Biking to work makes a lot of sense, and now, a lot of cents

The federal government just made it easier for you to ride your bike to work.

No, the feds aren't flattening that monster hill for you. But you'll see more bicycling and pedestrian paths, thanks to the economic-stimulus package, which sets aside about $800 million for transportation enhancements.

For instance, Everett, Wash., a suburb of Seattle, will spend almost $2 million on a project to enhance bicycle and pedestrian travel and safety. More than $3 million in stimulus money will fund a new bicycle and pedestrian path in downtown San Antonio. And Washington, D.C., will spend $3 million in stimulus money to expand its SmartBike program, which lets cyclists pay a $40 annual fee for unlimited use of public bicycles, located in kiosks throughout the city.

What's more, the IRS has added a bicycle-commuting reimbursement to the list of qualified transportation benefits for employers this year. If your employer wishes, it can award you $20 per month for costs associated with bicycle commuting, including the cost of a bike, lock, helmet and general maintenance.

If your employer contracts with a Commuter Benefit Provider, ask the employer to enroll in the bike benefit program. If your employer doesn't have a benefit provider, it can contact one, such as Accor Services, or it can simply implement a cash-reimbursement benefit program. To qualify, you must ride your bicycle for a substantial portion of your commute at least three days per week. You fill out commuter pledge cards, staple your receipts for bicycle expenses to the cards, and turn them in to your employer.

But the $20-per-month subsidy is chump change compared with what you'll save just by leaving the car at home. Roger Crawford, 53, rides his bike part of the way to his job in Arlington, Va. He started biking three days each week in August 2008 - and for only 10 miles of his brutal commute of 75 miles each way.

"Step into (cycling) gradually," Crawford advises. "Be conservative in your goals, and stick to them." Now, he drives 50 miles and bikes the remaining 25 miles, five days a week. Crawford says he saves $260 a month in highway tolls, $60 a month in parking fees and $81 a month in gas - a combined monthly savings of more than $400, not including vehicle-maintenance costs.

More important, Crawford says, he's lost 30 pounds and kept his blood-sugar level under control. He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last summer.

Other commuter cyclists achieve additional cost savings by trading in a workout at the gym for a rush-hour bike ride. "I used to spend an hour at the gym and an hour driving. Now, I get my commuting and exercise in, and I save gas money," says Mike Schechter, 32, who recently started cycling seven miles per day, each way, to his job at a law firm in Seattle. He also scaled back his gym membership from $300 a month to just $40 a month by foregoing benefits such as one-on-one time with a trainer.

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