A $20-a-month benefit if you cycle to work

How does an employer sign up for this plan?

I could barely walk to work today due to the ice on every horizontal surface, I can't imagine trying to bike in this weather!

put it on the taxpayer's tab.

This seems to be a very modest cost for removing cars from the road. The result:
healthier air, less congestion, and a more fit employee!

"Put it on the tax payers' tab"

Cyclists have a lot of nerve. Trying to get healthy, reduce energy consumption and alleviate congestion, while hoping not to get run-down by a single-rider SUV on a cell.

The sense of cyclist entitlement is a disgrace. And I never liked 'em to begin with!

It's great. Hopefully it will lower the amount of traffic so that those who are too lazy to ride to work can spend more time raging at each other.

Smahtguy - Studded bike tires are wonderful. I biked today from Arlington to MIT, including the stretch of Charles river from Harvard to MIT. Only once did I have an iffy moment, when I let myself speed up a bit much on a downhill. Lots of fun.

I ride to work almost every day of the year. This is a complete waste of money.

Please check your facts. Blumenauer has been pushing for this for years. However, it was tacked onto the economic stimulus plan (aka, the Bailout) by other parties, hoping that it would get him to change his opposition to the plan. It did not. He stood by his principles and chose to oppose the Bailout. However, the package managed to pass anyhow so cyclists get a minor tax break as part of a major lemon in the Bailout.

Great Idea... although, how would employers track who actually commutes by bike? I'd sign up, as I bike in the warmer months.

Well I bike to work already. I think if you want to encourage alternate transportation to get cars off the road and to stop sending our wealth to OPEC, then just increase the gasoline tax. Keep the price of a gallon at a minimum level. This will prevent SUV buyers from thinking that everything is ok now, its safe to guzzle again. And it will keep GREEN energy projects on the board and in production. Why is it so hard to understand that fossil fuel is finite in supply and we're running out fast? Drill baby drill is not the answer of course. Green technology, the green economy is.

Yes, I think that more bike lanes should be built on "ALL" roads !
What happened at the Big Dig ? Having "NO" bike lanes & paths !

I'm not anti- cycle but we should not be subsidizing when it's impractical/impossible for much of the country to cycle for several months of the year. And why should a cyclist get a subsidy when I'm wearing out show leather walking to work? A biker is not greener than me. Go ahead and subsidize your own citizens Oregon, but quit demanding a federal handout

I've been riding my bike into work for years now..but hey $20 a month is good for a flat tire a month which is the norm now.

I walk to work (yes I have a car). Where's my $20 for shoe maintenance?!

Biking on ice is safe as long as you buy the right tires -- studded tires that have carbide (or other metal) studs in them. They are like car tires with winter chains.

Here we go with another wastful subsidy!!!

So will bicyclists actually have to obey traffic laws to get this tax credit? Because if so, 99% of them will never see those $20...

Is there any way to enforce this? If this comes about, I would claim that I ride my bike to work. How will anybody check?

In reality, I actually WALK to work. I don't use a car or public transportation. I just walk. I feel that if bikers get a refund, people that walk should also get a refund.

While the intent of this is good, policy makers are always so inclined to provide benefits through taxes or tax breaks. It doesn't make sense. It's not the way to go about doing things.

"put it on the taxpayer's tab."

What a moronic retort. Would you rather have the bikers get in their cars and add wear and tear to the roads? Add to traffic? Duh.

Why on Earth would anyone be against this?

I'm all for the Bike Path construction, as it would increase safety, provide jobs, and encourage more to cycle. On the other hand, I think the $20/month idea is misguided, because it would be a nightmare to administer. I ride to work when the weather permits throughout the year, rain or shine, but not snow or ice, and not when my wife needs me to run errands, pick up kids, or the likes. Wouldn't it be a nightmare to administer my erratic biking for the purpose of a tax break?

Lance - get off your high horse (SUV) and start moving. You might just be a convert in years to come! Attitudes like yours mocks each person's own responsibility to help conserve energy and make a positive impact.

What if I put my bike in the back of my pickup and drive it to work? Does that count?

I biked to work this morning. It was much safer on the road than on the sidewalks!

JM - "Here we go with another wastful subsidy!!! "
When you drive down the public subsidized road and fill up your public subsidized SUV do you feel bad for wasting the public's money?

I say this is a great idea that will spark interest in bike riding to work which promotes a healthy active lifestyle and a better environment.

