Surprise Benefit Of Financial Bailout Means Commuting By Bike Has Never Been Easier or Cheaper.
You could say the new $700 billion financial bailout bill that passed recently represents “the good, the bad and the ugly”. One of the “good” items added to the package was the Bicycle Commuter Act. This new legislation allows employers to reimburse employees up to $240 a year, tax free, for “reasonable” expenses related to their bike commute, including equipment purchases, bike purchases, repairs, and storage provided the bicycle is used as a “substantial part” of the commuter’s trip to work for the month.
Though this new law is a great step toward encouraging employees to adopt bicycle commuting, Montague Corporation, a bicycle company with over 20 years of manufacturing experience, recognizes that more incentive is necessary to have Corporations take bicycle commuting seriously. In light of the new bill, Montague is offering special pricing to companies in order to foster a bicycle commuter culture amongst employees. This incentive combined with the tax benefits of the newly approved “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008” should greatly increase bicycle to work participation.
Montague’s corporate program offers both the product and the solution to companies who want to establish a bike commuter program for their employees and combined with the new legislation – the timing is perfect. Beyond the obvious tax incentives, benefits include healthier employees, much lower gasoline expenditures, lower health insurance costs, reduced traffic congestion around the company, less parking demand, and a cleaner environment. What more could you ask for?
“We saw the benefits of the Bicycle Commuter act and, though pleased with the outcome, thought there was more we could do to encourage corporations to adopt a bicycle commuting program.” said David Montague, president of Montague Corporation. “We are committed to making a difference in the world of bicycle commuting and thus are giving U.S. Corporations the ability to tap into the benefits of the Bicycle Commuter Act with our own incentive program. For those looking for more information on the bill we created a web site (www.startcommutingbybike.com) that clearly explains the Bicycle Commuter bill and what companies can do to maximize these new benefits which will take effect January 1st, 2009.”
This bill combined with Montague’s new program will go a long way towards helping corporate green initiatives and creating an environment where employees are healthier and happier and therefore more productive. For their part, Montague Corporation will offer a custom commuter bike (SwissBike TX) to employers at a substantial discount that can be recouped in tax relief in as little as 24 months.
Despite these obvious incentives, Montague acknowledges that for many employees who have not previously commuted by bicycle, the transition seems like a big step. Simply jumping on a bike and pedaling all the way to work can be a far reach for many cyclists as long distances, adverse road conditions, and bad weather can all get in the way. And having a place to keep a bike safely indoors is not always a reality. This is where the unique concept behind the SwissBike TX comes into play.
The SwissBike TX is a high-performance bike that folds in half for easy storage or transport using a patented technology originally developed to allow military paratroopers to airdrop with a mountain bike. Applied to civilian life, SwissBikes can easily fit in the trunk of a car, on the train, corporate bus, or even in a cab. The multiple functions of this bike neatly fill in the gaps that often cause people to write off commuting and traveling by bike.
“The SwissBike TX addresses many of the major hassles of commuting to work” explains David Montague. “Most people’s commute to work is farther than they feel comfortable riding a bike. In this case, you simply put a SwissBike TX in the trunk of your car, you drive part way to work, park, and pull out your SwissBike TX for the rest of the ride. And if the day is not nice, or you don’t have the energy, you simply leave the bike safe and dry in the trunk until another day. We call it Cycle and Drive commuting. It’s easy, it’s good for you, and it’s a manageable step for most people.”
The Montague Corporation is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts and is dedicated to advancing cycling through the development of inventive technologies that provide its customers with an unprecedented combination of performance and convenience. Visit www.startcommutingbybike.com or call toll free (800) 736-5348 for more information about the Montague Corporate Commuting Incentive Program.
