50% Transit Subsidy

"The best part of my commute is the quiet time that I enjoy where I listen to music and mentally prepare for the day."

NICOLE BARKLEY, OFFICE OF THE DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

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Eligibility requirements

All benefits-eligible faculty, staff, or full-time graduate students without a campus housing assignment.
Take a train, bus, subway, or a combination of transit services in lieu of an annual parking permit to reach Princeton's campus or University-affiliated facilities for work or study.
Home address on file with the University matches transit commute requested for reimbursement.

Commuter benefits

50% reimbursement on monthly transit purchases up to a maximum of $375 in reimbursements per commute month (Academic Year 2024-2025).
- To receive your reimbursements after enrolling in the benefit, submit the Mass Transit Subsidy request form and include copies of your receipts.
- Eligible transit purchases made starting the same month as enrollment will be eligible for reimbursement. Subsidy requests must be made within 90 days of purchase.
- You do not need to submit monthly to stay active in the program. We know schedules change especially around the end of the semester or over the summer.
Access to up to 24 daily parking passes and 4 guaranteed rides home throughout the year for added commute flexibility. Learn more about commute flexibility.

Transit subsidies are only available after application and approval.

Please review the following information carefully for details on what tickets are eligible for subsidy or reimbursement.

To enroll in the transit subsidy, log into Commute Hub and either select “Apply for RYR” from the left-hand menu or select the Transit tile from Explore Options and click on “Info.”

Up-Front Subsidy

More flexible purchasing options with Inspira

Once enrolled, your transit subsidy would be applied automatically applied to monthly to pre-tax commuter benefit orders placed through Inspira.

The Inspira portal gives employees access to a federal tax benefit that allows monthly commuting costs to be deducted from their pay before taxes are calculated. The pre-tax commuter benefit is managed by Princeton's HR Benefits team.

New to Inspira? Check out the ordering guide.

What orders are eligible for the transit subsidy?

The 50% transit subsidy is automatically applied to transit orders for employees enrolled in the Revise Your Ride transit subsidy program. Eligible order types include:

Commuter Prepaid Mastercard: A reloadable card that can only be used with regional transit providers. Use to buy individual tickets, transit passes, or add to your digital wallet for tap2pay fares.
Transit Pass: Purchase multiple items such as train passes and transit cards (i.e., MetroCard or SEPTA Key) from regional transit authorities. Orders are delivered to your home or digitally before the first of the month.

Participating employees are to follow the terms of the Revise Your Ride benefits including commuting regularly to Princeton University’s campus or other University-operated facilities. Funds must be used for commute needs and are subject to audit.

How do I create an Inspira account?

Launch the Inspira Financial login page and click the yellow "Create Profile" button on the right of the Inspira Login page to create an account. In order to register, you will need your unique benefit ID number which can be found in HR Self Service under Benefit Details. Your University credentials are not linked to this portal.

I’m logged into Inspira but how do I know if my subsidy is active?

Once logged in, your 50% transit subsidy will appear on the far-left side of your Inspira Commute Dashboard. If you’ve recently enrolled in the transit subsidy program, please allow up to 7 business days for your account to reflect the change.

How do I place an Inspira order?

Log into Inspira Financial with your Inspira credentials (remember, Inspira does not accept your netID and password)
From the side menu in the Benefit Portal dashboard, select “Manage my commuter account” and then click on “Order Now” under the current Benefit Election Deadline.
Select your preferred benefit option by clicking “Select”
1. Fund my Prepaid Card
  1. Select “Public & Shared Transportation”
  2. Enter your cost of your monthly commute for your order and set your reoccurring order preferences.
2. Passes, Tickets, and Parking
  1. Select “Train,” “Bus,” or “Ferry”
  2. Select your product or transit authority from the list of options.
When finished, click “Next: Review Order”.
View your cart, check the terms of services, and click “Elect Benefits”.
A confirmation will display that your order has been updated. This order is now pending. You will be able to change your next order until the next 10th of the month order deadline.

What do I do if I’ve missed the monthly order deadline?

If you missed the order deadline, you won’t be able to receive benefits for the upcoming month. For example, if you missed the April 10th deadline for May, your next eligible benefit will apply to your June commute.

We recommend placing your next order as soon as possible and setting a monthly reminder or a reoccurring order to avoid missing future deadlines.

Note for new participants: If you haven’t placed your first Inspira order yet, you may submit one subsidy request to cover your commute costs in the meantime.

When do I receive my benefit after ordering?

Transit orders are processed on the 10^th of each month for the next month. See below for an example timeline.

