Austin Cycling News

I did not write the following:

Bicyclists Paying Their Way

Recent letters to the editor indicate that there is a mis-conception
that cyclists don’t belong on public roads because they don’t pay gas
taxes.

A study by the Brookings Institution states that only 34.8 percent of
U.S. highway costs are paid for by gas taxes; the remaining 65.2
percent comes from other sources, mostly other types of taxes.

All demographic data available on cyclists indicate that their average
income is significantly higher than that of the general populace, and,
consequently, they pay significantly higher taxes. With respect to the
65.2 percent of road costs paid from “other” sources, cyclists are
subsidizing road use by motorists. And cyclists, unlike motorists,
cause no wear and tear on the infrastructure they’re paying for.

If a sedentary motorist still believes that cyclists aren’t “paying
their way,” he might want to consider some other facts: Cyclists (like
other fit people) experience far lower rates of obesity, heart and
respiratory diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol
and all the other massively expensive rewards of couch-potatohood. But
that doesn’t get us a discount on our health insurance, or lower
Medicare deductions. The average cyclist is subsidizing that sedentary
motorist’s health care to the tune of hundreds of dollars every year.

That’s the way that society works. Some people pay more here, and
others pay more there. We all pay for schools even if we don’t have
any kids, and we all pay Social Security taxes even though we may die
at age 45.

We cyclists will continue to subsidize other people’s sedentary
lifestyles without complaint and, in return, expect not to hear
anything more about the red-herring gas tax.

More information can be found here:

http://coastalsense.wordpress.com/2007/11/29/who-pays-for-the-roads/

http://betterinhaled…on-who-pays-for-roads.html

http://bicycleuniverse.info/transpo/planning.html#welfare

http://daily.sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2008/07/23/do-gas-taxes-cover-the-costs-of-roads

and of course on google.

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A couple of forum posts about the subject:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=326071

“ 3. “Motorists have paid for the roads through gas taxes, registration fees, and other taxes and fees. Cyclists in traffic are a danger and seem to feel they have a right. Let them start registering and paying for road permits so lanes can be built for them. Streets are for cars.”

This is a gem. I challenge anyone to find a person that doesn’t pay taxes. If you find one, I want their secret! We all pay taxes, either directly or indirectly. But, I guess we’ve already begun to establish what I term the “stupid pattern” so I guess we shouldn’t expect the expressed motorist views to reveal much intellectual power. Even if I buy no gasoline, I pay gasoline tax. Why? Because if I buy anything, that product was undoubtedly shipped from elsewhere and whatever the supplier paid in gasoline tax is certainly passed on to the consumer to pay in the form of product price. In fact, every successful producer’s expense is covered by the price of their products, so as a consumer I’m paying the gas, registration, taxes and fees for entire fleets of vehicles. Wow! Not only that (and this may shock some) I, as a cyclist, also own and maintain a motorized vehicle. A great big one in fact – a Dodge. I pay gas, registration and fees for this vehicle that I barely use. Also, if anyone bothers to look into the matter, the roads aren’t necessarily paid for with gasoline taxes. Many roads are built with property tax money. But, I also own property and pay a hefty annual tax for that as well. So don’t worry, most of us cyclists are paying for our road use rights. Ah, but there is a problem with that statement. . . the right to travel non-toll roads with legally recognized transportation modes doesn’t require purchase. We as citizens pay taxes that are used to provide many things that are offered to the entire community, not just taxpayers. Also, the relative amount of taxes an individual pays does not necessarily entitle them to any more right-of-use for these tax-subsidy offerings. To summarize the motorist illogic — I, as a motorist, PAY MONEY that I THINK pays for travel along what is actually a free-to-the-public avenue, so you, as a cyclist, that I ignorantly ASSUME doesn’t pay ANYTHING/ENOUGH for the free-to-the-public avenue, deserve to die.”

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=326071&page=3