Bailout Bill Benefits Bicyclists

There's at least one bright spot to be found in all of the churn coming out of Washington, D.C. Buried deep in the 450-page bailout bill is an provision that employers may now include bike commuters in with the group of employees who receive tax-free reimbursement for expenses previously limited to those traveling to work via car/vanpool or mass transit.

To be eligible for the qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement (up to $240 per year for buying a bike and things like bike maintenance, repair and storage) first of all, your employer has to actually offer this fringe benefit. Second, you have to use your bike "regularly" to travel between home and work. Riding your bike for commuting is necessary provision to qualify.

I'm not a tax advisor so find out for yourself if you are eligible for this. But this is certainly great news for a good many people, myself included, who ride their bikes to work, and a true victory for a number of bike advocacy groups, who have been lobbying for this for a while.