League of American Bicyclists

[Ablang]

< If Congress passes the Bicycle Commuter Act (H.R. 807), it
would allow employers to offer a cash reimbursement of up to $100 per
month to employees who commute by bicycle and receive a tax break in
return. Get on "Get Involved" to ask your representatives to lend
their support. >

http://www.bikeleague.org

The 125 Most Influential People in American Cycling
Who would make your list of the people who have wielded the most
influence over bicycling in the United States in the past 125 years?
Would it be the organizational builders such as Phyllis Harmon and Dan
Burden, or industry leaders like Pope and Terry? Is it high profile
stars such as Madonna and E.T. or racing stars like LeMond, Armstrong
and Taylor? What about the pioneers of mountain bicycling? Submit Your
Nomination

League Designates 16 Bicycle Friendly Communities (Posted: 5.16.05)
Sixteen cities across the United States can celebrate the start of
National Bike to Work Week today with the news that the League of
American Bicyclists has awarded them the coveted designation of
“Bicycle Friendly Community”. The award, given at levels from Bronze
to Platinum, recognizes those communities that are improving
conditions for bicyclists and bicycling safety.

Five cities are awarded the BFC designation for the first time,
bringing the total number of designated communities to 49. For more
information visit www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org.

Sessions Amendment Threatens Core Bike Funding (Posted: 5.16.05)
Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions is offering an amendment today, Monday
May 16, which would slash funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects
in the Senate transportation bill. Although the measure is not
expected to pass, The League of American Bicyclists is urging its
supporters to contact their Senators to ask them to oppose the
Sessions Amendment (646). More

May is National Bike Month™: Is your Bike Month Event Listed on
BikeMonth.com? (Posted: 4.11.05)
Bike to Work Week is May 16-20, and Bike to Work Day is May 20. The
Event Listing section of www.bikemonth.com contains event information
on National Bike Month™ and Bike-to-Work Week/Day events from all over
the country. Get your free listing posted today by visiting this
resourceful section!

Bicyclists File to Defend Bicyclists' Rights (Posted 3.29.05)
The League of American Bicyclists and leading bicycling clubs in
Kentucky filed an Amicus brief in the Kentucky Supreme Court, March
28, 2005 to defend the rights of Kentucky bicyclists on the
Commonwealth's roads. The case arose from a jury decision that a
bicyclist seriously injured by a passing motorist (pulling two
trailers) should not have been there and should have stopped and
gotten out of the way while the motorist passed. The case was joined
by the Louisville Bicycle Club, Ashland Cycling Enthusiasts, Bluegrass
Cycling Club, Bowling Green League of Bicyclists and Chain Reaction
Cycling Club in Paducah. More

5th National Bike Summit® Establishes Bicycling in the Public Interest
(Posted: 3.25.05)
The 5th National Bike Summit® was a resounding success, reports the
League of American Bicyclists. More than 325 registrants from 47
states attended the 2005 Summit. Together, they visited in excess of
310 House offices and more than 90 of the 100 Senate offices during
Capitol Hill day, March 17. More

Capitol Hill Day A Resounding Success (Posted 3.17.05)
National Bike Summit® attendees meet with an overwhelming majority of
Congress. Bicyclists and industry leaders stress the importance of
strengthening current programs in TEA-21, fully funding a national
Safe Routes to School program, adopting Fair Share for Safety
language, cosponsoring the Bicycle Commuter Act, and creating Complete
Streets. Senator John Kerry (D-MA) joins attendees at the
Congressional Bike Reception and accepted the National Bicycle
Advocacy award

Clear Channel Radio Responds to Inappropriate DJ Behavior Against
Cyclists (Posted 3.2.05)
Clear Channel Radio has issued a very strong statement to the League
in response to inappropriate and insensitive remarks about bicyclists
made on radio station KSTE in Sacramento on February 24. The broadcast
personalities involved have expressed their deep regret on the air and
been disciplined by the company. KSTE has already begun airing PSAs to
promote bicycle safety and will undertake a number of other measures
to promote bicycle safety, as described in the letter [PDF] from Omar
Thompson, VP of Marketing & Communications, Clear Channel Radio.

Bicycle Commuter Act and Conserve By Bicycling Reintroduced in
Congress (Posted 2.25.05)
The bicycling agenda is alive and well in the halls of Congress with
less than three weeks to go before the National Bike Summit® (March
16-18 in Washington, DC). In addition to transportation
reauthorization, bicycling commuter and conserve by bike legislation
are once again being considered in the 109th Congress. More

National Rally Routes Announced (Posted 2.24.05)
Cycle Oregon, the League's partner for the 2005 National Rally, has
announced the touring routes for the September 10-17 cycling
extravaganza. Visit the Cycle Oregon site and the League Events
section for more information.

