Commuting: Bicycle Commuter Act

[LightWeight]

From an e-mail I received this morning....

What?
The Bicycle Commuter Act (H.R.807, S.2635) is before congress right now. It would provide a tax benefit to employers who offer cash reimbursements to employees who ride to work in order to help defray their commuting costs. All this requires is an amendment to the Transportation Fringe Benefit of the tax code to extend the definition of "transportation" to include bicycles. Employers are given the flexibility to set their own levels of benefit payments and the bike commuter can use those payments to pay for a bike, accessories, safety equipment, insurance, and locker or shower fees.

How:
It is so SIMPLE!! Just go to this link: http://capwiz.com/lab/issues/alert/?alertid=8647031 and input your zip code and the page generates emails to go to all your congress people....Then just sign and send.

[Kayakoholic]

Are you going to forward this on to the Ant Overlords at our company, since they're expanding the campus to accommodate 2,800 newbies?

Personally, I think they should give us some kind of incentives (e.g. 2 free lunch tickets/week, 18% raise, etc.) to ride bikes to work. That way, they won't have to build as big of a parking lot for the 2,800 new cars.

[LightWeight]

Are you going to forward this on to the Ant Overlords at our company, since they're expanding the campus to accommodate 2,800 newbies?

I used to get surveys about the quality of facilities. They quit sending them to me after I suggested that bikes be allowed to park in the underground garage... :confused:

I do have to hand it to them, though. They did replace the mostly bent/unusable bike racks when they moved them right outside the smoking lounge...

[Pandl]

Bikers get to park in our underground ramp at work in downtown Mpls. just gotta get your id modified. that is the only benefit. The other building has the gym, with showers, that they allow bikers to use for free on Bike to work day. Luckily, I bike then bus and don't get that dirty/sweaty on the way in.

Have fun with the newbies

[Kayakoholic]

I used to get surveys about the quality of facilities. They quit sending them to me after I suggested that bikes be allowed to park in the underground garage... :confused:

Can you blame them? If we got to park our bikes in the underground garage, the executives would have fewer places to park their Jaguars, Mercedes, BMWs, Land Rovers, and H2's.

This is how the incentive program should work: We ride our bikes to work, park them in the racks, and walk to the security guard. He/she takes our badge, sniffs us to make sure we stink. Then, he/she swipes the badge through a special reader that feeds directly into HR.

Depending on the number of days we ride to work in a month, we get alotted additional vacation time, bigger discounts at the YMCA, discounts at At Your Convenience, and two free coupons per week at Caribou Coffee.

Yes. I think they'll buy it. Who's our CEO these days? I keep forgetting.

Oh, and would it kill them to add some singletrack around the perimeter of the 27 parking lots we have?!

[manual63]

I get to put my bike in my cubicle with me......:)

[Kayakoholic]

I do have to hand it to them, though. They did replace the mostly bent/unusable bike racks when they moved them right outside the smoking lounge...

My brain must still be on Maine-time. You know what they could do? Convert the land behind the Bunker into singletrack. The Ant Overlord owns that property anyway and right now, the City of Eagan uses it as a dumping ground for the contents of their fleet of wood-chippers. There's a steep descent into a wooded field with a duck pond, a handfull of Osprey nests and a wetland.

Interesting...

[mn_ultra_guy]

Now I get weird looks when I come through the main lobby dripping from ice or sweat and I forced to park my bike in the parking ramp, but hey at least it is covered. I saw at Southdale the other day a sign next to some handicapped parking spaces that stated they moved the smoking area next to the bikes, as to not bother or harm the handicapped people. I mean, come on most old people now are on oxygen due to smoking anyway, so what does it matter?
I get to put my bike in my cubicle with me......:)

[jkalla]

I mean, come on most old people now are on oxygen due to smoking anyway, so what does it matter?

What about the ones who are on oxygen and smoke? Where are they gonna go now?

[Pandl]

Marie, I would sign up for that plan. Don't need the coffee, but I could give those coupons away. I would love to be able to park my bike in my cube. But, that might get dirt on the carpet, and we can't have that. wonder who get to be the lucky sniffer. Do you guys, cept Shad, all work at the same place?

[mn_ultra_guy]

The stupid farm, I guess:cool:
What about the ones who are on oxygen and smoke? Where are they gonna go now?

[Kayakoholic]

Marie, I would sign up for that plan. Don't need the coffee, but I could give those coupons away. I would love to be able to park my bike in my cube. But, that might get dirt on the carpet, and we can't have that. wonder who get to be the lucky sniffer. Do you guys, cept Shad, all work at the same place?

Joel and I work for the same company. They built us a nice bike rack. :)

I $hit you not. One day when I was riding to work, I actually saw somebody back out of her driveway and cross the street into the parking lot!

