John Boyle
Mon, 01 Nov 2004 23:21:07 -0800
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This
just in from the League of American Bicyclists NEW
JERSEY ACTION ALERT: SUPPORT TAX BENEFIT
FOR BIKE COMMUTERS 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 |