Domromer

People who buy hybrids get tax breaks, and can usually park for free in metered spaces. I was tring to think of the goverment could reward people for using there bikes for commuting and errands. I can't think of anything, anybody out there got any ideas?

PKG

Reduced health insurance premiums since they are excercising more? or smaller copayments at the doctors office?

BeTheChange

Free bike registration, free insurance, and carbon neutral fuel.

jayroc

I agree with this. I think that people who are generally more active, and try to lead healthy lifestyles, so be given a break. I try not to think of it as hurting the sedentary, but rewarding the "fit". But the bottom line is that you gotta get out there with the education, and some constant reminders. tell veryone you know that you bike to work: The chick at safeway, the bank teller, the cop who pulls you over for not wearing a helmet ....anyways, good times.

Domromer

I used to work for a company that paid bike commuters 1$ a day. If the govement is willing to send me a 100$ check to ease the gas burden I think they should come up with a scheme like that for riders

khuon

I would be happy if the companies got the incentives (tax breaks, etc) to provide bike-commuting friendly facilities such as bike lockers and showers. My current employer has them and it's real nice but I know not every building has them. They should make these rewards based on number of employees who commute.

As far as rewards direct to commuters, perhaps an incentive program like what Microsoft has that gives $300 to their employees towards the purchase of a bike that's used for commuting purposes. This could then be subsidised by government programs via tax breaks to the companies. It would also be nice if it was offerred much like insurance benefits akin to how vision plans currently work. Every few years, the employee would be allowed to purchase a new bike (up to a certain price) and have it paid for or reimbursed by the company.

Another thing I've seen some companies do is provide bikes directly. Some companies with large facilities such as office campuses provide simple single-speed bikes for their employees to use. HP does this. So does SeaTac airport. I don't think they can be taken off premises though.

patc

Make bike parts, accessories, and maintenance tax-deductible. Think about it: many people have bikes, most of them gathering rust in a basement or garage. Only people who use bikes a lot buy panniers, or get work done at a bike shop, or actually buy new shifters etc.

tfahrner

um, https://todd.cleverchimp.com/blog/?p=115

Domromer

That bill is awesome, if you added up all the ways that people commuting by bikes will save the goverment money, it would be a drop in the bucket compared to the savings brought on by bike commuters, better health=less on health care, less ware and tear on the roads. Less road maintainence bills.

attercoppe

Free parking? Really?


Hey tfahrner (or anybody), any more info on that bike commuter tax break bill? I'd like to contact my reps and ask them to support it, but I probably need a bill number or something, right? EDIT: Nevermind, I found it via the BTA blog: S 2635.

bkrownd

Please don't advocate adding to the complexity and unfairness of our ridiculously complex and unfair tax system.

The only perk bike commuters need is proper facilities, respect and recognition.

PKG

Those are GOOD ideas...

Patrick A

I think I'm in this guy's camp.

PaulH

Arriving at work with a big smile is enough reward for me.

Paul

kf5nd

Seconded.

People don't avoid using bikes because they lack tax incentives. They avoid cycling because they perceive motorists as dangerous, and the infrastructure as inadequate.

FIX THOSE PROBLEMS.

Domromer

yes safe streets and bike storage would get more people to ride, but I think the idea of a little extra green in the average joe's pocket would get a lot more people to ride and with all the money the goverment saves by people riding , I think it's only fair

bkrownd

One person's subsidy is another person's thievery.

patc

How do you fix the "too lazy to get off posterior" problem?

svwagner

i don't need a tax break to commute by bicycle -- and never have.

instead of giving us tax breaks, just re-allocate the money to better public-funded bicycle facilities, public transit, and intermodal transit solutions.

i'm more than willing to pay for that sort of thing.

Roody

Make laziness socially unacceptable. That approach has worked better than any other with smoking and drunk driving. I think it would also work with changing sedentary lifestyles. The US government is already doing a lot of advertising along these lines.

patc

I agree with you that we need a paradigm shift in the population as a whole. At this point in Ontario smoking has pretty much become socially unacceptable, and (other than business owners) no one really objects to the smoking ban in all public spaces. We need to do the same for sedentary and unhealthy lifestyles. I think public awareness is growing, however, with media attention on how our health care system is stressed due to poor lifestyles. We need governments to be pro-active again in encouraging an active lifestyle.

khuon

I think many of us are preaching to the choir. BTW, I myself am not car-free but I do try and be car-responsible. At previous points in my life, I have been car-free however.

At anyrate, for better or worse, our society is resistant to change. Sometimes a catalyst and a bit of lube is needed to entice people. For many, this is often one of monetary concern. Trumpeting health benefits is one thing but I think that historically and statistically speaking, you'll find that barring an immediate life-threatening danger (and sometimes that's not enough), the general populous as a whole will tend to retain a certain lifestyle unless there's a financial incentive to change. The health insurance companies and health care institutions around here have however done a good job of promoting exercise/fitness with blatant depictions of cycling in my area. OTOH, my area already has a large and growing proportion of the population who are cyclists so they may also be preaching to the choir.

donrhummy

Set up a program where if you bike to work (and your company signs off on the fact that you showed up on a bike X number of days) a certain number of days per month (average) for the year, you get $500 back on your taxes (or some amount). Giving the company's some of that incentive is a bad idea, however, as there would be a LOT of fraud in those cases. Whereas if a company doesn't benefit from you riding to work, they're more likely to be honest with it (which is the point here).

Eriol

I would just be happy with an acceptable place to park my bike (I was already told im not allowed to bring it in the building and during the summer they have the grass sprinkers spraying the bikes all day long, makes me very angry). However, tax breaks and showers at work would be nice.

literocola

Free bikes, and free bike parts!
More free bikes!