ACTION ALERT from League of American Bicyclists:
The Senate tax reform plan, released on Thursday, eliminates the bike commuter benefit while keeping commuter benefits for driving and riding transit!
The Senate Finance committee plans to vote starting on Monday and an amendment is needed to reinstate the bike benefit. Senator BURR is one of the Senators on the Finance Committee who can take action and reinstate the bike benefit and we need your help to reach out to them this weekend. We need to move fast- and your help is critical!
Please act this weekend – Ask Senator BURR to reinstate the bike commuter benefit.
Send a quick message to your senator now! http://www.bikeleague.org/content/save-bike-commuter-benefit
The Senate should keep the bicycle commuter benefit because:
* 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.
