Bicycle Commuter Act (H.R.807, S.2635): Talking Points

• The Bicycle Commuters Benefits Act (S. 2635), introduced by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), and currently co-sponsored by Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Richard Durbin (D-Ill), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Norm Coleman (R-MN), and Mike Enzi (R-WY).

• S. 2635 is the Senate companion bill to the Bicycle Commuter Act (H.R. 807) introduced in the 109th Congress by Congressman Earl Blumenauer. H.R. 807 currently has 47 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle.

• According to recent Census reports, more than 500,000 people throughout the United States commute to work by bicycle.

• Over 50% of the working population in the United States commute five miles or less to work, bicycles offer the strongest potential for reducing single-occupancy vehicle trips.

• According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, bicycles are second only to cars as a preferred form of transportation. Excluding this highly preferred mode of transportation does not make sense and is counterintuitive.

• Financial incentives are currently offered for commuting by other modes of transportation; it is time to level the playing field to include bicyclists.

• The bill extends the fringe benefit that employers can offer their employees for commuting by public transit, to those who ride their bicycles to and from their jobs.

• Studies have shown that when offered bike parking and/or access to showers; individuals are 40 percent more likely to bike to work.

• The Bicycle Commuter Act (S. 2635, H.R. 807) is intended to help defray costs of commuting by bike such as: bike, accessories and safety equipment, life and personal property insurance premiums, locker rental fees, changing and locker facilities, metro/bus fares for commuting by transit during bad weather.

•The Bicycle Commuter Act (S. 2635, H.R. 807) is supported by many national and regional bicycling organizations, including League of American Bicyclists, Bikes Belong, Transportation Alternatives, Bike New York, Cycle Oregon, Washington Area Bicyclist Association, and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance.

•The Bicycle Commuter Act (S. 2635, H.R. 807) is a fair and modest proposal that will reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, and make neighborhoods safe. The federal government can assist in those efforts by promoting bicycling use through the existing Transportation Fringe Benefit of the tax code.

• The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that S. 2635 could cost up to $78M over the next five years.

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