These countries pay people to ride bicycles and e-bikes to work. Shouldn’t the US too?



It may sound foreign to Americans, but being paid to cycle to work on a pedal bicycle or electric bike is common in many countries.

While bicycles are still popular forms of transportation, many more workers are now switching from four wheels to two thanks to the proliferation of electric bicycles.

Electric bicycles work like traditional pedal bicycles, but include an additional electric motor and battery to assist the rider, taking the edge off of hill-climbing and higher-speed riding. Many riders favor e-bikes for allowing them to arrive at work without breaking a sweat, while still getting in some heart-healthy modest physical activity twice a day.

The bike-to-work programs found in most countries usually take the form of a tax incentive, where tax-free bonuses are added to an employee’s paycheck each month for cycling to work instead of driving a personal car.

And the programs are so successful that they’re continuing to grow.

Across Europe, there are over 300 tax-incentive and purchase-assistance schemes for bike-to-work programs, according the European Cyclists’ Federation.

These programs are all aimed at realizing a number of advantages offered by replacing cars with bikes.

With more people riding bikes and fewer cars clogging the roads, cities operate more efficiently. Studies have found that even a 10% switch from cars to bikes can reduce traffic congestion by around 40%.

See Electrek for more 


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