Trish: "Okay, what time do you want to pick me up?"
Andy: "Um, uh, let's see. Um, that's actually kind of a problem because I ride a bike."
Trish: "That's cool. Are you kidding me? I love getting on the back of a motorcycle. MY boyfriend in college drove a motorcycle. So, I mean, I'm cool."
Andy: "Yeah. Yeah, I bet that was cool. I ride a bike-- bikes-- bikecycle-- bicycle."
Trish: "Oh."

virg

According to the senator's site, 26 U.S.C. §132 (1), sub (D) Any qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement. In other words, your employer would reimburse you for qualified bicycling expenses in a given month based on receipts - as someone said, that about covers the once-a-month flat tire repair . . .

I would guess this means that your company need only submit receipts for their own tax break - if your company is at all like mine, any chance of getting the accounting folks to do the research, chase it down and implement it is slim at best . . . good luck!

What about people who walk to work? Do we get a $20 cash reimbursement for being "green"?

I think the credit is a terrific incentive for those who need the extra cash. However, personally I would much prefer to forgo the $20 a month and put it into building more bike lanes. I do think it's funny though that if I bike one month I'll get the $20, but if I decide to walk another month b/c of the ice, I won't get it - yet I'm still keeping the car at home.

To respond to poster #18 - please don't be a hypocrite. I bike/drive/walk to work and by far the greatest offenders of traffic laws are motorists, the only difference is that when a cyclist or pedestrian breaks a rule they aren't in danger of killing someone, a motorist is. Think before you write...

To "Get out of my way, biker!" - Most motorists have no clue what the laws are regarding cyclists, cyclists are entitled to a full lane of traffic, yet if they attempt to ride that way, motorists will harass them. Very few motorists themselves obey the rules of the road as they even apply to cars, so quit your crying.

Similar subsidies already exist for mass transit systems and tax deductions are available for drives to work, this law simply makes cycling even with other methods of transportation.
If you walk to work (as I do most days, you're already saving hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars over other commuters, so stop complaining.

What about people that work from home? huh? Where is their take of the pie??? I want mine!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yeah. Tax deduction.

It's a Reimbursement account. Like your Health Savings Account.

So you put in $240 a year out of your PAY, and get it back once you submite recipets Tax Free.

It just meants you save Taxes(15%-40%)

Great idea! I commute by bike nearly 300 days a year. The only exception is during a snowstorm. The same sand and salt that keep the roads clear work for two wheels as well as for four. And just like cars, salt is ruinous to the longevity of a bike. $240 covers the cost of a tune-up, some new tires and a couple of spare tubes.

Commuters can already take advantage of pre-tax payroll deductions for rail and T passes, parking garage fees, and other commuting cost as well. Cyclist have been put out for to long.

Only instead of bike paths, building secure places to lock up our bikes would encourage more people to bike to work. Many employers lack adequate storage facilities for bikes.

What about those of us that take the T or walk ?? Put that $20 a month into giving us more public transportation services instead of into someone's pocket where it will do nothing.

@LZ

"Think before you write..."

I did, and I stand behind what I wrote. And you're right, the motorist is in danger of killing someone. And while I admit that 99% is greatly exaggerated, the fact remains that there are bicyclists on the road who don't obey traffic laws. Many of them. And going back to your point about motorists are in danger of killing someone, when a bicyclist isn't obeying the traffic laws and I hit them with my car, do you think it's as simple as saying you're sorry and moving on? Tell that to your insurance company, the police, and the family who wants to sue you because your 2 ton car is slight heavier and stronger than a 150 pound man on a 8 pound bike...

So why don't think about where someone is coming from before you respond? So I don't think stricter enforcement of traffic regulations for bicyclists, especially in Boston and other very crowded locales, is out of line before this law passes.

What about the unemployed?!

Seriously, though. there must be some minimum % of work days that you have to bike instead of drive or take public transportation.

A stupid plan that will waste taxpayer money and have no benefit in return. I prefer my SUV, thank you.

I can hear the bike riders claiming that drilling for more oil won't help for 10 years so why do it. And a dumb plan to give commuting bike riders $20 a month, that will work??? LOL.

I have studded tires on my bike, front and rear. (Nokian from Finland makes them, they are readily available as a special order at any bike shop) and can easily bike on glare ice better than I can walk on it.

I also obey all traffic laws. My personal opinion is that those who don't don't deserve the name "bicyclist" !!

As someone that bikes to work almost every day (even during the winter) I support Obama's plan to construct bike lanes ONLY if a bike lane is the highest and best use of the existing corridor. If for example an abandoned or lightly used freight railway line would be better suited towards being upgraded to a modern passenger light rail line, than that's what it should be. Passenger rail has the potential to attract a far higher number of commuters on a year round basis than a commuter bike path will. Under Obama's plan it's important not to lose sight of that.

