Originally Posted by
unixpro
Well, you're dealing with a government agency, so anything not in their personal experience or covered by "the book" will be a tough sell. That being said, however, I would think that if you can provide evidence that the bike is your primary/only means of transportation, you'd have a case. If you live on/near a bus route, that may be tough as they would probably consider that before the bike.
I used to work for a company that was enrolled in a program to encourage commuting. If I biked 4 days a week, I got $40/month in commuter bucks. I could only use them at specific places, but one of those places was REI. I got most of my gear from REI while I was enrolled in that program. Maybe they can do something like that. Their biggest issue is likely to be giving you a direct check, since they can't insure that you'll spend it on transportation needs.
I would love to work for a company that promotes commuting like that but I'm currently unemployed and it is a bit tough to find a job within stores like REI and whatnot since I'm deaf and my lack of communication could be perceived as a big enought impediment to not be hired despite ADA law.
I do live near a bus route but I wonder if I could find some official info that biking would be faster and more reliable than the bus (it have been in my experience though the metro in this city is the best i've ever seen) and use that to dissuade that "Avoidance" of the bike coverage. I do find that for jobs, biking is faster than bus in most cases since, despite the bus route being spread all over town, they do not stop near enought to most potential job I know of. Also in some cases, I've beaten the bus on the bus route to places such as the mall a bit north of my home on top of a steep rise.
Proof of using bike as a main mean of transportation should be very easy since my last employer (the taco bell down the road) knows about it and the very fact that I can't even afford some of the neccessary repair on a comparatively inexpensive vehicle (bikes) should tell volumes about me not being able to afford motorized vehicles and all of the excessive cost that goes with it.
About the direct check thing, would it be a good idea to suggest that instead of a check, I would be provided with a gift card or certificates that are only good at certain bike stores such as my fave LBS "Old Town Bike Shop" (I think they do offers them) or possibly stores like the REI.