125 Years of Bicycling History: How will you get Involved? (Posted
2.14.05)
Visit the special 125th Anniversary section for the latest list of
ways you can take part in America’s cycling celebration. Have a couple
of unique ways to celebrate? Submit your ideas for the “125 Ways to
Get Involved” list and if we use them, we’ll send you a free 125th
Anniversary gift!

TEA-21 Update (Posted: 2.11.05)
(Washington, DC) -- On Wednesday, February 9, Representative Don
Young, Chairman of the House Transportation & Infrastructure
Committee, reintroduced a $283.9 billion six-year transportation
reauthorization bill that mirrors President Bush's FY2006 budget.
While there are some differences in funding from the bill before the
108th Congress, the policies delineated in the bill remain essentially
the same. More


===
"In the future, my private life will be expressed solely through art."
-- Britney Spears

 

[Wayne Pein]

> Bicyclists File to Defend Bicyclists' Rights (Posted 3.29.05)
> The League of American Bicyclists and leading bicycling clubs in
> Kentucky filed an Amicus brief in the Kentucky Supreme Court, March
> 28, 2005 to defend the rights of Kentucky bicyclists on the
> Commonwealth's roads. The case arose from a jury decision that a
> bicyclist seriously injured by a passing motorist (pulling two
> trailers) should not have been there and should have stopped and
> gotten out of the way while the motorist passed. The case was joined
> by the Louisville Bicycle Club, Ashland Cycling Enthusiasts, Bluegrass
> Cycling Club, Bowling Green League of Bicyclists and Chain Reaction
> Cycling Club in Paducah. More
>
>
> Capitol Hill Day A Resounding Success (Posted 3.17.05)
> National Bike Summit® attendees meet with an overwhelming majority of
> Congress. Bicyclists and industry leaders stress the importance of
> strengthening current programs in TEA-21, fully funding a national
> Safe Routes to School program, adopting Fair Share for Safety
> language, cosponsoring the Bicycle Commuter Act, and creating Complete
> Streets.


Hmmmm. The LAB wants to argue on one hand that bicyclists have rights to
the road as they exist, yet on the other hand that the streets are not
complete and therefore need completing. Last time I checked, there is no
road that can't fit my 2 ft wide bicycle.

Wayne, dropped his 15 year LAB membership due to their rudderless advocacy.

 

[Paul Turner]

Ablang wrote:

> < If Congress passes the Bicycle Commuter Act (H.R. 807), it
> would allow employers to offer a cash reimbursement of up to $100 per
> month to employees who commute by bicycle and receive a tax break in
> return. Get on "Get Involved" to ask your representatives to lend
> their support. >

This is the kind of legislation that seems counterproductive to me. The
benefit, if any, will be minuscule, but passage would give legislators the
opportunity to say, "look at all we've done for you -- now go away," and
anti-cyclists who tire of whining about gasoline taxes a new reason to
complain about the "special treatment" cyclists receive. We would be
better off if this weren't reintroduced every year.

The so-called tax break an employer would receive for paying a subsidy to
cyclists would be the exclusion of amonts paid from gross income. In other
words, $100 paid to a cycling employee would be like $100 paid for xerox
paper or felt-tip pens: an expense that wouldn't be taxed as part of
profit. It would still cost the employer money.

So the question is, would a significant number of employers be willing to
pay their employees who commute by bicycle a special subsidy of up to $100
per month? I doubt it. I have great difficulty thinking what I could say
that might make an employer want to part with this cash. Does anyone know
of any survey data suggesting that they would? Does anyone have an
employer he or she thinks could be talked into providing such a subsidy if
H.R. 807 should pass? I would expect very small businesses with a cycling
culture to be the most likely, but self-employed business owners cannot
pay themselves the benefit, which would tend to hurt chances there.

--
Paul Turner

 

[Matt O'Toole]

Paul Turner wrote:

> but self-employed business owners cannot pay themselves the
> benefit, which would tend to hurt chances there.

Well, they can ride their bike but still write off the IRS standard mileage
figure. What is it now, 37.5 cents a mile?

Matt O.

 

[[email protected]]

This is pure a political correct nonsense. Now Ameria is sick of too
many cars
now it is time for the mandate bike riding. The problem is not fat-ass
Americans not
transporting with bike , it is on the American streets not fit with a
bike riding. This
bicycle act is just another politically correct windowdressing. It's
laughable! Ameriacans people just can't rely on the bike. Their street
do not fit with a bike. We are not talking about European narrow small
street here! WE are talking about big wide street design for the
monster size vehicle which is what America is all over. So drop this
Liberal nonsense on Bike act.

