Employer provides travel allowance for cycling

The Anglican Church of Canada’s New Westminster Diocese, which includes the region stretching from Hope to Vancouver and up the Sunshine Coast beyond Powell River, has started providing an allowance to employees who use bicycles for business travel. Similar to the way organizations often compensate employees for using their personal motor vehicles for travel related to their work, Diocese employees can claim compensation for every kilometre they ride.

The Reverend Paul H. Borthistle, Director for Parish Support Ministries, did the primary research to determine the cost of riding a bicycle. “I identified that the average cost of a commuting hybrid, the bicycle of choice of our staff, allowed for basic maintenance and repairs based on 5000 kilometres per year and amortized it over three years.

“But the bicycle cost alone without fuel is equivalent to having a car but no fuel. As food is the fuel of the cyclist, I used web fitness tables to determine the average number of kilocalories required to pedal a bicycle at commuting speeds and then did a cost analysis on the food to produce those kilocalories based on a balanced diet utilizing all four food groups.

“The costs came out to be $.12 per kilometre for the bicycle costs and $.14 for food, resulting in a bicycle transportation allowance of $.26 per kilometre.”

Neale Adams, Communications Officer of the Diocese, noted, “Approval of the bicycle allowance was seen as a statement by the Diocese that bicycle use, when appropriate, is a mode of transport that is recognized, and ecologically and socially responsible.” Adams also noted that most travel times by bicycle were close, equivalent, or even faster than by car, with the exception of parishes more distant from the urban core.

About the Author

Paul Halychuk is passionate about sustainable practices. He kayaks, hikes, snowshoes, surfs, skis, and (of course) bikes. In his spare time, he creates fabulous giant flying creatures. [more...]