Greater Philadelphia Bicycle News

Action Alert - Support Tax Benefit for Bicycle Commuters

From the League of American Bicyclists:

The League urges New Jersey cyclists to contact their Assemblymen and Assemblywomen to ask them to co-sponsor Bill A-3441, which would give bike commuters a tax break. Introduced last week to the New Jersey Legislature by Assemblyman David W. Wolfe (R—NJ District 10), Bill A-3441 would allow a deduction against New Jersey gross income of $0.10 per mile biked by a taxpayer between the taxpayer's place of residence and place of employment. The taxpayer would be required to maintain and submit records of the dates of commuting and the miles traveled.

According to Assemblyman Wolfe, the Assistant Republican Leader, “This deduction will provide an incentive to encourage bicycle commuting and reduce the large number of short, single occupancy vehicle trips that many New Jerseyans engage in to get to and from work. This deduction provides a potential means to increase the numbers of bicycle commuters in the State, which would help reduce the number of trips made by automobile. Forty percent of all automobile trips in the nation are made within two miles of the home and 50% of the working population commutes five miles or less to work.”

The Bill cites the many benefits of bicycling, calling cycling, “an excellent activity to help reverse the alarming rise in obesity rates.” It points out that, “bike commuting saves money on gas, parking and wear on the public transportation infrastructure.” It also says that, “Half of all Americans (99.0 million people) believe that cars, SUVs, pickups, and vans are the primary cause of air pollution in their communities and 65% (135.4
million) are concerned about the level of traffic congestion on the roads in their communities.”
Visit http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/bills0001.asp for the full text of Bill A-3441 and let your Assemblymen and Assemblywomen know you support the Act