So, you, like the rest of the velocommuting community got excited about the recent passage of the Bicycle Commuter Transportation Benefit, right? $20 a month couldn’t hurt in times like these could it?

And then you pitched the idea to your boss…and the gal in finance who does payroll…and anybody else who will listen to you at the water cooler…and watched time after time as eyes glazed over and the conversation seemed to wind around and around getting nowhere…

I know the feeling!

Trust me - there are a lot of folks out there scratching their heads about this benefit to folk like you and me.

All I can say is to try and take a deep breath, knowing there are folks working on it. Just know that your faithful House Representative/Biker’s rights champion Earl Blumenauer is not going to take this laying down.

For now, I recommend going Here to find out the latest recommendations (the League of American Bicyclists promises to update their FAQ on the Benefit as things develop).

And then, if you are still frustrated by all of the bureaucratic bungling, try going for a ride. What’s $20 anyway compared to the daily freedom from the anger and frustrations of car commuting? Ahh…the cold, clean air of a winter morning…

Happy velocommuting!

OK, so maybe I should not have been so dour yesterday in commenting about the impending passage of the financial package to stabilize credit markets here in the U.S.

I was correct in suggesting that the press would make a big deal of the bicycle commuter tax break. Many news outlets have had a field day talking about this credit as an example of the “pork” contained in the bill.

Oh well - no need to be so down - We get a tax break! Start negotiating with your employer now for better bike racks, changing facilities, and lockers, because you will be giving them a $120/year break on their taxes!

Read more about how bicycle commuters are reacting at the Outside Magazine Blog.

The Rochester, Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic has launched a bike sharing program. The program even has a great acronym! Gear up and Ride, or GEAR, is the brainchild of Dave Jasperson (pictured), Mayo’s coordinator for surgery and radiology in their Livewell Program.

The program is only in pilot phase at this time and there is no information about GEAR on Mayo’s website, the Rochester Post-Bulletin reports that numerous employees are supportive of the program.

Photo credit: Ken Klotzbach, Rochester Post-Bulletin

Lance Armstrong, the seven-time winner of the Tour de France (did I need to mention that?) is a bicycle commuter and he wants more people to be like him. He is opening an 18,000 square foot bike shop in the downtown Austin area.

Artists rendering of the future Mellow Johnny’s (Photo courtesy of Austin360.com)

Mellow Johnny’s, named for the nickname Armstrong earned while wearing the Tour de France leader’s “maillot jaune,” or yellow jersey, will be housed in a yellow- and red-brick building next to the music venue La Zona Rosa. It is a block north of the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, a path that will cut east-west through downtown Austin.

The store will feature showers and a locker room so that velocommuters can wash up before heading to work in nearby office and retail space.

Lance Armstrong, in Mellow Johnny’s on Wednesday with, from left, manager Craig Staley, general partner Bart Knaggs and building designer Michael Hsu (Photo Credit: Austin360.com)

“This city is exploding downtown. Are all these people in high rises going to drive everywhere? We have to promote (bike) commuting,” says Armstrong. “This can be a hub for that.”

Click Here to view a video of Lance talking about his new project.

~ms

Is it Wednesday yet?

Biking to work has certainly made it’s way into certain social circles and professions, the likes of which have not been seen for a long time. First, we see waifish gals in NYC, then there are all the doctors, lawyers, and others who have ridden bikes for years and are now riding them to work.

For some employees, biking to work also means a $700-a-year raise. Workplace incentives may be what is driving the upward trend. There is even a bill before congress that would make such employee incentives tax-free.

For others, it is simply a way to get through the workday. Any way you look at it, it is the perfect solution to all your problems!

~ms

Photo source: The Boston Herald

There is legislation pending in both Houses of Congress to extend tax benefits to those who commute by bicycle. Are you a velocommuter? Do you support the idea of giving folks like us a tax break? Here’s your chance to act!

The Bicycle Commuter’s Benefits Act has been co-sponsored by 53 Democrats and 12 Republicans in the House and 9 Democrats, 5 Republicans, and 2 Independents in the Senate.

If you support bicycle commuting, please consider sending a comment to Congress in support of this legislation. In short, the Bicycle Commuters Benefits Act would extend a tax break to those who receive benefits from their employer for biking to work. That seems like a good thing to exempt from the tax code (but it sure seems a little complicated…oh well - it’s a start, right? ; )

Here is a link to the League of American Bicyclists’ web page on the subject.

~ms

Duke University is pedaling an exciting new sustainability program! In an effort to green-up the Durham, N.C. campus, the Duke Sustainability Office recently launched Duke Bikes, a bike rental program for students and staff.

All that is required to rent a bike through the program is a Duke ID card. One-speed and three-speed Trek Cruiser bikes are available for rent through the program.

So far, the program appears to be successful, in that the bikes are being rented by students and staff.

Velocommuter will do a follow-up story on this program in a few months in which we gauge the programs success.

Ride on, Blue Devils!

~ms

The word from Steetsblog is that New York City employees now have an indoor bicycle parking facility.  There has been a bit of a controversy with employees of NYC who want to bike to work.  Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced plans late last year to green up the city, including promoting City employees to bike to work.

The program has faltered a bit, with some employees complaining of poor bike storage and bad building bicycle policies.  This indoor facility is definitely a step in the right direction.  Hopefully the word from NYC just keeps getting better and better!

Kudos to Mayor Bloomberg and his GREENYC program.  Well-placed infrastructure will pay large dividends over the long term.

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One of the biggest challenges with biking to work is what to do with your bike when you get there! Workers began installing bike lockers in the downtown area of Fargo, North Dakota this week. Bike lockers enable velocommuters to lock up their bike and completely forget about it for the rest of the day. No need to talk your boss into letting you roll your grimy commuter bike through the office, to the storage closet!

Lockers rent for $10 per month or $100 per year.

The officials and staff in Fargo are to be congratulated for taking such a big step in the right direction. Bike lockers are a major boon to velocommuting. Most of us would not even consider using a bike lock on crowded downtown sidewalks. That’s simply an invitation for disaster.

Go straight to our source for more info.

~ms

According to the May 26th edition of the Houston Chronicle, Exxon Mobil, BP and ConocoPhillips are all offering velocommuters such amenities as lockers, showers, and safe bicycle storage areas.

That’s excellent!

This is a perfect example of a good way to improve one’s corporate citizenship. We know that not everyone is going to want to bike to work. That’s a given. But for those that do, why not pat these folks on the back by making it one step easier?

It’s a small step in the right direction…

~vc