A commuter bike plan, that incents people to ride to work, would alleviate the need to kill additional trees, gut the valuable green space and slap down asphalt. Think of the money they could save in construction fees and permits alone!

[ppgc]

My brain must still be on Maine-time. You know what they could do? Convert the land behind the Bunker into singletrack. The Ant Overlord owns that property anyway and right now, the City of Eagan uses it as a dumping ground for the contents of their fleet of wood-chippers. There's a steep descent into a wooded field with a duck pond, a handfull of Osprey nests and a wetland.

Interesting...

Nah, they are building another bunker there and where they dump the snow into 3 more parking lots. yay for asphalt, boo for nature!... wait...

[Kayakoholic]

Nah, they are building another bunker there and where they dump the snow into 3 more parking lots. yay for asphalt, boo for nature!... wait...

So what you're saying is that beyond the bunker, down into that valley, where the city empties their wood-chippers, they're building the second bunker? The Ant Overlords have no idea of the potential for singletrack down there, do they? :cryin:

[jitterjepp]

I $hit you not. One day when I was riding to work, I actually saw somebody back out of her driveway and cross the street into the parking lot!

That is absolutley disgusting! I don't want to hear anymore of your stories.

[Nickel]

That is absolutley disgusting! I don't want to hear anymore of your stories.


You must have never seen someone get in their car to go pick up the mail at the end of their driveway then....

[jitterjepp]

You must have never seen someone get in their car to go pick up the mail at the end of their driveway then....I've seen it and its about the laziest think I can think of someone doing.

What goes through that persons mind? "Oh god! All the way across the street. I can't walk all the way across the street. Oh god! It's just so far.. I'll be so tired.. Its just too far to walk. Oh no. What do I do..its just too far.":mad:

I knew people who lived in the country that did that but the mailbox was four or five blocks away where the dirt roads crossed. It wasn't less than 100 feet away which is about 35 steps.

I wonder what would happen if another person pulled into the driveway and took the spot closest to the front door. Would they sit in the car and wait for them to leave so they could get a spot closer to the front door?

[nigel]

Geeze, makes me glad im actually encouraged to ride to work, and told im lazy by coworkers if i dont!

[Kayakoholic]

I've seen it and its about the laziest think I can think of someone doing.

What goes through that persons mind? "Oh god! All the way across the street. I can't walk all the way across the street. Oh god! It's just so far.. I'll be so tired.. Its just too far to walk. Oh no. What do I do..its just too far.":mad:

I knew people who lived in the country that did that but the mailbox was four or five blocks away where the dirt roads crossed. It wasn't less than 100 feet away which is about 35 steps.

I wonder what would happen if another person pulled into the driveway and took the spot closest to the front door. Would they sit in the car and wait for them to leave so they could get a spot closer to the front door?

I try to give people I don't know the benefit of the doubt. I'm about 2.8% sucessful. When I saw that car pull out of the driveway and cross the street into the parking lot, I though, "Ok. Maybe she's on crutches or in a wheelchair, or something."

I rode up behind the van and followed her to a parking spot. I circled around and around, waiting for her to get out of the car. When she finally did, I saw that she walked fine. No limps, no gimpy gait. She was relatively young (maybe mid- to late 40s). Just lazy and yipping on a cell phone.

[ppgc]

So what you're saying is that beyond the bunker, down into that valley, where the city empties their wood-chippers, they're building the second bunker? The Ant Overlords have no idea of the potential for singletrack down there, do they? :cryin:

If you look at the front of the current bunker, towards UPS they are building the new one to the right of that. The road that runs to the left side of the bunker and ends will go all the way through the property and come out on the other side. When I walk back there I think of all the sweet single track that could be put in...makes me sad.

[Kayakoholic]

It's time to take action against the Ant Overlords! I just wish I knew who our CEO is, that way I can send him the link to this thread.

Wait. I don't want to do that, do I? :laugh:

[jzipfel]

I received this response from Coleman's office. I hope it means he is supporting the bill. You never really know what a response like this means though.

Dear Mr. Zipfel :



Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the Bicycle
Commuters Benefit Act of 2007 (S.858). As a cosponsor of this
legislation, I appreciate your support.



As you may know, on March 13, 2007, S.858 was introduced by Senator Ron
Wyden (D-OR) and has since been referred to the Senate Finance
Committee. The legislation would create a tax incentive that companies
can offer their employees who commute via bicycle. Under current law,
companies can offer employees an incentive to commute by public transit.
Our dependence on foreign oil is a threat to our economy, our security,
and our freedom. This bill provides an incentive to reduce our oil
dependence by rewarding those who choose to commute via bicycle, an
alternative, clean source of transportation. S. 858 would also help
reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, and promote exercise.



Thank you once again for contacting me. If I may be of further
assistance to you in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me.




Sincerely,
Norm Coleman
United States Senate