Walk&RideFlorence: Whose Roads? Who Pays?

Monday, May 31, 2010

Whose Roads? Who Pays?

You’ll often hear or read some ill-informed person claim that cyclists don’t have the right to use public roadways because they don’t pay gas taxes. I suppose one could simply call them a fascist and be done with it (and be correct), but more reasonable and effective arguments are available.
First and foremost, use of public rights-of-way is a basic liberty, not a privilege of taxpayers.

But even if it were not a basic liberty, cyclists (and pedestrians) are certainly paying their way (and then some).

“User fees” such as gas taxes, vehicle taxes and fees, and tolls, account for only 60% of transportation funding; the other 40% is from property taxes, bonds, general funds, and other taxes, all of which are paid (directly or indirectly) by non-motorists. According to Todd Litman of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute,

“On average, local and regional governments spend $300-500 annually per automobile in general taxes on local roads and traffic services, averaging more than 6¢ per mile driven on local roads. Only 0.7¢ of this is paid through vehicle user charges, meaning that driving is subsidized through general taxes by about 5.6¢ per mile on local roads.”

Most gas tax money goes to widening roadways to accommodate more cars (thereby encouraging more driving) and to maintaining roads. Virtually all wear and tear on roads is due to motor vehicles (especially large trucks), not cyclists, and certainly not pedestrians. The cost of accommodating cyclists and pedestrians is generally less than 2% of the total cost of a road. Non-motorists therefore overpay for their use of roads, while motorists underpay.

Those who shop by bike, walk or transit pay gas taxes indirectly. Shipping costs, which are included in the costs of virtually all goods, include gas taxes.

Of course, most cyclists DO buy gasoline, since most own and drive internal combustion vehicles. To say one must always use the vehicle that makes the taxpaying necessary is an absurd trap. "You have no choice! You must drive a car because you paid the tax!" This argument also implies that those who pay more in taxes have greater rights than those who pay less. Those who drive electric cars might similarly be accused of driving on roads without paying “their fair share.” An electric car owner would only pay about one-third as much in “user fees” as the owner of an internal combustion engine vehicle.

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BENEFITS OF BICYCLING & WALKING

Increased bicycling and walking will help:

· Reduce traffic congestion;

· Reduce air and noise pollution;

· Reduce wear and tear on our roads;

· Reduce consumption of petroleum;

· Reduce crashes and property damage;

· Reduce the need for additional roads, travel lanes and parking; and

· Improve Oregonians' health and well-being through regular exercise.

Providing bikeways and walkways

also helps meet the needs of a large segment of the population who do not have access to an automobile - the "transportation disadvantaged":

· The poor;

· The young;

· The elderly;

· People with disabilities; and

· Others who do not use a motor vehicle for a variety of reasons.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BICYCLING & WALKING

Walking is the most basic form of transportation. Everyone is a pedestrian, including persons using wheelchairs and other forms of mobility assistance. Transit or automobile trips begin and end with a walk. Walking is often the quickest way to accomplish short trips in urban areas.

Bicycling is the most energy efficient form of transportation ever devised, getting the energy equivalent of up to 1,500 miles per gallon (according to an MIT study).

People who walk or ride bicycles are the most vulnerable road users, being less protected from the weather and more likely to be injured in a collision with a motor vehicle; they must often use facilities that were designed primarily for automobiles.

Definition of

801.385 "Pedestrian" "Pedestrian" means any person afoot or confined in a wheelchair. [1983 c.338 §69]

801.485 "Sidewalk" "Sidewalk" means the area determined as follows: (1) On the side of a highway which has a shoulder, a sidewalk is that portion of the highway between the outside lateral line of the shoulder and the adjacent property line capable of being used by a pedestrian. (2) On the side of a highway which has no shoulder, a sidewalk is that portion of the highway between the lateral line of the roadway and the adjacent property line capable of being used by a pedestrian. [1983 c.338 §89]

801.480 "Shoulder"
"Shoulder" means the portion of a highway, whether paved or unpaved, contiguous to the roadway that is primarily for use by pedestrians, for the accommodation of stopped vehicles, for emergency use and for lateral support of base and surface courses. [1983 c.338 §88]

TYPES OF BIKEWAYS

Shared-Use Path (formerly called bike path or multi-use path): A facility separated from motor vehicle traffic by an open space or barrier, either within the roadway right-of-way or within an independent right-of-way. These are typically used by pedestrians, joggers, skaters and bicyclists. Shared-use paths are appropriate in corridors not well served by the street system, to create short cuts that link origin and destination points, and as elements of a community trail plan.

Bike Lane: A portion of the roadway designated for preferential use by bicyclists. Bike lanes are appropriate on busy urban thoroughfares. They may be used on other streets where bicycle travel and demand is substantial. Bike lanes are marked to call attention to their preferential use by bicyclists.

Shoulder Bikeway: A shoulder bikeway is a paved shoulder that provides a suitable area for bicycling, reducing conflicts with faster moving motor vehicle traffic. Most bicycle travel on the rural state highway system, and on many county roads, is accommodated on shoulder bikeways.

Bicycle Boulevards: The operation of a local street is modified to function as a through street for bicyclists while maintaining local access for automobiles. Traffic calming devices control traffic speeds and discourage through trips by automobiles. Traffic controls limit conflicts between automobiles and bicyclists and give priority to through bicycle movement.

Shared Roadway: Bicyclists and motorists ride in the same travel lanes. There are no specific dimensions for shared roadways. They are usually narrow, so a motorist has to cross over into the adjacent travel lane to pass a cyclist. Shared roadways are common on neighborhood residential streets, on rural roads and low-volume highways.