Filed under: General
TrailTapes visited the HQ of SRAM in Chicago a few weeks ago. We got a guided tour of their facility, including the test track and machining facility and interviewed one of SRAM’s industrial designers. The story is coming soon on an upcoming episode of TrailTapes.
SRAM, as you might expect being in the bicycle industry, is a very bike friendly workplace. Employees love to ride anyway and even do so around the office. Almost everybody commutes to work. SRAM provides a bike garage with an easy entrance from the street, wide elevators and shower facilities. Employee’s bikes line the halls at SRAM.
Certain communities lend themselves more readily than others to commuting by bike. Sidewalks and bike paths criss-cross through neighborhoods. Chicago also allows bikes on the “L,” the city’s famous elevated train.
Other cities, like Rockford, IL are lacking easy bicycle access. I’ve been researching an easy way to commute by bike. My office is 7 miles from my house. It’s a straight 15 minute drive by car up a major 4 lane road. There are no sidewalks for much of the route. The Perryville and Sinnissippi Bike Paths circle the city and offer me easy access on the north side, but would take me far out of my way and turn a 7 mile trip into about 20 mile trip each way.
Bicycle Commuter Act (H.R.807, S.2635). It’s before the U.S. congress right now. Here’s how it’ll work if passed into law: The bill provides a tax benefit to employers who offer cash reimbursements to employees to defray costs of riding to work. All it requires is an amendment to the Transportation Fringe Benefit of the tax code to extend the definition of “transportation” to include bicycles. Employers are given the flexibility to set their level of benefit payments, and the bike commuter can use the money to pay for a bicycle, accessories, safety equipment, insurance, and locker or shower fees. If you like this concept, click:
http://capwiz.com/lab/issues/alert/?alertid=8647031
You can then put in your zip code and it will auto-generate emails to your representatives. Just sign and send!
I encourage you to use this system to email or write your senators and representatives in Washington. Incentives to businesses could prompt some communities to become more bike friendly.
