Democratic leadership in the House and Senate are working on a reconciliation bill with a price tag of $3.5 Trillion that ties together a landmark budget bill with the federal infrastructure bill. Our friends at the League of American Bicyclists have been working on this legislation for the better part of the year, and have just posted an action alert, which we encourage you to use to contact your member of Congress to make sure important transportation benefits stay in the bill.
The big issues the League is asking for advocacy on are tax incentives for sustainable transportation, a neighborhood equity and access program, and sustainable transportation infrastructure networks.
Use this link to contact your members of Congress.
As we’ve written about in the past, the tax incentive model will bring e-bikes in line with electric vehicles, helping Americans pay for e-bikes which, of course, are much more expensive than your standard “acoustic” bicycle. This would help Americans of all economic levels afford sustainable mobility. The maximum benefit for an e-bike (based on income level) would be $750 under the current proposal.
The $750 level doesn’t go far enough (especially when compared to the benefits afforded to electric car consumers), but it’s a start. That said, like all parts of the huge reconciliation bill being debated in Congress, its position is precarious.
The League is also focused on equity and access and better funding for transportation infrastructure networks (details below).
Here are some of the issues the League is asking our members to call their congresspeople and senators about:
- Tax incentives that will promote sustainable transportation. Tax incentives like the Bicycle Commuter Benefit and tax rebate on e-Bikes are crucial to ensuring that sustainable transportation is accessible to people across income levels.
- Neighborhood Equity and Access, a program that aims to remove barriers and improve access for everyone, with a focus on communities of color and low-income communities. The program will offer new mobility options to non-drivers and expand economic opportunity in and near their homes.
- Well-funded sustainable transportation infrastructure networks. By building bicycle and pedestrian networks with convenient connections to transit, more Americans will find it easier to reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips.
We will continue to keep our readers informed on where this all goes.