In the midst of all the hurried legislation to quell last fall's financial turmoil, a tiny measure was lost. Amidst a sea of pork projects, massive financial bailout packages, and stimulus propositions, a long-fought for bike commuter tax credit was finally approved—consider it legislative equivalent of hope peering out of the bottom of Pandora's Box. The Bicycle Commuter Act officially took effect on January 1.

The measure, which is the brainchild of every cyclist's man in congress, Oregon rep Earl Blumenauer, provides a $20 tax credit per month to any employees of participating firms who make at least a "substantial portion of their commute by bicycle." Sadly, multimodal commuters will have to choose between any existing transit benefits and this bicycle bonus.

To me, it seems a humble start, especially given the overwhelming public benefits cyclists create in reduced congestion, road wear, greenhouse gas emissions, noise, smog, etc.—but it's a start none the less, and given the phenomenally low costs per mile associated with travel by bike, it should make a significant dent in any cyclist's commuting expenses.