Comments on: Relief, Sweet Relief: The Commuter Relief Act

By: Jon

Jon — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 02:47:39 +0000

Update: I emailed the League of American Bicyclists, and they agree the bill doesn’t change the bicycling benefit.
They’re going to update that blog post.

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:54:29 +0000

Stacey,
Yes, I read both the sites you mentioned. I’ve also read the bill through three or four times. The words “$40″, “40″, and “forty” are not in the bill, at least not in relation to the bicycling benefit.
I WANT it to be true, but I just don’t see where in the bill it’s found. It’d be great if somebody could point it out. Maybe it has to do with the language adjusting the inflation baseline year?
I emailed Blumenauer’s staff though his website, but their canned message says they don’t respond to people who don’t live in his district, and I don’t.

By: Stacey Moses

Stacey Moses — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 13:58:05 +0000

Hi Jon,

The current cap for cycling benefits is $20. Rep. Blumenauer’s official website as well as the League of American Bicyclist’s site both report that the Commute Relief Act, if passed into legislation, will increase the benefit from $20 to $40.

I’m not exactly sure where it is listed in the bill, but I would imagine that Blumenauer’s site would have been updated/corrected if this increase was not actually included in the bill.

By: Jon

Jon — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 19:58:55 +0000

I haven’t been able to find corroboration for the $40 cycling benefit. The text of the Commuter Relief Act (H.R. 1825) doesn’t include an increase in the cycling benefit. Either it’s already at $40, or there’s a typo on Rep. Blumenauer’s press release.
Still, I support setting the benefit at parity across all modes.

By: Stacey Moses

Stacey Moses — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 23:47:21 +0000

I think that the combination of Andy and Columbus commuter’s response is what shaped this proposal- if Blumenauer wants to have a realistic chance of securing any additional benefits for cyclists, proposing to completely do away with all parking or public transportation benefits isn’t going to get very far in Congress.

By: Columbus commuter

Columbus commuter — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:54:29 +0000

Seems Rep. Blumenauer proposal is a sensible step in the right direction. Unfortunately, with the current composition of the House, it just makes for some pleasing press for his constituency. It will never get anywhere.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:00:48 +0000

“Show me the money!” Being the greedy little bastards we (Americans) are… this program doesn’t offer enough incentive (and IMO the wrong type of incentive, $$$) to fly.

When the Renewable Energy Act was passed in ’99(?) I spoke to my employer about it. After we looked at the real numbers; for the tax credit to have any value, the Company needed to be able to claim a majority of its employees for the credit to off-set the expence of recording, applying for and disbursing the credit.

By: Paul in Minneapolis

Paul in Minneapolis — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 01:34:16 +0000

On a simular note. Why don’t people who create a life where they can walk to work get a tax break?

I do not ride bicycles, walk or ride the bus to work or shopping for a tax break..

I really do question people changing thier lives for a $40 tax break…

I agree, commuter bicyclists, walkers and public tranportaioners should get $200, single occupancy motor vehicle motorist should pay $200 for and carpoolers break even.

By: Larey

Larey — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:41:41 +0000

If they wanted to be fair and effective the federal government could lead the way by charging every employee $1.00 (or more) per day to park their cars at work. That way anyone who didn’t drive would benefit, regardless of what mode of transportation they used or even how often they didn’t drive. It would sure save a lot of paperwork.

By: JaimeRoberto

JaimeRoberto — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 20:49:12 +0000

What is this $230 parking benefit you speak of? I don’t recall ever seeing this on any of my paychecks. Is the idea that in some places the employer pays for the employee’s parking and can write it off as an expense? If so, I think this effects only a small percentage of people. This new program sounds like another waste of money at a time when government should be saving money. If you want to discourage driving (or at least make driving revenue neutral for the government), then raise the gas tax to a level that will pay for road building and maintenance. That way the user pays. As long as the roads are revenue neutral, then I don’t think it is any of the government’s business if I am driving alone or with others.