Buses, subways, and other forms of public transportation are quickly becoming more popular commute alternatives as the price of gas rises and traffic becomes more congested. State Farm Insurance in Indiana has launched a test program that will give their employees free bus fare from April 21 through May 17 – to see how many of its 14,000 Bloomington-area employees will catch on to a different type of commute

Employees interested in trying out the bus will only need to show their State Farm employee ID badge, and the $0.75 fare will be waived. Drivers will track the employees on the bus, and State Farm will reimburse the Bloomington-Normal Transit System for the cumulative amount of fares at the end of the trial period.
While this could be a somewhat costly investment for State Farm, it may forge a deeper connection between the two entities in the future. Many public transit bureaus have teamed up with local businesses to offer some kind of discounted public transit fare. Traditionally, employees will display their ID card when boarding the bus, and the ID card will have some sort of logo or emblem indicating its use as a transit card as well as a piece of employee ID.