Even if this bike act is pass in both house of congress, how many
Americans folk
would throw away their big motor and rely on their foot?

 

[Peter Cole]

Paul Turner wrote:
> Ablang wrote:
>
>> < If Congress passes the Bicycle Commuter Act (H.R. 807), it
>> would allow employers to offer a cash reimbursement of up to $100 per
>> month to employees who commute by bicycle and receive a tax break in
>> return. Get on "Get Involved" to ask your representatives to lend
>> their support. >
>
>
> This is the kind of legislation that seems counterproductive to me. The
> benefit, if any, will be minuscule, but passage would give legislators
> the opportunity to say, "look at all we've done for you -- now go away,"
> and anti-cyclists who tire of whining about gasoline taxes a new reason
> to complain about the "special treatment" cyclists receive. We would be
> better off if this weren't reintroduced every year.

Maybe, but I think it would be a good thing is the government did
something to recognize cycling as a social positive. It would be an
effective rebuttal to those who think "cyclists don't pay their share".
You'll never convince some people of the sensibility of encouraging
cycling, so I wouldn't bother trying not to alienate that audience,
they're already gone.

I think it would also send a clear message if employers subsidized
cycling, even in token amounts. Employee commuting by car does have
distinct costs, reducing those costs and improving employee health are
worthy objectives and should get at least a symbolic corporate blessing.

 

[Matt O'Toole]

Peter Cole wrote:

> It would be an
> effective rebuttal to those who think "cyclists don't pay their
> share".

I bet that as a group, cyclists pay more in taxes than average. Note how many
upscale brands are targetting cycling events and magazines, trying to get a
piece of our higher than average incomes.

Matt O.

 

[Veloise]

Way to go. I can't; I'm a lifer.

--Karen M.

 

[[email protected]]

Veloise wrote:
> Way to go. I can't; I'm a lifer.

Sad, isn't it? I want to keep teaching the Bike Ed courses, so I'm
sort of trapped too.

I wish there were another game in town.

- Frank Krygowski

 

[Dennis P. Harris]

On Mon, 30 May 2005 20:59:14 -0500 in rec.bicycles.misc, "Paul
Turner" <[email protected]> wrote:

> So the question is, would a significant number of employers be willing to
> pay their employees who commute by bicycle a special subsidy of up to $100
> per month? I doubt it. I have great difficulty thinking what I could say
> that might make an employer want to part with this cash.

given the cost of land in many urban areas, have you computed the
cost of a parking space in the company lot? if there is a
parking garage, they cost between $10k and $15k PER SPACE to
build. a simple paved lot can cost $3k per space if the land is
cheap, but much, much more if land is expensive.

 

[Dennis P. Harris]

On Mon, 30 May 2005 23:55:23 -0400 in rec.bicycles.misc, "Matt
O'Toole" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Well, they can ride their bike but still write off the IRS standard mileage
> figure. What is it now, 37.5 cents a mile?
>
40.5 cents/mile, which certainly doesn't cover my costs, even
with a 12 year old subaru.

 

[David L. Johnson]

On Wed, 01 Jun 2005 23:43:43 -0800, Dennis P. Harris wrote:

> On Mon, 30 May 2005 23:55:23 -0400 in rec.bicycles.misc, "Matt
> O'Toole" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Well, they can ride their bike but still write off the IRS standard mileage
>> figure. What is it now, 37.5 cents a mile?

But this was supposed to apply to commuting mileage, which is not
deductible.

>>
> 40.5 cents/mile, which certainly doesn't cover my costs, even with a 12
> year old subaru.

40.5? In 2004 it was 37.5; I guess I missed the increase. In what way
does that amount not cover your costs? Even with today's prices, a car
with decent mileage is burning less than $0.10/mile in gas. Insurance is
maybe $200/month for a big city and lots of business use. At 2000
miles/month that is another dime. If you spend more than $1000/year on
repairs it's time to replace that 12-year-old Subaru, and the remainder
will more than cover financing expenses.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics, I can
_`\(,_ | assure you that mine are all greater. -- A. Einstein
(_)/ (_) |

 

[Matt O'Toole]

David L. Johnson wrote:

> On Wed, 01 Jun 2005 23:43:43 -0800, Dennis P. Harris wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 30 May 2005 23:55:23 -0400 in rec.bicycles.misc, "Matt
>> O'Toole" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> Well, they can ride their bike but still write off the IRS standard
>>> mileage figure. What is it now, 37.5 cents a mile?
>
> But this was supposed to apply to commuting mileage, which is not
> deductible.

