First bicycle tax in nation leaves bike-crazy Oregon riders deflated

The bike culture is mad about a tax on bikes. The $$$ would be used to expand bike paths and other things that benefit the cyclists.

In Oregon, a state known for its avid bicycling culture, the state legislature’s approval of the first bike tax in the nation has fallen flat with riders.

Democratic Gov. Kate Brown is expected to sign the sweeping $5.3 billion transportation package, which includes a $15 excise tax on the sale of bicycles costing more than $200 with a wheel diameter of at least 26 inches.

Even though the funding has been earmarked for improvements that will benefit cyclists, the tax has managed to irk both anti-tax Republicans and environmentally conscious bikers alike.

www.washingtontimes.com...

A bike publication called the tax moving in the wrong direction. Taxing the healthy, inexpensive and environmentally friendly form of transportation is moving in the wrong direction.

BikePortland publisher Jonathan Maus called it “an unprecedented step in the wrong direction.”

“We are taxing the healthiest, most inexpensive, most environmentally friendly, most efficient, and most economically sustainable form of transportation ever devised by the human species,” Mr. Maus said.

But taxing the gas burners is a good thing.

Bikers cheered last year when Portland passed a four-year, 10-cent-per-gallon tax on gasoline aimed at improving roads, but the measure also fueled complaints that bicycle riders have failed to pay their share for such projects.

Things are not free, and bikes using paths and modifying roads is expensive. Where should the money come from?

a reply to: seasonal

The better get used to it. As the car culture shifts more in this country away from ownership to the use of ride sharing or other forms of transportation they are going to have to squeeze blood from new rocks.

Hell yeah!! Let bicyclists pay their own way for a change.

Muwhahahahahaha!

ETA: While we're at it ... let's make them carry around a Cyclist's license and make them register their bikes too. You could get all kinds of fees out of 'em with just a little thought.

I don't get a break on my Harley, and every state I've ever lived in makes me pay 'extra' for that damned Motorcycle Endorsement (the bastahds).

a reply to: seasonal

"most inexpensive" my ass! www.pedbikeinfo.org...
I've worked on numerous projects which provided a separate 12' wide "multi-use" path pulled away from the road to increase safety, AND the damn "super user" bikers demanded dedicated bike lanes on the main roadway. That's basically a double dip, and when you consider the significantly lower number of pedestrian/bike facility users, versus motorized users of any given corridor, you see a reality in which the amount of tax dollars per bike rider serviced is hundreds of times higher than the cost per motor vehicle user. These facilities are often funded from the US highway Trust Fund, which is financed via the $0.18 a gallon fuel tax. So bike riders, hope you've enjoyed your free ride... now it's time to pay up. I'm big time anti-taxation, but these arrogant and entitled jackasses need to start paying their own way and a tax on bikes is a good start. I'd support isolating those funds and ONLY using those funds for any and all future bike lane and facility upgrades and even maintenance.

originally posted by: Snarl
ETA: While we're at it ... let's make them carry around a Cyclist's license and make them register their bikes too.

Absolutely. They should also be required to carry insurance same as car drivers do. Lord knows they're responsible for plenty of accidents and collisions, so it only makes sense.

a reply to: seasonal

I cant help but chuckle a little. These people want to use the roads, paths etc...but cant see their way to chip in?

Shoe, meet other foot!

originally posted by: seasonal

Things are not free, and bikes using paths and modifying roads is expensive. Where should the money come from?

Yes. And they should tax people for "walking" on the road too. The walkers also get a free ride from the tax payers who pay into the system to build those roads and walking paths.

Then, they should add a surtax for the runners, since they not only use more road, they "hit the ground harder" making dents in the road surface, requiring more maintenance.

At some point we have to tax the "oxygen breathers", since they consume the scarce oxygen in the air and fill it back up with carbon dioxide, just like the automobiles and the factories.

Tax, tax, tax, everybody is consuming the resources of the planet. We need to fix this.

Tax is always the best solution.

They should tax bicyclists an extra 1000 a year for all the stop sign and lights their surely going to ignore and rip through.

I'm torn on this. Cyclists are all ready chipping in by riding their bicycles and reducing our carbon footprint. And adding a bike lane is a marginal cost to paving a new road. Modifying an existing road however is a different matte all together.

Maybe one time bike registration fee would help to offset costs however it would have to be minimal. Think of all the poor and lower income who rely on bikes as their only form of transportation.

Tough one.

Awesome!!!!! I dont ride a bike. If I had the chance I would vote to double the tax.... even triple it.
know why?..... cause it those same people who thought it was great targeting smokers to pay more tax...... and I have been saying for years.... once enough people give up smoking cause it costs too much... the Gov is NOT gonna just sit there and let billions of dollars just go bye bye and be all happy cause people quit smoking...

Funny how they dont tax something that everyone uses....something that spreads the tax burden... instead of sticks it to a particular group... like smokers or bicycle riders.

hmm, what would generate a lot of revenue.... and hit the business sector a little harder that the public.
I'm no politician.... but it sure seems to me that if you put 10cent tax on a roll of toilet paper... Richman, Poorman,Businessman.... all wipe their butts and none will be devastated by the added cost

Our elected officials have shown us time and again it's a lot easier to increase taxes than to spend less money.

a reply to: BlueJacket

Plus it is Oregon.

Can we agree that the bike culture in Oregon could be considered liberal, for the most part ?

If so shouldn't there be a warm embrace of a tax? Again if they are indeed liberal.

originally posted by: GuidedKill
I'm torn on this. Cyclists are all ready chipping in by riding their bicycles and reducing our carbon footprint. And adding a bike lane is a marginal cost to paving a new road. Modifying an existing road however is a different matte all together.

Maybe one time bike registration fee would help to offset costs however it would have to be minimal. Think of all the poor and lower income who rely on bikes as their only form of transportation.

Tough one.

Im sorry, but lets be serious here how much of the carbon footprint are they really reducing...They are really complaining about a $15 excise tax, there are just as many "Wealthy people" and upper middle class that ride bikes and relay on them for their means of transportation because they are so self righteous to think they are making a change.

SEAT BELTS!!! Bikes need seatbelts!!

Working in a bike heavy college town I'm of two minds about this.
Part of me really likes this idea and $15 per bike is not a lot of money (less than 1% of the bike's cost).

However part of me would rather not have the $15 tax, but would rather see the local law enforcement ticket bicyclists who break traffic laws.

So the higher taxes on gas are working, so now they need to figure out how to make up for the lost revenue. And the people who started learning how to bike to avoid the gas taxes are justifiably upset.

originally posted by: randomtangentsrme
Working in a bike heavy college town I'm of two minds about this.
Part of me really likes this idea and $15 per bike is not a lot of money (less than 1% of the bike's cost).

However part of me would rather not have the $15 tax, but would rather see the local law enforcement ticket bicyclists who break traffic laws.

And how long before the cops get accused of unjustly interacting with citizens? Police brutality, pulling people over for cycling while black, etc.?

Do only car drivers pay taxes for streets in the usa, my guess is everybodys taxes go towards roads and such, i dont have a problem with taxing bikes when bought, but my issue is the usual suspects #ting on people who dont drive cars, yea you know who you are.

Any tax is ALWAYS in the wrong direction. Giving the government more money and power is like giving an alcoholic a bottle of booze. It's like giving a crackwhore a tip. You know it ain't gonna go to do anything good or useful.

This is what happens when you embrace big government, they will find more and more ways to steal your money. Can't say I feel sorry for people in Oregon, this is what they voted for.