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Stupid Idea of the Day Year: License to Bike

Obviously lots of bad ideas get floated publicly and go nowhere, so I'm not going to be turning pedals in anger on the trainer tonight. Not yet. But if either Seattle or Washington decides to start requiring bike licenses, on the phony premise that cyclists devour public resources and need taxing, my response won't be merely blogging aimlessly about it. I may have to get politically active.

Seriously, does anyone think my riding to work, instead of driving some smelly car that grinds away at the road surface and contributes to gridlock, actually costs the city money? And do people really think that painting little biker-guy stick-figure symbols on the road is what's blowing a hole in the state budget?

Also, if you're ignorant enough to believe such things, why stop at bikes? Why not go after those evil pedestrians? Sidewalks cost infinitely more than the bike lanes that don't even really exist. Worse, sidewalks have the gall to exclude cars, in turn narrowing the road! So pedestrians not only devour space that God reserved for His chosen motorized transportation method, but when you feel justifiably angered and moved to take matters into your own hands, you can't even splatter one of those selfish sidewalk-dwelling pedestrians without ruining a wheel or two. Is this fair?

OK, I broke my promise from back in the first sentence. But seriously, I feel like I understand car people pretty well, so why is it that they don't seem to know the first thing about bikes?

On the flip: Want some numbers? [If you dare...]

Star-divide


Car people are apparently angry about spending $240 million (proposed) on a network of bike lanes around Seattle. Here are a few other statistics, from the state and federal highway agencies' websites, to chew on when contemplating arguments about costs.

  • So far this year, there have been 432 deaths in Washington State caused by cars; recent annual averages are about 550 or so. Of those 432 people lost, 12 were on bikes, 315 were in a car, and the rest were bystanders of one kind or another. Roughly 10-15% of fatalities and accidents in Washington happen in King County.
  • The most recent economic impact of car crashes was that, in 2000, motor vehicle accidents cost the state's economy $5.3 billion. A conservative estimate, then, is that in that year alone the cost to King County was $530 million.
  • Some points about economic effects:
    1. This is a single year, not 30 years or whatever the lifespan of the bike plan is.
    2. These are 2000 dollars; that number is surely up in 2007.
    3. Not sure how this estimate is made; does it include hidden costs? Such as increased insurance premiums? Did everyone who took out a guardrail pay the state back for the damage? etc.
    4. These are just the costs of reported accidents; what are the costs of unreported accidents? of congestion? of parking lots? road repairs? road signs? man-hours devoted to maintaining the road network? environmental costs of the network being there? How much was spent cleaning up spills from leaky gas pumps and carelessness around the refineries in Anacortes? I could go on and on and on...
    5. Conclusion: society pays madly unquantifiable amounts of money for the sake of cars. Way more than any number you can find on the books.
  • And that's before the onset of global warming, which is predicted to upset the economy of the entire world. So cars are only a part of the problem, and King County is only a part of the car universe, and bikes are only a part of the solution in King County... but is that $240 million looking pretty small yet? Small enough to make people here consider being part of the solution for once?

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Sounds annoying
The money to build bike trails has to come from somewhere, but licensing cyclists doesn't seem like an efficient way to collect it.

I just did a quick peep at the ODOT (Ohio DOT) budget. Is $2.2B. Of that $15M (0.6%) a year goes to cycling lanes.

I think the trail system that's been built here over the past several years was funded from state and federal money. The park systems maintain it, and that money comes from property taxes.

Various groups fought the trails tooth and nail for several strange reasons and delayed their construction for more than 10 years.

-K-

by KevinK on Dec 26, 2007 9:16 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

bike trail funding
tends to be a drop in the transportation bucket, and as you say is hard to come by. If there's a jurisdiction out there that's raining public dollars on their biking infrastructure, I'd like to know where, and include the name of a good realtor.

by Chris... on Dec 26, 2007 10:41 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

Check out Louisville, KY
I saw a presentation earlier this year about the Mayor there putting a large amount of resources into developing the Bike as alternative transportation. Even to the point of having a complete path system large enough to encircle the entire city.

by Clydesdale on Dec 27, 2007 9:23 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Article accomplished its purpose
Lots of feedback.  Lots of hits.  When i checked tonight over 250 people I had left feedback.

So does this mean they will maintain the current trails?  Does this mean you won't need a full suspension to ride through LFP.  Does this mean "Stop" signs won't ask riders to stop for Driveways!

Seattle is struggling to adjust to the growing bike culture.  But the best thing to do is get out and ride, be visible, and follow traffic laws.

by Peen on Dec 27, 2007 12:05 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

Agreed
It's political now, so I don't plan on running any lights.

by Chris... on Dec 27, 2007 10:37 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

From a political p-o-v
You'd be better off campaigning for some sort of tax as long as the trails are built. You could rally the cyclists around building the trails. A license is a stupid idea. There are probably better ways to do it, but it would shut the pie-holes of the cycling haters.

Most of those folks are delusional about the costs of cars. Cars rule our lives Terminator style. Oil prices are high, which funds various scumbag dictators, $300B+ a year for "defense" spending, oodles of money pissed away in the Iraqi desert, countless dollars spent on highway infrastructure, obesity, CO2, the list goes on and on. The freedom cars provide certainly isn't free.

-K-

by KevinK on Dec 27, 2007 11:11 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

Dunno if I can stomach it
Taxing cyclists to help "pay our way" after 99.999999% of public transit dollars go to cars is a bit like tax relief for the 1% of the country that owns 65% of our wealth. I Just don't think I can get through a discussion without going on a rampage.

by Chris... on Dec 27, 2007 11:29 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

If you do rampage
please keep in mind there may be a waiting period in your state for purchasing an automatic weapon. If there is, that could hinder your plan.
"That rug really tied the room together. "

by Drew on Dec 27, 2007 11:38 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

true enough
Also, you probably couldn't be sure that such a tax would actually cause the trails to be built.

With our local trail system, taxes were never an issue. But, there were still countless battles over it, mostly about "property rights" from various right wing assholes. Unfortunately, as the battles went on, various sections dropped out of the trail plan, and now it's not nearly as good as it could have been.

Unfortunately, for about 50% of the American public, the world would be perfect if it were completely paved, with only WalMart and McDonalds shooting ranges, and mega churches peeking through the surface.

-K-

by KevinK on Dec 27, 2007 11:52 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

If they license cyclists
they'd better go after joggers too.
"That rug really tied the room together. "

by Drew on Dec 27, 2007 11:18 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

Swiss Bike License
FYI: In Switzerland  a bike Sticker is required.  It costs 6 francs (about $5) per year but provides liability insurance in case the rider injures anyone.

by cyclingchallenge on Dec 27, 2007 12:41 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

That's fine
DC has something like that too. We can support our own programs when they're for services beyond what we've already paid for ten times over.

by Chris... on Dec 27, 2007 1:26 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

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