Remember the President's Physical Fitness Award? That got millions of American kids running, jumping, and doing push-ups in it's day. Well, how about the President's Bicycle Commuting Award? Get a nice fancy frameable certificate signed by GW (or Nancy Pelosi if you wish) if you start bike commuting and keep it up for 90 days or 6 months.
Lots cheaper than giving away $100s per person per year in tax credits! And I bet it would have just as good an impact.
Originally Posted by Roody
Aside from financial incentives, tax credits can provide a psychological incentive. Basically, they are saying that the government (and by extension the society) values bike commuting and encourages it. A tax credit policy says, in effect, that it's a good citizen's patriotic duty to ride a bike. This should have a positive impact on top of the more direct economic impact.