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.

Do you really need one more reason to start commuting to work on your bicycle? If so, read on.

On May 21st, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Bill of 2008 (H.R. 6049), which, among other things, extends a tax benefit to people who regularly commute by bicycle.

Basically, the tax benefit means that you can shave $20 per month that you commuted by bike off of your gross income when calculating taxes. In other words, it’s not very much in the big picture, BUT it is IN the picture!

Not that we are looking for handouts or anything. I mean, hey, I wish all of these special tax breaks would just go disappear off the face of the earth. But since that is not likely, I’ll take it!

I can only assume that this passed as a result of Portland, Oregon’s Representative Earl Blumenauer (D). It’s good when you have the right people in the right places…

Now get out there and earn your tax break!

Source: CCH.

Today, Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) announced a plan to offer bicycle rentals around the U.S. House of Representatives office buildings. The bicycle rental program will be similar to ones that have been recently implemented in Paris, Barcelona, and other European cities.

Blumenauer started the Congressional Bike Caucus last year. The Caucus currently has 164 Members, including 118 Democrats, 45 Republicans (Sue Kelly (R-NY) is the Co-Chair), and 1 Independent. Members of the caucus represent 43 States and the District of Columbia.

To start, Blumenauer is launching a pilot program for bike sharing on Capitol Hill. Today, as part of the National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C., Blumenauer announced Wheels4Wellness, a program to provide up to 30 bicycles around the Capitol Hill complex for U.S. House employees to check out.

Blumenauer worked out the details of the system with Dan Beard, the chief administrative officer of the U.S. House. The House will select a vendor to provide bikes on self-service racks throughout the House campus. Employees who register for the program can check out the bikes for short trips.

Representative Blumenauer on his commuter bicycle (Photo Credit: The Washington Post)

Bike-sharing programs take advantage of new technology — using smart cards or cell phone codes for riders to check out bikes from bike shelters. They’re funded by advertising, user fees or government subsidies. Some rental bikes even feature GPS units for navigating city streets.

Read more about it from our Source: The Oregonian

~ms

Portland, Oregon has one of the highest percentage of bicycle commuters in the U.S. (source: The Oregonian)

The City of Portland, Oregon has recently suffered the death of two bicycle commuters. Local residents have begun to engage in a very healthy debate about how to cope with the challenges of rapidly increasing bicycle commuting population. While the numbers of bicyclists have risen exponentially in recent years, the relative attitudes and awareness of drivers has not changed at the same pace.

Kudos to The Oregonian newspaper for their excellent coverage of the tragedy and the ensuing debate. Yesterday, the newspaper launched a website documenting the situation, called Bike versus Car: Sharing the road in Portland.

The website even contains an interactive Google Map mashup showing the locations of bicycle-car crashes in the Portland area.

Note the demographic data on salaries of car drivers vs. bicycle commuters. Interesting…

~ms

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

Kudos to Streetsblog for picking up on this hilarious video of Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC). This is video that the congressman was so proud of, he posted it on his website.

Here’s the text of McHenry’s speech, as quoted in the Congressional Record:

“A major component of the Democrats’ energy legislation and the Democrats’ answer to our energy crisis is, hold on, wait one minute, wait one minute, it is promoting the use of the bicycle.

Oh, I cannot make this stuff up. Yes, the American people have heard this. Their answer to our fuel crisis, the crisis at the pumps, is: Ride a bike.

Democrats believe that using taxpayer funds in this bill to the tune of $1 million a year should be devoted to the principle of: “Save energy, ride a bike.” Some might argue that depending on bicycles to solve our energy crisis is naive, perhaps ridiculous. Some might even say Congress should use this energy legislation to create new energy, bring new nuclear power plants on line, use clean coal technology, energy exploration, but no, no. They want to tell the American people, stop driving, ride a bike. This is absolutely amazing.

Apparently, the Democrats believe that the miracle on two wheels that we know as a bicycle will end our dependence on foreign oil. I cannot make this stuff up. It is absolutely amazing.

Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you the Democrats, promoting 19th century solutions to 21st century problems. If you don’t like it, ride a bike. If you don’t like the price at the pumps, ride a bike.

Stay tuned for the next big idea for the Democrats: Improving energy efficiency by the horse and buggy.”

Hmmm…we’re pretty happy he didn’t make that stuff up. And yes, it is absolutely amazing - the power of the human body.

~ms