Yes, a Service member or civilian employee may be reimbursed for local travel when conducting official business in the area of the PDS or TDY location. See the JTR, Section 0206 for more information.

Reimbursement for commercial travel may be authorized or approved for taxi fares and transportation-related tips; the hire and operation of a rental car, including necessary parking fees; or local public transportation when tickets or cash fares are not provided.

For local travel, mileage is based on the number of miles driven, as determined by the odometer.

Yes, travel expenses may be reimbursable if the travel expenses to the alternate work site exceed the ordinary commuting expenses to the traveler’s workplace at the PDS. When a traveler must travel between the residence or PDS and an alternate work site, an authorizing official may authorize or approve the use of a POV, and the traveler receives mileage for the distance that exceeds the commuting distance. See the JTR, par. 0206 for more information.

The local area is not a set radius or a maximum number of miles. See the JTR, Section 0206 for information on the authority to establish the local area. The authority who sets the local commuting area of the PDS or TDY must not establish an arbitrary distance that is based on radius. See 59 Comp. Gen. 397 (1980) [gao.gov]. For the Washington DC area, see DoD Instruction 4515.14, Washington Local Commuting Area [PDF, 5 pages].

• The local area is within the permanent or temporary duty station’s limits and the metropolitan area around that station.
• The local area is within the local commuting area of the duty station, which is determined by the authorizing official or prescribed by local Service or Defense Agency directives.
• The local area includes separate cities, towns, or installations adjacent to or close to each other, where the commuting public travels daily during normal business hours.