In the deep and earmarked recesses of HR 1244 (aka the bailout bill), there lies a surprisingly wonderful late-night addition: incentive for companies to encourage their employees to bike to work. From NYTimes:Starting next year, employers who provide bike parking, bathing facilities, tune-ups, or other support for bicycle commuting, can deduct up to $20 a month per participating employee from their own taxable income. Exactly how that will work is under negotiation with the Internal Revenue Service, and it remains to be seen whether businesses will in fact begin showering their sweaty, two-wheeled workers with rewards and incentives.While the financial incentives pale in comparison to those offered to mass-transit-users and automotive commuters, it is a step (or a pedal) in the right direction.
In the deep and earmarked recesses of HR 1244 (aka the bailout bill), there lies a surprisingly wonderful late-night addition: incentive for companies to encourage their employees to bike to work. From NYTimes:Starting next year, employers who provide bike parking, bathing facilities, tune-ups, or other support for bicycle commuting, can deduct up to $20 a month per participating employee from their own taxable income. Exactly how that will work is under negotiation with the Internal Revenue Service, and it remains to be seen whether businesses will in fact begin showering their sweaty, two-wheeled workers with rewards and incentives.While the financial incentives pale in comparison to those offered to mass-transit-users and automotive commuters, it is a step (or a pedal) in the right direction.