Ordering deadline for June benefit	Commuter Products mailed or card reloaded	Start using June benefit	Ordering deadline for July benefit	Commuter Products mailed or card reloaded	Start using July benefit
5/10	5/19	6/1	6/10	6/19	6/1

Can I only place an order up to the monthly pre-tax limit?

Your orders are not limited by the pre-tax limit. Your total transit order will be subsidized 50% up to the IRS pre-tax limit of $325. Any remaining subsidy value will be reimbursed on a future paycheck, up to the University's 2025 monthly subsidy limit of $375. Your remaining order balance will be deducted from your paycheck or charged to your credit card on file.

TPS reserves the right to audit monthly Inspira purchases to ensure reimbursements are supporting commutes between an employee's home and campus.

Have additional questions?

Check out additional Inspira resources:

Reach out for assistance:

Inspira pre-tax commuter benefits or your Inspira account: Benefits
Your 50% transit reimbursement: The Service Point

Payroll Reimbursement

Reimbursement of eligible transit receipts (no pre-tax)

Please see below list of all eligible ticket options eligible for receipt-based reimbursement. Individual one-way tickets and Tap2Pay payment records are not eligible. A reimbursement of up to $375 per commute month, assuming a $750 up-front cost, will be applied directly to your paycheck or stipend. Transit reimbursements through Payroll are subject to income tax.

Transit Provider	Accepted Purchases	Ineligible Purchases
New Jersey Transit (rail/bus/light rail)⁽¹⁾	Monthly Pass 10-packs (max two receipts per monthly commute) Minimum of 4 round-trips or 8 one-ways purchased in bulk as a single receipt (max two receipts per monthly commute)	Individual one-way tickets Individual round-trip tickets Receipts for less than 4 round-trip or 8 one-way tickets
SEPTA⁽¹⁾	Monthly Pass Up to two SEPTA Key fare additions per monthly commute, with a maximum total value of $165.	Individual Tap2Pay SEPTA Key expenses Card replacements
MTA Subway/Bus⁽¹⁾	30-Day Pass (MetroCard kiosk) Up to two OMNY Card fare additions per monthly commute, with a maximum total value of $136.	Individual Tap2Pay OMNY purchases Card replacements
MTA LIRR (Long Island Rail) and Metro-North⁽¹⁾	Monthly Pass Ten-Trip Peak/Off-Peak (max two receipts per monthly commute)
PATH Train⁽¹⁾	30 Day Pass 10 or 20 Trip SmartLink (max two receipts per monthly commute)	Individual Tap2Pay purchases
NYC Ferry⁽¹⁾	10-pack pass	One-way tickets
CoachUSA/Suburban Transit	Minimum of 4 round-trips or 8 one-ways purchased in bulk as a single receipt (max two receipts per monthly commute) 10 or 20 trip pack (max two receipts per monthly commute) Monthly pass (only sold for trips starting or ending in New York City)	Individual one-way tickets Individual round-trip tickets Receipts for less than 4 round-trip or 8 one-way tickets
Amtrak⁽¹⁾	30 Day Pass 10-ride passes (max two receipts per monthly commute)	One-way or round-trip tickets* * Accepted using Inspira order option (see above)
WMATA⁽¹⁾ (requires department approval)	Monthly pass Fare add for 10+ rides on SmartTrip (max two receipts per monthly commute)	Individual Tap2Pay purchases Card replacements

⁽¹⁾Discounts available for senior citizens and/or customers with disabilities. Please check the transit agency’s website for details.

If you use a transit provider not on this list for your commute to Princeton's campus or another official University office location, please contact The Service Point for consideration.

Ready to Revise Your Ride?

Princeton's campus is highly accessible by public transit. Take the train, bus, subway, or a combination of transit services and be reimbursed 50% of your monthly transit costs in lieu of an annual parking permit.

Apply Now

No Transit to Your Office?

Employees at offices without direct transit to/from Princeton Junction (Canal Pointe, Forrestal, PPPL) who enroll in the RYR 50% transit subsidy also qualify for a Lyft Pass with a limited number of fully subsidized rides.

See Lyft Pass for more details.

Local Movement, Global Impact

The University is committed to achieving carbon neutrality for all campus emissions by 2046 as well as support sustainable action at all scales, from personal to global.

In New Jersey, more than 40% of greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation sector, with significant climate and human health implications, particularly for overburdened communities. Through Revise Your Ride and the Campus Mobility Framework, the University looks to double the percentage of alternative commuters and expand the use of campus as an incubator for lifelong sustainable transportation habits.

Check on our progress