Comments on: Sponsors Sold on Health, Economic Benefits of Minneapolis Bike-Share

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:34:51 +0000

I definitely think businesses should encourage bike commuting by offering parking and more. Healthy employees are employees who don’t take sick days!

By: Larry Littlefield

Larry Littlefield — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:58:26 +0000

“I don’t know if I see the problem in a health insurance company giving subsidies for gym memberships but not for bike commuting. They are businesses, after all, and one is verifiable, the other is not.”

How about paid bike parking and other facilities? If insurance companies were handing out subsidies, businesses would presume a market and try to meet it.

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:52:44 +0000

San Francisco has tons of bike commuters and it’s notoriously hilly. So why does it matter that one city is flat or not? Boston also has a fair amount of hills.

I don’t know if I see the problem in a health insurance company giving subsidies for gym memberships but not for bike commuting. They are businesses, after all, and one is verifiable, the other is not. My old health insurance company gave subsidies for health club memberships, but you had to provide proof of membership as well as an attendance record, which was generated every time you swiped your ID card. Going as little as ten times a month netted you a check at the end of the year. You didn’t just get a check simply because you had a membership; you had to actually go. (I’m guessing the amount of people who checked in at the gym but didn’t actually stay to work out was small.)

Since insurance co’s aren’t exactly in the business of handing out money, as we all know too well, why would they subsidize something that they can’t easily verify? There may be ways to verify who is a bike commuter and who is not, but unless you checked in every day at work, how would they know that you had ridden your bike? It’s why religious joggers, who may be healthier than a gym goer, wouldn’t qualify for such a subsidy.

By: Mitch

Mitch — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:56:39 +0000

Re #3:

In a startling development, it was revealed that Jeffrey W. Baker has never been to the Twin Cities…

By: Larry Littlefield

Larry Littlefield — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:02:50 +0000

“What, you have a job other than blog-commenting about unaffordable pension obligations, etc.? Who knew?”

Yup, I write (or sometimes edit) a 7-14 page research report on the economy and real estate market of some part of the country every day. Today was New York office, tomorrow DC apartment.

All I really want is a handicapped stall, so I can have enough room to change into and out of business casual without fear of having something fall in the toilet (hasn’t happened yet fortunately). Perhaps if Oxford offered a discount, it might happen.

By: Charles Komanoff

Charles Komanoff — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:31:09 +0000

Larry — I was going to make a joke about your remark, “the health insurer where I work (Oxford)” — What, you have a job other than blog-commenting about unaffordable pension obligations, etc.? Who knew? — but I was caught up short by the point you were leading to: that Oxford subsidizes health-club memberships but not bike-commuting. That says it all, doesn’t it.

By: Urbanis

Urbanis — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:24:51 +0000

When can we expect to have a bike share in NYC?

By: Alex Bauman

Alex Bauman — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:11:43 +0000

I appreciate the sentiment, Mr. Baker, but would be forced to disagree between gasps for air as I climb LaSalle Ave towards Franklin Ave.

By: Jeffrey W. Baker

Jeffrey W. Baker — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:46:06 +0000

In other breaking news, Minneapolis found to be utterly flat.

By: Larry Littlefield

Larry Littlefield — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:06:56 +0000

“The project has attracted a broad range of support, with major chunks of funding coming courtesy of health insurer BlueCross BlueShield and contributions from local businesses…”BlueCross BlueShield is all about fighting obesity right now,” said Dossett. “They’re interested in anything that encourages physical activity.”

I’ve often thought that health insurers could be the wedge to open up bike commuting. The cumbersome tax subsidy enacted only affects one individual at a time, and since bike commuting is cheap, not much is saved. But a discount offered to employers to providing facilities and encouraing bike commuting could be large for the organization as a whole.

The health insurer where I work (Oxford) offers subsidies for health club memberships, but not bike commuting.

By: Glenn

Glenn — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:15:40 +0000

Just great news all around. Pity that NYC will be a laggard on this issue.