Spokane7
55°
March 30, 2010 in Letters
Why no tax on cyclists?
The Spokesman-Review
Ah, springtime. We are all out looking for bicyclists riding in the middle of the road, no headlights or taillights at night, running red lights in front of traffic with total disregard to any traffic laws. Don’t say anything to these masters of our roadways.
How come the city of Spokane has not put, say, a $10 license fee on every one of these? After all, they (all of us) have to pay for “Bike Lane” signs and striping, let alone the maintenance of the roadway.
Dennis Heine
Spokane
Choose acts of kindness 
bartm on March 30 at 6:00 a.m.
Dennis - I’m sorry one cyclist ruined your perception of law abiding cyclists everywhere. Should I assume that every driver is an aggressive a**hole holding a cell phone in one hand and a cheeseburger in the other having just left a bar where he drank five or six beers and at any minute could either hurl obscenities at me or swerve into the bike lane I’m occupying?
Please think before you write.
.
Marksman on March 30 at 7:34 a.m.
Bart, you should take your own advice! As far as I am concerned bicyclists are freeloaders! You do not pay any fees to use the roadways, most, not all but most think because they are riding a bicycle the traffic laws dont apply;unless they want to use them to their advantage. Bicycles and parts should be taxed to reflect the demands of cyclists to pay for bike lanes, etc. just like the other vehicle operators do and have for years.
jamurphy5 on March 30 at 7:52 a.m.
Mr. Heine, Your suggestion to tax cyclists makes as much sense as taxing pedestrians who walk on sidewalks! As Bart M. stated in his comments, should we assume everyone who drives a car is an a**hole? Of course not! There are 100 “law abiding” cyclists for every jerk you may see on a bike. A lot of those people you see on bicycles running red lights etc are people, mostly men, who have suspended DRIVER’S LICENSES from being JERKS in their cars, usually DUIs! So please don’t generalize and start the “Car vs Bicycle” wars that pop up every Spring. Quality of life in a city is based on the safety of its citizens and includes the ability to walk and ride bikes. Check out Portland Oregon for a city that has integrated bikes into daily life. There is more to life than driving a car to get around, Mr. Heine.
dmartin on March 30 at 8:25 a.m.
Tax laws would not help this issue half of the people that ride these bikes can’t or don;t understand english ,read or would even have &&& for the tax you speak of or insurance to cover if they cause a wreck
bartm on March 30 at 11:54 a.m.
Wow Dennis Martin - so because someone is on a bike you assume they’re unintelligent, poor and not a tax-paying citizen? What kind of logic is that? Believe me when I say that bicycle commuters in Spokane do so for many different reasons - it makes more sense financially, it’s healthier, it’s more environmentally prudent and most of all it’s fun. These are government leaders, business leaders, and blue collar workers out there on bikes. These people are Spokane. Not you. You represent a small percentage of small-minded citizens.
As for the tax issue. I paid sales tax when I bought my bike, I pay sales tax when I buy parts and accessories or pay sales tax when I pay for it to get fixed. I also own a vehicle for which I pay all of the associated road taxes you all speak of.
There’s no sense arguing who pays taxes for what. Where will that get us?
Pay attention when you drive and get out on a bike sometime. You’ll see that by riding you become a safer driver. You’ll be more aware of cyclists, pedestrians, and other roadway users. You’ll also see what you’ve been missing all those years trapped inside your vehicle, which is Spokane is much more attractive and enjoyable when you’re actually taking it in.
Ed Byrnes on March 30 at 10:53 p.m.
I am a cyclist who would gladly pay a user fee to maintain bike lines, to perhaps put up more signs to keep everyone aware of each other, and maybe to fix the potholes that I routinely dodge or jump while riding.
soundbarrier on April 01 at 10:09 p.m.
The kind of bicyclists that Mr. Heine is describing are probably not the type that would follow a law to register their bike and pay the $10. So the lawful bicyclists would end up paying and the scofflaw bicyclists would still be out there riding dangerously as usual. Besides, Mr. Heine would tax the little kids who ride their bike to school. Why is that such a great idea? Paying a separate bicycle tax does not guarantee someone will ride legally. Look at how that works out for car drivers.
cctrekker on April 03 at 3:41 p.m.
Get your facts before making such statements.
“$200 billion was spent in 2006 on transportation at all levels of government; only just over half of that generated by fuel and vehicle taxes and tolls. The remaining amount comes from property taxes, general fund allocations, bond issues, and fare boxes of transit systems.
The Federal share of all transportation spending is approximately 20% (18% for transit, 22% for highways). So the 18.4 cents per gallon in Federal gas tax is a small percentage of overall spending on highways.”
Seeing I likely make more than you and do drive a car, I am paying more to drive / ride than you. So get off *my* road! LOL