OAKLAND  (AP) — San Francisco Bay Area businesses with more than 50 full-time employees are going to have to start offering commuter subsidies as a way of encouraging their workers to use public transportation or other alternatives to driving alone.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission on Wednesday approved a plan requiring larger employers to make at least one of four permitted transportation benefits available to their workers by Sept. 30.

The Times says most companies are expected to choose an option that calls for them to let employees discount $130 a month in public transit or van pool costs from their taxable income.

But employers also can underwrite up to $75 per month of workers’ travel costs, provide free or low-cost shuttles, or develop a strategy of their own that proves effective at reducing solo commutes.