Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., and Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., want federal employees to be able to hitch a ride to work.

The pair has introduced legislation that would allow federal employees use their transit benefits on ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft while Metro's SafeTrack program continues.

The SafeTrack program, which began in in June and will run through March 2017, includes periodic closures and single-tracking on the Metro system, complicating commutes for many federal employees.

Some federal employees receive pre-tax transit benefits from the government to match the cost of a commute used on mass transit, with a ceiling of $255 a month.

Connolly and Meadows' bill would allow to those employees to apply transit benefits to popular ride-sharing networks as a means to commute while the SafeTrack program continues.

"During a time when [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority] is getting its house in order, federal commuters have been frustrated at their lack of options for getting into work," Meadows said in a statement. "Many of the frequent, random delays on the Metro have caused some federal workers to arrive late, miss meetings, or lose out on valuable work time.

"This bill will allow federal workers to expand their commuting options and not require them to depend on a sole, unreliable form of transportation—especially during WMATA's time period of construction."

The SafeTrack program was announced after repeated breakdowns and electrical problems in the Metro system. The system averages more than 712,000-weekday boardings.

While the work SafeTrack continues, Connolly said that Congress needs to provide federal workers with more ways to get to work.

"The federal government must offer commuters as many options as possible to mitigate these challenges," he said in a statement. "That includes expanding telework and allowing flexible work schedules, including during off-peak work hours.

"The ridesharing economy offers a unique and flexible alternative until full Metro service is restored and should be an option for our federal workforce as they maintain a continuity of operations for the federal government."

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