Looks like motorists in California have been snookered again. When the state Legislature passed SB 1 (the gas tax increase), it was sold to us as money that was going to be used to repair our crumbling roads and bridges. Well it is no surprise that that money is now going to build bike paths. At least two projects in the area are getting SB 1 money for that purpose.
It got me to thinking. If motorists are being taxed to pay for road and bridge repairs, why shouldn’t we tax bicyclists to generate money to pay for bike-riding improvements. Seems like a simple answer to the problem to me. The state could charge some small registration fee for each bike and use that money for bike-related improvements. Even though there are a lot less bike riders than motorists, bike riders are really pushing for more bike lanes. You would think that they would be willing to chip in for their own safety.
Bill Bright
Atascadero
This article appears in Sep 13-23, 2018.
You should have thought of ALL of the implications of SB1 BEFORE you voted Yes to add MORE Taxes! How do you like it now? Those pennies add up, dont they? Hmm, Too late to whine. It has to be undone by ANOTHER expensive election initiative, containing even more vagaries, at additional expense to an already over taxed constituency, like CA DMV registration FEES to fix things Moonbeam deigned necessary. Residents are being taxed OUT of California residency/land + home ownership. Flee while you can with the rest of tax happy voters.
Motorists benefit from biking when it means there are fewer cars and trucks on the road.