Bill allowing bicycle commuters to get tax breaks introduced

TERESA KILLIAN, Staff Writer

Thirty-four-year-old Randall Huggins only used 12 gallons of gas in April, and that was mostly to drive out-of-town to play bass guitar with JT and the Blame.

Otherwise, Huggins (the Blame) tries to reserve his Ford Taurus for trips to the dump or picking up dog food.

His vehicle of choice is a Raleigh C40 hybrid bicycle -- similar to his used-but-slightly-dusty mountain bike that was stolen, but with thinner tires.

He rides to the library, visits friends or just stops by the Nu-Way for a cold beer, soaking up the local flavor downtown.

And four or five days a week, Huggins commutes about three miles to work at Spartanburg Stainless Products.

Under legislation proposed Tuesday, Huggins and other bicycle commuters stand to receive tax breaks.

Rep. Doug Smith, R-Spartanburg, introduced a bill that would let anyone who commutes by bicycle to work deduct 10 cents per mile on their income taxes. Records would have to be kept regarding riding and mileage.

Huggins would save about 60 cents per day of commuting.

"What we want to do is encourage people to use bicycles wherever they can, especially going to and from work," Smith said. "That's good for their health and the environment, and that's good for everybody."

Yon Lambert, assistant director of the Palmetto Conservation Foundation, said the proposal offers an incentive that would help with Spartanburg's efforts to make the community more cycling friendly.

"Ten cents a mile is not a lot, and you could make a good argument you should get the same tax deduction for vehicles, but, for now, it's a good start," Lambert said.

Across the country, the 2000 Census reported less than half of 1 percent of residents reported bicycle commuting.

In South Carolina, it was less than a quarter of a percent.

In Spartanburg County, it was .04 percent -- or 48 of 117,096 respondents. More than 95 percent who responded said they drove to work, and 1,600 walked.

Cycling-friendly communities report up to 10 percent of people use bicycles to get to work on a regular basis.

Lambert commended Spartanburg businesses such as QS/1 for making accommodations for bicycle commuters.

QS/1 installed parking areas downtown about six weeks ago for about 20 bicycles -- some in the covered portion of parking deck and also offers showers, said Chris Cox, director of product support.

Spartanburg still has a long way to go, though.

"There are no questions there are a lot of obstructions out there for bicycle commuters right now," Lambert said. "By incentive-izing like this, you are removing at least one barrier."

If the legislation were to pass, people such as Thomas Killoren, an attorney with Harrison White Smith & Coggins, said he would try to commute more.

Killoren rides his mountain bike about five miles one-way to work once a week, often on Fridays.

"It's refreshing," said Killoren, whose experience leaves him convinced small changes such as painting a bicycle lane would make a big difference.

Huggins said that the proposed tax credit seemed like "small potatoes" next to the health benefit he's receiving from riding.

Quite frankly, he'd like to see a reduction in his insurance rates because he's riding more.

He feels pretty safe most of the time, though he doesn't ride much on the west side because of the number of lanes, congestion and minimal shoulders.

He hasn't been hit by a car, though he has been forced off the road after facing off with a garbage truck.

"It was one of those situations where I made eye-contact with the driver and he give me a look like 'Sure I see you and you see me. Now get out of my way,'" Huggins said. "So I did, right off into the ditch.

"I started wearing my helmet after that."

He likes the idea of taking bikes to ride between setting up for shows.

"Bikes are the best way to get to know a strange place," he said.

Staff Writer Robert W. Dalton contributed to this report.

Teresa Killian can be reached at 562-7216 or teresa.killian@shj.com.