BIKE: "States Mull Taxing Drivers By Mile"

[agelfand]

Dick wrote: Just made his "choice when he chose to live so far from work.
 
What isn't "fair" that those of us who choose to live close to work, or
choose to bicycle or walk, still have to pay for the roads and their
upkeep."
 
First of all, everyone benefits from the roads (whether they drive on them
or not) in the form of good and services, cost control, public
maintainence/emergency services, and the like. I'm getting tired of the
indiscriminate suburbia bashing--The sprawl already exists, some people are
investing loads of time and effort to reverse the damage done by unwise
development, and the "well, they get what they deserve" whine does not
solve existing problems. It just stokes the fire. Let's be practical and
focus on solutions for the world that is.

Yes, I live on the edge of Round Rock--to stay close to my workplace, to
which I drive (carpool) and bike. Maybe Dick and other likeminded people
could invest some effort in helping us suburban bike activists chip away at
the wall of city leadership obstinence instead of jeering at us from the
sidelines. I'm not really sniping at you, Dick, personally; I am truly
frustrted. We need support, not derision. The divisiveness of the cycling
community is counter-productive. 

Flame away.

As for the taxing by the mile, I wonder about this:

Will this type of taxing discourage the development of a hybrid vehicle
market? If people are not rewarded by saving on gas with fuel-efficient
vehicles, will they then stop buying hybrids (unless they are personally
concerned with the environment)? In that case, the manufacturers may not
persist in their research to improve upon current designs. I think that's a
step backward.

I'm not a public transportation expert, just wondering about this point.

Amy




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