A bicyclist is easily capable of killing either another bicyclist or a pedestrian in a collision. You are also capable of causing a fatal accident for a motorist who tries to avoid you if you make an unsafe or illegal turn, fail to maintain a clear lane position or hug the curb, then swerve out into the road around a parked car and into the path of an unsuspecting motorist. You have a responsibility to learn how to bike properly if you are going to use your bike on the roads;; please refer to Effective Cycling or the League of American Bicyclists if you haven't already--this includes all of you who have been riding "since you were a kid" as well as to those who look cool in their r lycra and spandex. I watch you all the time as I go about my business. Fully 90% orf bicyclists have a serious gap in theri traffic cycling knowledge.

--a year round bike commuter

there's no way I would bug my company for my once-a year bike expense of $14.88. That sounds like a PITA for them. I will look into the details but this sounds like a no-go-for me.

BTW, if you get a flat a month, try using Continental brand tires (probably the top touring ones), and make sure the spoke ends inside your rims are filed down.

I haven't had a flat in 4 years and I ride every day, 12 months a year.

I ride my stationary bike in the morning before work, and then commute to work in my gas guzzling hummer. I believe I should qualify. A bike is a bike - let's not split hairs here.

And what about someone who is physically unable to ride a bike to work? Wht should a bike rider get a benefit like that ? How do you offer a tax break on something many CANNOT take advantage of? I'll be taxed for it, but no benefit. And no- I don't get any special benefits or disability. I'm a full time employee.

I imagine each person would register their bike similar to a car which would probably mean getting pulled over by a bike cop for being stupid on the road. Register your bike like a T pass and go on a website or something like that? Just an idea of course.

It seems as though you cannot take advantage of this benefit and also take advantage of a pretax MBTA pass as well. If the two could both be used it would be great but if not, it's not worth much to me. I don't ride every day and use the MBTA when the weather is bad or I have meetings etc. Also, I don't think $20/month will inspire too many people.

This bill will not pass the muster of the American's with Disability Act. Why should healthy adults get a government handout when government grants to the disabled are being cut.

Way to go cyclists, transferring wealth from those in need to those who whine the most.

silly - it would probably take a lot of money to administer this "benefit".

Improving bike infrastructure (bike racks on buses? - what about the T? - fund projects to add bike lanes) would be far better.

As someone that bikes to work almost every day (even during the winter) I support Obama's plan to construct bike lanes ONLY if a bike lane is the highest and best use of the existing corridor. If for example an abandoned or lightly used freight railway line would be better suited towards being upgraded to a modern passenger light rail line, than that's what it should be. Passenger rail has the potential to attract a far higher number of commuters on a year round basis than a commuter bike path will. Under Obama's plan it's important not to lose sight of that.

What about walkers who walk several miles each way to work? Why shouldn't they get this reimbursement???

I hope all the cyclists take showers before going in to the office - they'll spend more than $20 on a fitness club just to shower (We all hope!_)

Implementing this sounds difficult and also a bit unfair.
I decline the work transportation benefit and have made a real effort to live
near where I work. AND I have done this for years.
It is a good idea in theory but In this case you really can't single out cyclist for a benefit. In order to make it fair the $20 would have to go anyone that doesn't drive to work.

This is messed up. All our manufacturing has moved to China, and they are now the 2nd largest new car market and have abandoned their bicycles, but now with our manufacturing based gone, we will have to resort to riding bikes to work.

There is no way this can be administered without wasting lots of time and effort. Let's upgrade rail passenger service and complete more rails to trails projects to encourage walking and biking in communities.

Blumenauer for President! What about the promise of free pizza on Fridays in the cafeteria? Is this guy running for elementary school council? Blumenauer...more like Blumenidiot. Will $20 a month really encourage more cyclists? Has he conducted an impact study on health insurance claims and emergency room crowding?

In an economic recession, with car companies going bankrupt, shouldn't we encourage driving a bit more?

Jobs are more important than some environmental dogma.

I spent a few minutes reading each comment and I'm sorry to hear my fellow Americans taking cheap shots at one another.

The point is that this idea is strong at its core but weak in practice.

We need healthier Americans and less congested roads.

Tax breaks or government-funded projects should encourage public transportation, cycling and walking, and telecommuting alike.

Let's put aside the negativity and genuinely look to create solutions to our transportation problems (caused largely by perverse subsidies in the first place).

Expanded light rail, more bike lanes and tax breaks for walkers, bikers, public trans riders and work-from-home folks are all steps in the right direction.

