I just found the same thing where they reimburse van-pool, public transit, and parking costs, but not bicycle costs. I actually looked into it this morning because I got a memo about alternative commuting. The memo had this on the sidebar (Itatlics where I removed employer's name):
Paying too much to drive to work alone?
Probably. Here's an estimated look at average costs per year, according to the Employer's Commuting website.
Driving to work in a single-occupancy vehicle:
Average workdays per month: 22
Average miles per trip: 20 (32 kilometers)
Estimated cost per mile: Nearly 60 cents
Estimated annual cost: $3,000 per year
Now compare those numbers to the cost of alternate means of getting to work:
Carpool (one passenger): $1,500 per year
Vanpool (with six passengers): $651 per year
Bicycling/walking to work: $0 per year (or a $3,000 per year savings)
I actually emailed back to point out how ridiculous it is to assume that bicycling to work costs $0/year. With the car costs, they assume a mid-range new car with maintenance done at the shop. With a bicycle they assume $0/year. I provided estimates of what a similar quality new bike, with routine maintenance would cost. I estimated the
minimum would be $200-$300/year ($100 for the bicycle, $50 for tires/tubes, and $50-$150 for other parts). Remember this estimate is based on the same assumptions used for car commuting (new car, maintenance at dealership, etc.).