a Transportation subsidy, you must surrender any NIH issued parking privileges (e.g. NIH Parking Hanger, Passcard, Key Fob, etc.). Employees may not receive parking and transportation benefits at the same time. While on the NIH Transhare program, you would be eligible for six (6) temporary passes per calendar quarter.
- Are vanpool riders authorized to receive monthly transit benefits?
  - Yes, if the vanpool is registered with WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, aka Metro). NIH employees riding in a valid vanpool may have their benefits electronically allocated to their vanpool operator’s account. Contractors or guests may ride in any NIH vanpool, but will not receive the subsidy from NIH (please contact your employer to see what benefits they offer).
- Are carpool riders authorized to receive monthly transit benefits?
  - No, unfortunately carpool riders or drivers are not authorized to receive any mass transportation benefits due to IRS tax code limitations.
- What is the maximum amount of subsidy I can receive?
  - Effective January 1, 2020, the maximum limit is $270 per month. This limit is determined by IRS tax code.
- Is the transit benefit I receive taxable?
  - No. Transit benefits are not taxable and do not have to be recorded on your tax returns.
- Is there an expiration date on my monthly transit benefits?
  - Yes. Your monthly subsidy can only be used during the month they are issued electronically to your SmarTrip^® Card. Unused benefits will expire at the end of the month and be returned to NIH.
- Can I give or sell my benefits to someone?
  - NO! Transit benefits are used for traveling to and from your work location. They are not transferable or intended to be used for your leisure. Selling or distributing your transit benefits violates the self-certification on your submitted application. This certification concerns a matter within the jurisdiction of an agency of the United States and making a false, fictitious or fraudulent certification may render the maker subject to criminal prosecution under Title 18, United States Code Section 1001, Civil Penalty Action, providing for administrative recoveries of up to $10,000 per violation, and/or agency disciplinary actions up to and including dismissal.
- Can I use Transhare Benefits for commuting that is work related (meetings, seminars, etc)?
  - No. Executive Order 13150 states the program must follow IRS tax code. The tax code defines commuting as travel to and from an employee’s home to their permanent worksite. This does not include temporary duty (conferences, meetings, etc.) If you would like to be reimbursed for travel expenses incurred on official duty, speak with your supervisor and Administrative Officer.
- Why is my transhare use being audited?
  - A transit benefit usage audit is conducted when we noticed a members usage history is lower than the declared amount cost when enrolling to the NIH Transhare Program.
    Our authority to audit accounts is granted in the Commuter Subsidy Programs Policy, NIH Manual Chapter 1470. We perform this audit to ensure our program is fiscally sound and responsible with government funds.
    While we understand employees have different circumstances and maybe on leave, travel, etc. it is expected that the transit benefits requested are used for their daily work commute.
    We request that an email with either your usage history report from your www.smartrip.com profile to verify the declared amount is correct OR an explanation of low usage of benefits to nihparkingoffice@ors.od.nih.gov within two weeks of the audit. If a response is not received, transit benefits will be reduced or suspended without further notice.
    To modify your commuter cost on-line, log on to the CAPS system and update declared commuting costs at https://commuter.ors.od.nih.gov.

Important Notice: Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the NIH Employee Transportation Services Office has immediately suspended auditing of transit benefits usage.

A special temporary NIH parking permit has been established to accommodate Transhare participants. This permit is valid through June 1, 2020, in General Parking areas only. To print a temporary permit, click on “COVID-19 Special Permit for Transhare.” Place this permit on the dashboard on the driver’s side of your vehicle. This permit will not be counted towards the Transhare member’s quarterly allotment.

Contact Information

Employee Transportation Services Office

Michelle Mejia
Program Manager
Telephone:(301) 496-5050
Fax: (301) 480-0854

Work Schedule	Typical Commuting Days in a Month
8 hour days	20
AWS, 5/4/9	18
AWS, 4/10	16
Part time	Varies