It's a neat idea... and won't really cost much, since very few people will actually do it. So really, its value is in its symbolism. But the good thing is that it at least keeps the idea of bike transportation in the public discussion, so that people and businesses might be inspired to act on their own.

Alternatively, we could take a more direct action, like say putting a bike lane on 495.

I walk to work everyday, which has an even lower carbon footprint than bikers (it takes carbon to build bikes) -- where is my tax benefit??

If I have somebody on my bike with me can I use the commuter lane?

I work at home. What do I and my employer get for that?

I have ridden a bicycle from Allston to Woburn for work since July of 2000: when my employer moved to Woburn from Cambridge. $240 a year would not pay for the maintenace on my bikes; but I would be glad to get it. And my employer would be glad to sign up for it. Tell us how and how soon?

Does $20 a month really mean anything? No. If you are worried about getting $20 for doing something that would benefit you, you have other issues to worry about. Its $20 people come on grow up. Take that money and give it to someone who needs it. There are plenty of organizations that are legit that actually help people in need.

PUT IT ON THE TAX PAYER's TAB !

As an environmentalist--I agree 100%!
Try biking because you actually care about the environment, and don't capitalize on the $20 dollars a month offer unless you actually need this money--because someone else does.

How does biking " boost the economy"as claimed in the article? There is no need for this much Federal Government intervention. And, why can't bicyclists pay for their own bike paths via a bike tax? That would be the most fair way to fund such a program.

I encourage all cycling commuters to apply for this rebate. Firstly, failure to do so will be seen as evidence that the scheme failed and lessen chances of future cycling-friendly incentives. Secondly, donate the $240 to an organization such as World Bicycle Relief , an operation run out of SRAM, who supply bicycles to healthcare workers in sub-Saharan Africa, thereby increasing the number of patients they can visit in a day. Your $240 will buy about two bicycles and transform the lives of these people and their patients. Then when you ride to work you are keeping fit, reducing your carbon footprint and making an impact on the wellbeing of others less affluent than ourselves. Simple. Now I just have to convince my employer to take part!

I have been trying to increase my bike commuting to include other business tasks like picking up the mail from the post office in the ideal climate of Newport Beach, California. An unfavorable experience is the intersections with left-turn lanes and traffic signals that do not detect signals. California has a State Law AB-1581 for traffic signals upon initial installation or first replacement to detect bicycles. But I have not found a set of embedded wire loops, dipoles or quadruples that detect bikes either stopped or riding over. Newport Beach’s Principal Civil Engineer Tony Brine and Traffic Engineering Technician George Bernard sent me an email that a heavily-cycled signal had been set back to not detect bicyclists. The Newport Beach Police Department (NBPD) exploits the signal to fabricate vehicle citations. The economics of bike commuting are diminished with a costly vehicle fine and insurance increases. The Traffic Commander Lieutenant for the Newport Beach Police Department (NBPD) in California sent me a letter advocating that bicyclists should first test the signal, then dismount and use the pedestrian button. I have been trying his recommendation, but it is unsafe to be sprinting across traffic lanes with the bike to get to a pedestrian button on the sidewalk. And drivers are giving me gestures of disapproval for holding up the traffic to walk the bike back across the street after the first sprint to the pedestrian button. Bike commuting loses its efficiency if the city is not bicycle-friendly.

I really tried to incorporate exercise in my daily activities including walking up and down stairs (5 flights 3 to 4 times a day), and riding my bicycle to and from my office (4.5 miles) and then to and from office to home (2.5 miles). It took only one elderly person slowly backing out their driveway, one teenage girl talking on her cellphone making a left hand turn to convince me that I needed a 4 wheel vehicle instead of the 2 wheel variety. I purchased a lightweight fuel efficient foreign car only to be T-boned by a women running a stop sign, late for a hair appointment. My physician recommended I buy a tank, which I did in the form of a Jeep Commander. I drive with my headlights on like tanker trucks do. To this point at least, my tank and I are free of incidents with known consequences.

To #46 (Crudmugeon), and all the other commentators who think this is a "government handout," sorry, but the entire cost of the "Qualified Bicycle Commuting Reimbursement" fringe benefit is borne by the employer. It is a subsidy or perk, if you will, that is just non-taxable to the employee and excluded from the employer-share of FICA payroll taxes. It is not funded by taxpayers!

Ironically, the provision was buried in the "Economic Stabilization Act of 2008," which passed in October 2008. Your tax money -- $787 billion -- went to bail out CitiGroup, Bank of America, AIG, Goldman Sachs, and the rest of the theives.