Originally Posted by tandempower

It has occurred to me that while many opposed to public spending will oppose bike route funding just for the sake of opposing the funding, the same people might support tax exemptions for living car free. Here are a few possibilities:

1) Property tax exemption: similar to a homestead exemption or other property tax exemptions, the taxable value of someone's homestead could be reduced by a given amount if they don't have a vehicle registered.

Such a tax reduction could be justified in that a) living car free reduces wear on roads and the need to widen them for growing traffic volume b) encouraging people to live car free allows for more economic growth with less traffic congestion, parking spaces, etc.


2) Employer tax exemption for car free employees: This exemption could be a reduction in some business tax, such as sales tax, to be claimed by employers per car free employee they have on their payroll who works a certain number of hours.

This can be justified by encouraging employers to facilitate bike commuting or other car free transit by providing amenities, organizing carpooling, coordinating rides to transit stops, etc.

3) property tax exemption for providing easements to build multi-use paths through private property: This would encourage property owners to allow multi-use (bike) paths to be built through their properties.


4) Can you think of any other potential tax exemptions that would encourage car free living and pay back some of the benefits that it provides for everyone else by reducing congestion, wear on roads, infrastructure-expansionary pressures, economy-limiting bustle/congestion, etc.?