It can be if you're a contractor.

>> 40.5 cents/mile, which certainly doesn't cover my costs, even with a
>> 12 year old subaru.

You can take either the standard figure *or* the actual costs, whatever is
greater.

Matt O.

 

[LioNiNoiL_a t_Y a h 0 0_d 0 t_c 0 m]

Ablang asked:

> Who would make your list of the people who have wielded
> the most influence over bicycling in the United States
> in the past 125 years?

At the top of my list would be Henry Ford, the brothers John and Horace
Dodge, Ransom Olds, David Buick, Walter Chrysler, and Louis Chevrolet.
They had much more to do with making bicycling in the United States what
it is today than anyone in the bicycle industry.

--
"Bicycling is a healthy and manly pursuit with much
to recommend it, and, unlike other foolish crazes,
it has not died out." -- The Daily Telegraph (1877)

 

[wle]

think about it.

if insurance cost $1200 a year, and you drove only 1200 miles,
the cost is at least $1 a mile.

the trouble is that some costs are fixed [insurance]
and others are variable with mileage [gas, oil changes, tires].
others vary with time [paint may deteriorate whether you drive or not[

if you don;t drive much, the fixed costs cost a lot "per mile".

but they really don;t depend on the miles, so how do you cost it out?

wle.

 

[Mark Hickey]

[email protected] (Dennis P. Harris) wrote:

>On Mon, 30 May 2005 23:55:23 -0400 in rec.bicycles.misc, "Matt
>O'Toole" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Well, they can ride their bike but still write off the IRS standard mileage
>> figure. What is it now, 37.5 cents a mile?
>>
>40.5 cents/mile, which certainly doesn't cover my costs, even
>with a 12 year old subaru.

As others have pointed out, this may be a problem with fixed costs
applied against too few miles, but I find it impossible to believe
that $0.405 per mile won't cover your INCREMENTAL costs of driving,
which is (IMHO) fair. As nice as it would be to think that your
company would pay your car payment if you only drove the car five
miles a month on company business... it's only reasonable for them to
reimburse you for incremental costs of the miles you drive on their
behalf. Likewise, it's only reasonable that the IRS would give a
deduction that doesn't pay for your car payments, insurance, etc.

Depreciation (and quite a bit of it actually) IS figured in.

If you put 1,000 miles a month on your car, you'd end up with close to
$5,000 in tax credit at the end of the year. I doubt there are any
Subarus out there (particularly 12 year old models) that get LESS than
20 MPG. Even at California's (nation's highest) gas prices of around
$2.40 per gallon, you would have spent "only" $1440 in gas. That
would leave over $3,500 to pay for the wear and tear on the car, which
is a lot. Depreciation just isn't going to be a big deal on a 12 year
old car, so you should come out well ahead.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame

 

[Just zis Guy, you know?]

I submit that on or about Sat, 4 Jun 2005 17:20:27 -0400, the person
known to the court as "Matt O'Toole" <[email protected]> made a
statement (<[email protected]> in Your Honour's bundle) to
the following effect:

>> That's not really the issue though - it's your choice to live where
>> you have to drive to work, not your employer's. I suspect that all of
>> us would be driving to work more often if we could get our employer to
>> pay our car payment, insurance, repairs, etc. Probably a very good
>> thing they DON'T... ;-)

>That seems to make sense, but note that in countries where they actually do
>that -- the UK, Australia, much of Europe -- people still drive less than we do.
>Most new cars sold in the UK are company cars. When I lived in Australia, many
>companies had their own gas stations. This was partly to make sure people could
>get to work during the many gas strikes!

We (UK) also get taxed quite heavily on non-essential company car
provision. The benefit-in-kind is valued at 35% of the new price of
the car - and my last company car, about five years ago, was worth
over $50k back then so the tax was crippling unless I did more than
18,000 business miles per year. I did 12,000 in 5 months and then
left the firm...

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

 

[Dennis P. Harris]

On Sat, 04 Jun 2005 10:19:39 -0700 in rec.bicycles.misc, Mark
Hickey <[email protected]> wrote:

> That's not really the issue though - it's your choice to live where
> you have to drive to work, not your employer's. I suspect that all of
> us would be driving to work more often if we could get our employer to
> pay our car payment, insurance, repairs, etc. Probably a very good
> thing they DON'T... ;-)
>
It's not driving TO work; if that was the case, I'd just take
the bus or ride my bike. I manage 3 mobile home parks and 5
apartment buildings, spread all over the community; most are 5
or 6 miles from our office, some as far away as 13 miles, and I
have to drive to all those sites several times per week as part
of my job. My employer doesn't pay mileage for me to drive TO
work; he pays me to drive to our various properties to perform
management duties once I have arrived at work, and biking or
bussing would make me very inefficient.

