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Edenred Commuter Benefits, a leading provider of pre-tax commuter benefits, announced today that it has been selected by the The City of New York’s Financial Information Services Agency and Office of Payroll Administration (FISA-OPA) to administer and manage the City’s employee commuter benefits program.

On average, we spend $2,600 in commuting costs. And that’s along with spending nearly 30 minutes commuting — one way — everyday.

Add it all up, and it is a lot of time and money. However, there are ways you can get something back. Here are 10 tips on how you can cut commuting costs.

Whether it’s to reduce traffic congestion, protect the environment or give commuters a benefit that impacts their daily lives, more and more municipalities (and government agencies) are passing transit ordinances.

Navigating your commute is never easy. Thank the commuting gods for transit apps to help you along the way.

Mobility Lab, a research center and news source for transportation behavior and policy, listed what it says are the three best transit apps to help you on your commuting journeys.

The recommendations don’t come lightly. Mobility Lab first published an article in 2015 on the best apps for riders. Since the transit app world has changed, they decided to update their recommendations by comparing the different features of what’s on the market.

Before we unveil the apps and what makes them different, here is what they have in common. You get real-time arrival information for public transportation, ride-hailing and other modes of getting around.

The apps also provide directions for trips, and work in most major cities. And if you’re a Google Maps or Apple Maps user, you’ll like the fact that the apps can give you real-time arrival information without having to tap in your destination.

Here’s an overview of what Mobility Lab recommends to help you make your trips easier.

Does your daily life revolve around the car? Or are you predominately a walker, biker or mass transit rider?

The answer can involve where you live, how much you make and many other interesting demographic factors.

The website CityLab did a statistical analysis of the commuting data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and found many interesting facts. The data covered more than 270 metro areas.

CityLab’s thesis, based on research of various data, says how we commute is a significant aspect of the nation’s economic and political divide. The car has become a key feature within the trends that are developing.

For example, areas with more college graduates have less single-occupant commuters. Weather doesn’t have as significant an impact on commuting as you think as more people drive to work than use transit where the weather is warm.

Here are some the specific findings for commuting options.

Employers are offering more benefit options as they know it’s essential to attract and retain employees in today’s hot job market.

But the benefits landscape has changed tremendously in the past decade. No longer are health plans and vacation time the only thing employees want in a benefits package.

Work perks, the fringe benefits that go beyond traditional offerings, are on the rise. Millennial workers tend to favor “non-traditional” benefits like student loan reimbursement or tuition reimbursement, and paid personal days. Older workers still want strong benefits packages that have stood the test of time.

So what does a great employee benefits package look like? It’s going to depend on your workforce, but here’s what many would consider a modern version of “great benefits.”

Confused about what is the transit benefit program? Let’s dive right in.

Transit benefit programs provide transportation benefits for commuters. Different municipalities and other governments have slightly different variations on what is a transit benefit program.

What each has in common is a reimbursement component to employees to encourage them to use mass transit. Employees are also eligible for the benefit for qualified paid parking. Below we answer the most frequent questions, take a look:

Perhaps it’s the hot job market, or maybe employers are doing a better job motivating employees. Whatever the reason, more employees than ever are saying they feel “engaged” in their work.

Gallup conducts an annual employee engagement survey, and the 2018 results were all-time highs. About 34 percent of U.S. Workers said they were engaged at work, tying the highest percentage in the poll’s history.

But it doesn’t stop there. The number of workers who say they are “actively disengaged” is now 13 percent — the lowest in history.

Studies show an engaged workforce is related to positive business outcomes. Having engaged employees help reduce turnover and creates a better bond with employees. Ultimately, you get a more a productive workforce that drives better results.

Would you like to know if your employees are engaged? Gartner recommends at least nine questions for an employee engagement survey including: