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Automotive News & Views Who Pays for our Roads?
75 messages, Last post on Dec 05, 2007 at 8:44 PM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Steve suggested that a new topic be started for this. So, here goes. Why are motorists paying for bicycle paths? Bicycles pay no registration, no license and more importantly, no insurance. They pay no fuel tax, no road tax and no mileage taxes. Bicycles get a completely free ride and force states to make them special roads, lanes or designated areas for them. Bicyclists are exempt from insurance, because they are not motorized? Seems wrong to me. ALL vehicles, motorized or not, that use the roadways, should be required to have insurance on them. Now many will say that bicycles allow some people to commute to work and cut down on emissions when they do that. I will buy that. I see where bicycle paths and lanes in cities are worth having. I have no argument there. But........... Why is the tax paying (heavily taxed, mind you) for bicycle roads, paths and lanes in "scenic" byways? As far as I am concerned, that is a tourist industry thing and the tourist/travel industry should be paying for that, not the general motorist public. Where I live, the brilliant state uses fuel tax dollars to build bicycle lanes on the highways. One highway is a busy coast highway, that is in severe need of repair, but the legislators see a better use of the money in putting in bike lanes on the edge of the highway. Brilliant. This puts the motorist and bicyclist in harms way. So who pays for these paths? Motorists. Is that fair to the motorists? Nope. Not at all. My opinion, when bikes pay a registration and license, then give them all the bike paths they want. Until then, I'm not too keen on my tax dollars going to them. Anyway, that's my opinion on this subject. Oh, by the way, if this isn't in the right category, can someone move it? |
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Replying to: 0patience (Aug 12, 2007 2:41 pm) |
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Replying to: 0patience (Aug 12, 2007 2:41 pm) Not to mention, when was the last time you saw a cyclist OBEY THE TRAFFIC LAWS????? They are pompous and arrogant.
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Replying to: 0patience (Aug 12, 2007 2:41 pm) |
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Up in WA, the fuel taxes are already diverted to the state's freakin ferry system which only benefits the Peoples Republic of Puget Sound. 
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| Cancel the ethanol subsidy and apply all of that money to paving bicycle trails. Take away the tax credit on hybrid vehicles and apply the debit towards bicycle trails. Cancel the government funding for oil research and apply it to bicycle trails. With the leftover money, free healthcare for all. New taxes are not required. Getting rid of even a small portion of the current corruption will subsidize it. I think I heard Gagrice mention this on another thread. The bike trails are NOT to be placed in a state park (which would encourage a person to DRIVE to a park and then ride a bicycle for leisure to the middle of nowhere). The bike trails are to be placed in heavy traffic areas to relieve car congestion to and from work and shopping areas. | |
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Replying to: john500 (Aug 13, 2007 8:15 am) 
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Replying to: euphonium (Aug 16, 2007 9:26 am) 
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Replying to: euphonium (Aug 16, 2007 9:26 am) |
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In phoenix, bike paths are mostly just a "part of the road." Very little extra money is spent maintaining them, other than a painted stripe. Most bikers have cars also, which they drive. So they pay their part via the costs associated with driving their car and insuring it and paying fuel taxes. How many people in the USA use bikes ONLY and do not have a car? My guess is not very darn many.
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