It's my choice to live where I can easily walk or bike to stores,
entertainment, and restaurants, and I do. It was my employer's
choice to purchase properties that are spread all over town, and
to pay his employees mileage at the undercompensated IRS mileage
rate.

 

[Mark Hickey]

[email protected] (Dennis P. Harris) wrote:

>On Sat, 04 Jun 2005 10:19:39 -0700 in rec.bicycles.misc, Mark
>Hickey <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> That's not really the issue though - it's your choice to live where
>> you have to drive to work, not your employer's. I suspect that all of
>> us would be driving to work more often if we could get our employer to
>> pay our car payment, insurance, repairs, etc. Probably a very good
>> thing they DON'T... ;-)
>>
>It's not driving TO work; if that was the case, I'd just take
>the bus or ride my bike. I manage 3 mobile home parks and 5
>apartment buildings, spread all over the community; most are 5
>or 6 miles from our office, some as far away as 13 miles, and I
>have to drive to all those sites several times per week as part
>of my job. My employer doesn't pay mileage for me to drive TO
>work; he pays me to drive to our various properties to perform
>management duties once I have arrived at work, and biking or
>bussing would make me very inefficient.
>
>It's my choice to live where I can easily walk or bike to stores,
>entertainment, and restaurants, and I do. It was my employer's
>choice to purchase properties that are spread all over town, and
>to pay his employees mileage at the undercompensated IRS mileage
>rate.

I still haven't seen how you're losing in this scenario - it sounds
like you put a lot of compensated miles on your (older,
depreciation-free) car, which should more than compensate you for the
cost of incremental mileage.

Perhaps you could post some more info to explain how you're losing...

1) Compensated mileage
2) Uncompensated mileage (commute vs. other)
3) Approximate maintenance costs per year

The only way I can see that you're going to lose money is if your
commute is horrendously long, or you drive a lot of non-compensated
miles. In neither case is that really an employer's issue. $0.405
per mile is a lot more than I'd budget for my own cars (which probably
get poorer gas mileage than your Subaru), at a fairly similar gas
price (Arizona is among the highest in the nation, probably no more
than 20 cents below Alaska).

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame

 

[Matt O'Toole]

Mark Hickey wrote:

> [email protected] (Dennis P. Harris) wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 04 Jun 2005 10:19:39 -0700 in rec.bicycles.misc, Mark
>> Hickey <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> That's not really the issue though - it's your choice to live where
>>> you have to drive to work, not your employer's. I suspect that all
>>> of us would be driving to work more often if we could get our
>>> employer to pay our car payment, insurance, repairs, etc. Probably
>>> a very good thing they DON'T... ;-)
>>>
>> It's not driving TO work; if that was the case, I'd just take
>> the bus or ride my bike. I manage 3 mobile home parks and 5
>> apartment buildings, spread all over the community; most are 5
>> or 6 miles from our office, some as far away as 13 miles, and I
>> have to drive to all those sites several times per week as part
>> of my job. My employer doesn't pay mileage for me to drive TO
>> work; he pays me to drive to our various properties to perform
>> management duties once I have arrived at work, and biking or
>> bussing would make me very inefficient.
>>
>> It's my choice to live where I can easily walk or bike to stores,
>> entertainment, and restaurants, and I do. It was my employer's
>> choice to purchase properties that are spread all over town, and
>> to pay his employees mileage at the undercompensated IRS mileage
>> rate.
>
> I still haven't seen how you're losing in this scenario - it sounds
> like you put a lot of compensated miles on your (older,
> depreciation-free) car, which should more than compensate you for the
> cost of incremental mileage.
>
> Perhaps you could post some more info to explain how you're losing...
>
> 1) Compensated mileage
> 2) Uncompensated mileage (commute vs. other)
> 3) Approximate maintenance costs per year
>
> The only way I can see that you're going to lose money is if your
> commute is horrendously long, or you drive a lot of non-compensated
> miles. In neither case is that really an employer's issue. $0.405
> per mile is a lot more than I'd budget for my own cars (which probably
> get poorer gas mileage than your Subaru), at a fairly similar gas
> price (Arizona is among the highest in the nation, probably no more
> than 20 cents below Alaska).

I'd rather have an employer actually paying me for my mileage than just getting
a tax writeoff. It's real money, and it's probably *more* money.

Matt O.