Bike riders already paying

Regarding the Oct. 2 letter “Cyclists should chip in” by Kat Fiessinger, I also appreciate the efforts to make Spokane safer and friendlier for those of us who ride our bikes. However, I cannot believe that Ms. Fiessinger is so uninformed as to think that those of us who ride our bikes are not contributing to the costs associated with these efforts. Since the number of days that our weather permits riding is small, most of those of us over the age of 18 own cars, sometimes more than one. We license and register our cars and pay the same taxes on fuel that she does.

I ride my bike to work, weather permitting. I follow the rules of the road and am a safer rider than most drivers behind the wheels of their cars, as I have a lot more to lose if I’m involved in an accident. When Ms. Fiessinger states, “I don’t mind sharing the roads with folks who choose to ride their bicycles,” it sounds as though she really does mind. Or perhaps she’s talking about those riders who actually don’t contribute to funding paths in Spokane: kids on trikes.

Cheryle Fisher

Spokane