Should We Tax Bicycles?

Seattle is considering a $25 sales fee on bicycles that cost more than $500. Eric Jaffe weighs the pros and cons:

There are any number of reasons why a bike tax makes for poor public policy. For starters, the idea that bike riders don’t pay for the road is rather hollow. The vast majority of riders also own cars, after all, and riding creates negligible wear and tear on the road. Bike infrastructure costs public money, especially if it’s done right, but the bike tax wouldn’t even pay for much of it — with the state’s proposal expected to bring in only a reported $1 million over a decade.

But Jaffe notes that the bike community isn’t totally opposed. Rob Sadowsky, who heads the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, sees the fees as a potential political tool with the “chance to begin a dialogue with legislators about the best ways to achieve an equitable system of road funding.” Dominic Holden has been all over the story for The Stranger.