MAY
30, 2003 -
--Senators
Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced legislation
in the U.S. Senate last week that would include bike commuters
in the tax code transportation fringe benefit.
The transportation fringe benefit was added to
the tax code as an incentive to get more people commuting in
ways other than single-occupancy cars. The transportation fringe
benefit's intent was to reduce traffic congestion, pollution
and wear and tear on the roads, said Mele Williams, director
of government relations for the League of American Bicyclists.
The Bicycle Commuter Act, S. 1093, would
allow an employer to offer a monthly cash reimbursement to an
employee who commutes to work by bicycle, providing a tax benefit
to the employer and helping defray commuting expenses for the
bicyclist.
