house Bill H.R. 1507
Should Bike Commuters Receive a Pre-Tax Benefit Like Car and Public Transit Commuters?
Argument in favor
Bike commuters are currently the only group of American workers who aren’t entitled to a tax break for the cost of their commute to work. This bill would rectify this by giving bike commuters a pre-tax benefit similar to those for car and public transit commuters.
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05/17/2019
Though an excellent concept, the bill must be amended to include verification provisions that bicycle commuting is actually occurring. How will this be handled in locales where winter weather exists, etc. Close the loopholes for non-use and this bill could be beneficial.
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05/17/2019
YES, I favor this legislation. I don't think this bill would have much impact on getting more people to bike to work, nor have much of an impact on taxes overall. However, I strongly believe that any legislation that incentivizes public awareness of better ecological practices is a step in right direction. It helps gain public support to address climate change- which is a really big deal.
05/17/2019
Climate change is the arguably the greatest and most pressing issue of our time. Rewarding people for choosing the better and cleaner option of biking is a big step in the right direction in the fight against the changing climate.
Argument opposed
This bill likely won’t have a significant positive impact on bike commuting rates, as the inherent barriers to bike commuting — lack of protected bike lanes, long distances from homes to offices, and real or perceived lack of safety — are unchanged by this bill.
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05/17/2019
Not until there are more defined rules on how drivers and bikers should share a road. I seem to constantly encounter the people that dare me to hit them.
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05/17/2019
If you need to get a kick back for doing the right thing then you are a phony.
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05/17/2019
This is a ploy to support the Green New Deal notion of taking automobiles off the streets...except for the ones they deem worthy of having an automobile. Don’t fall for this BS.
Though an excellent concept, the bill must be amended to include verification provisions that bicycle commuting is actually occurring. How will this be handled in locales where winter weather exists, etc. Close the loopholes for non-use and this bill could be beneficial.
Not until there are more defined rules on how drivers and bikers should share a road. I seem to constantly encounter the people that dare me to hit them.
YES, I favor this legislation. I don't think this bill would have much impact on getting more people to bike to work, nor have much of an impact on taxes overall. However, I strongly believe that any legislation that incentivizes public awareness of better ecological practices is a step in right direction. It helps gain public support to address climate change- which is a really big deal.
Climate change is the arguably the greatest and most pressing issue of our time. Rewarding people for choosing the better and cleaner option of biking is a big step in the right direction in the fight against the changing climate.
Bicycling is healthy, efficient, inexpensive, sustainable, and (especially in the city congestion) often FASTER. Support.
If you need to get a kick back for doing the right thing then you are a phony.
This is a ploy to support the Green New Deal notion of taking automobiles off the streets...except for the ones they deem worthy of having an automobile. Don’t fall for this BS.
Heck yeah, they are leading the way to cleaner air for everyone!
Encouraging bicycles for commute is a good idea.
The only legitimate purpose of taxation is to generate the revenue necessary to fund critical government operations—not for social engineering.
The more closely the tax is tied to the specific operation, the better. For example, if you rely on your bicycle for commuting, you automatically receive the benefit of reduced or eliminated taxation on things like gas, vehicle maintenance, registration, vehicle purchases, etc.
We should not have a special tax break—especially at the federal level—for local commuting habits.
Such a great way to commute. We need more Bike Lanes in our towns and cities
No, that opens the door to too many areas that are of higher priorities. First we need to make the tax laws fair and instead of most of the benefits going to the 1% and large corporations, we need to take care of the 99%. So revising the tax laws is the first step.
Cycling should be encouraged, not only for the environmental aspect, but for the health aspect. We need to ensure that there is also infrastructure and education to help protect cyclists from vehicles.
Cyclists have just as much of a right to the road as any other vehicle, and must also follow the rules of the road just as any other vehicle (certain local laws may differ depending on tollway and if there is a cycling lane or path available).
Most people are uninformed and uneducated about how roads are funded. They are funded from the general tax base and cyclists, especially those that do it for a hobby, tend to pay plenty of taxes. It IS NOT from licensing, car tags or gasoline like many of the comments in this thread.
Many cyclists roll stop signs or red lights because it’s safe or conserves momentum - some local or state laws allow this as well. Riders that take their lane do so to prevent cars from trying to pass them in unsafe conditions (construction, hill, blind corner, etc.). There are cyclists that ride dangerously or unlawfully just like there are drivers that do the same. The main difference is that a cyclist is unlikely to cause harm to a vehicle from a bad decision whereas a vehicle can most definitely cause harm to many things.
Biking is cool. We support bike lanes, bike paths and bikes as exercise.
