I read with great interest the 7/12/01 Garden City Life article "Major Transportation Changes for Long Island Area." It has become clear that we need to find more efficient, less stressful and more environmentally friendly ways to commute to our jobs and homes.

I share the concern of many that we're not doing enough to give people affordable alternatives to driving. Although I was pleased to recently read in this paper about proposals to create a Long Island Rapid Commute transit system, there are a number of steps we can take immediately.

First, Congress should pass the Mass Transit Tax Credit Act of 2001, which will give employers a tax credit if they offer their employees a transit benefits plan.

Second, we should stop punishing people for using mass transit and instead reward them. For example, current law provides a tax-free benefit of up to $175 per month for parking expenses of employees who drive to work everyday, while employees who use mass transit can only deduct $65 per month.

In light of the significant difference in these benefits, I have cosponsored the Commuter Benefit Equity Act of 2001, which would remedy this disparity by revising the tax code to allow the same $175 per month deduction for all employees. The need for this bill is made even clearer when one considers that the monthly fare on the Long Island Rail Road from Mineola to Penn Station is $135.

Combined, these bills will do a great deal to reduce traffic congestion and improve the state of our environment.

Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy