Comments on: The Free Rider Myth – Who Really Pays for the Roads?

By: Denny

Denny — Sun, 11 Nov 2018 01:16:07 +0000

Obey the rules of the road and we wouldn’t complain. And you should need a license, period.

By: Boojel

Boojel — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 02:36:34 +0000

In reply to Mickey Mouse. Your statement is not true. I just check with my insurance and they said my homeowner & umbrella policy will cover my medical and property damage liability if I am at fault while using my bicycle. I have $1 million total coverage limit, way above my State's minimum requirement of $60 medical & $25k property damage.

By: Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 03:49:15 +0000

The road maintenance is peanuts compared to insurance. When a bicycle hits a car and it is the bicycle rider’s fault. Guess whose insurance is going to pay the medical? All drivers insurance.

By: Cameron

Cameron — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 04:40:19 +0000

In reply to Cory Johnston. Absolutely brilliant remarks. I will definitely be parroting; thanks for the simple yet effective logic.

By: Egypt

Egypt — Sat, 05 Nov 2016 10:17:29 +0000

That’s a cunning answer to a chanlelging question

By: Samuel Cawkell

Samuel Cawkell — Wed, 02 Nov 2016 18:09:43 +0000

In reply to Doug.

Hey Doug! As frustrating as it is to know these people are in positions of power don’t give up! Keep sending those emails and being the voice of common sense. Your efforts will be greatly appreciated by many.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead

By: Doug

Doug — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 21:21:21 +0000

I am a bicycle advocate in a mid-sized, Southern U.S. city. I recently went to a public meeting of the governor’s transportation task force, their key mission being what to do about traffic in the metro area? Their solution, of course…is more roads. About $5 billion worth over the next 20 years, a figure that doesn’t include the statewide backlog of road projects already in some stage of planning ($12 billion). Turns out, not increasing the gasoline tax for 20 years is really, really stupid. But when someone on one of the panels actually suggested getting cars off the road as part of the solution to traffic and bicycles being a part of this goal, one task force member of the panel suggested exactly what the article stated: a registration fee for cyclists because currently, we “don’t pay for the roads.” It was most infuriating. I sent him an email stating most of the information in this article, and he responded with something to the effect of “People driving from their homes in the suburbs have a right to use the roads. People on bikes do not.” This is factually wrong, of course, and I sent him the state law stating so. This is the type of person who is actually in charge of transportation policy. Another member of the task force, who’s also the chair of the House transportation committee, was the main opponent of a vulnerable road users bill which was defeated earlier this year, narrowly. When these are the people calling the shots, what else is there to do? It’s this type of thing that makes me question whether or not bicycle advocacy is even worth it where I live.

By: Peter Kelly

Peter Kelly — Mon, 02 May 2016 18:04:43 +0000

In the UK when you pay tax it goes into a central pot. That means that if you’re a tax payer you pay for the roads.

By: Charlotte

Charlotte — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 13:17:57 +0000

In reply to Katelyn.

http://www.vtpi.org/whoserd.pdf

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 17:14:42 +0000

In reply to bobnwu. I think the term "car" is meant to include all forms of automobiles on the road. If anything, we should simply do what California is doing and trying to come up with a fee based on total vehicle miles traveled. If that should come to pass- a small light car should pay less than a massive SUV based on what each car class does in terms of wear and tear. So I think the difference between a car and a truck is important, it is only when actually computing the wear a car versus a truck makes that we should have to separate them out. For now, a bike v. car economic discussion should assume car = all forms of automobile.