In 2012, for example, cyclists and pedestrians will have trails 14-feet wide in SoDo near the stadiums. Any Highway 520 floating bridge schematic includes a lane for cyclists. How about if they help pay their share? If Interstate 90 and Highway 520 bridges are tolled, it’s only logical to expect cyclists to pay a modest toll, too, for access to a great path across the water and spectacular views.
Jon touched on this, and just as I thought it would, the discussion of this issue devolved into an argument on the merits of bicycling and on area cyclist’s adherence to certain traffic laws. Yawn.
What’s more interesting about this issue making a major – major! – daily newspaper’s opinion page is how totally out of touch the writer seems to be about the basics of how we pay for these bicycle improvements. I’ll let this comment from the Times’ column do the explaining:
I saw this ‘enlightening’ article after riding my bicycle with my partner from the condo that we own and passed the car that we also own, to a local coffee shop, where we bought coffees and something to eat. But wait – we own a home and a car and bought prepared food and yet, according to Vesely we are not, “true members of the world of transportation, rather than free riders on the tax rolls?”
I guess all this time we, as cyclists, have been paying taxes that we shouldn’t have? Can I get a refund then?
The Vesely editorial wouldn’t have been half so galling if the Times didn’t have such a long history of opposition to all taxes that affect loitering Mercer Island heirs, shopping mall owners, and grumpy old white men.
I’m betting most bikes don’t use gas, and don’t pay gas tax when they “use the roads”, so how exactly should we pay for the lanes for these folks hobby? Just imagine if we got ALL of the cars off the road (bike ideal world)…then without a motor vehicle tax or gas tax, how exactly would we pay for all the roads…er, bike trails? New specialty tax I guess, but until then…someone has to pay for their hobby and it’s not going to be them.
P.S. I know 0.1% of Seattle REALLY commutes to work on bikes in January, and of course we’re ONLY even considering those who live within 5 miles of where they’re going, so it’s kinda moot. Doesn’t matter if we put these lanes in or not. It’s not statistically significant. You will never get grandma to bike 10 miles with 3 bags of groceries in 39 degree weather in the rain. Yes ONE or two people will, but 99.9% of us won’t.
In real life,
Been downtown lately? Parking demand for bikes is up year-round – simply because YOU won’t ride in winter doesn’t mean that the increasing number of people living close to downtown and work will not. Even with our weather and hills, the commute percentage keeps crawling up year round – I’m thrilled the numbers go up in summer…but the 4-7% is a year-round number. Besides, I’m no fan of driving when it snows – should I lose my driving rights (or pay more for them) because I don’t drive all the time?
Gas tax pays a lot of the cost of the state highways that are not or are rarely used by bicyclists. Local streets are however financed primarily through local tax revenues, taxes paid by everyone whether they drive or not.
I’m OK with drivers of autos being the most subsidized subset of the American public. Streets are, however, PUBLIC space – and the benefits of bicycling more than justify the relatively paltry sums spent on the development of bike facilities and trails.
Vesely’s tired bromides on licensing bicyclists make no more sense now than they did 15 years ago – 25 bucks wouldn’t cover the cost of processing the fee! Brilliant!
Once we stop talking about funding roads and start talking about transportation instead, we will finally bypass the unproductive nonsense about who is paying what. We all pay, and we all should demand performance from the investment.
horror —
that bycycles pony up a measly 25.00 a year —
8 people who walk to work in my office, no bikes, one car – all thought is is a good idea
yes, we are mid Cool Hill, of course it will not happen, any bike tax
I think the Times was baiting you all in to a whining fit – and they did it
Are you paid by the Stranger to post EXACTLY the same stuff??
hills, rain and smaller electric autos make it certain bikes will only be a fraction of users in Seattle — and — walking — and good Metro …. duh?
but, christ, are they, bikers, self righous
Why tax bicyclists when we could put a bounty on them?
There was a great rant about Vesely’s arrogance over at Slog as well. What a maroon!
Think Obama will “Bail-out” these jackasses?
Tribune media company seeks bankruptcy protection
Media conglomerate Tribune Co., smothered by $13 billion in debt and a drop-off in advertising, on Monday became the first major newspaper publisher to seek bankruptcy protection since the Internet sent the industry into a tailspin.
By VINNEE TONG and ANICK JESDANUN
AP Business Writers
7 Well, Bush/Paulson/Bernanke certainly won’t, because the Tribune Co. actually produces tangible products instead of just taking other peoples’ money and making it disappear.
It might be pointed out that the whole outfit was purchased last year by one Sam Zell, a guy who’d (Ahem!!) made a lot of money in real estate and thought that qualified him as an expert on publishing and major-league sports. At least he gave that indication by sending out snotty missals to the employees on a regular basis. Apparently as the value of his other holdings diminished, so did his self-proclaimed brilliance.
Are we going to levy a shoe tax for sidewalks?
I found a use for the Seattle Times. I put it under my bike to catch drips while I am cleaning/oiling the chain.
@8 Kind of like hollywood actors who make alot of money and all of a sudden they’re
experts on politics. I quit going to movies about 15 years ago. Just can’t.
Will, partner? You a fudgepacker on a bike?
Do you sniff his seat?
Quite charming, mark @ 12
@11 and 12: You must have stopped watching movies because you can’t understand them (or get into them without Mommy). I am sure the cartoons are still working for you. After the comment @12, you must be under the age of 12.
@2
Holy fuck, you really missed the point there. Cyclists do help pay. We own cars & homes we buy gas we buy cheap plastic crap from China that we pay sales taxes on.
I’m getting a big, nifty trail built by my house that’s paid for out of a parks bond that I voted to raise my property tax to pay for.
@3
Exactly! And I wonder how they would enforce it.