Save the Bike Commuter Benefit!

UPDATE: The Finance Committee will not vote this week on reinstating the bicycle commuter benefit. The provision that ends the benefit will stand.

The League will continue to look for opportunities to amend the bill to reinstate — and potentially improve — the bicycle commuter benefit through out the bill process. That could mean a vote on the Senate floor in the next week or so, so please stay tuned.

Proposed Senate tax bill ENDS bike commuter benefit BUT keeps commuter tax breaks for driving!

The Senate tax reform plan released on Thursday, eliminates the bike commuter benefit while keeping commuter benefits for driving and riding transit! If Congress is going to support benefits for some commuters, they should offer them to all commuters. The commuter parking benefit costs the federal government over $7 billion each year – 35 times the highest possible cost of the bike benefit.  

The Senate is trying to pass the bill as fast as possible – with Finance committee votes starting on Monday. We are working to get an amendment introduced to reinstate the bike benefit, so that the finance committee has a chance to reinstate the benefit to the growing number of bike commuters across the country. 

<>Please act this weekend – Ask your Senator to reinstate the bike commuter benefit by clicking the link below.

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If you Senator is on the Senate Finance Committee, we need you to tell them:

If Congress is going to offer commuter benefits to some commuters, they should offer them to all commuters!

• Commuter benefits cost over $8.6 billion each year
• If every bike commuter in the United States used the bike commuter benefit it would cost less than 2.5% of that amount
• Eliminating the bike benefit alone does not significantly address revenue lost to commuter benefits

The bike commuter benefit is a low cost way to promote healthier, livable communities.

• The average consumer spends over $4,500 each year on gas and other vehicle expenses
• The average cost of bike commuting is $350 per year. The bicycle commuter benefit covers up to $240 each year to defray costs of purchase, maintenance, and improvements for commuter bicycles.

Learn more about the bicycle commuter tax benefit here: https://bikeleague.org/bicycle-commuter-benefit.