[Vision2020] Ped/Bike transportation options

[bill bonte]

How about taxing walking?  It could be easily done.  The merchant who  
sells the shoes could collect $5-10
per pair to cover the cost of maintaining trails and sidewalks, and  
installing new sidewalks.  There are more
people walking than riding bicycles, I see them everywhere, not just  
on the trails, but downtown and in the
neighborhoods.  This revenue source should not be left untapped.   
Walkers should pay for the privilege of using the sidewalks.

Moscow already has a bicycle licensing program analogous to the ORV  
fee.  I don't know how the revenue is
handled.

An extensive trail network is a net revenue generator for a  
community.  The north Idaho trail from Coeur d'alene
to Spokane is a significant tourist attraction.  Bicyclists come from  
all over the country to ride the trail.  The same is true for the  
Trail of the Coeur d'alenes from Plummer to Mullan.  On a recent trip  
to Kellogg ( to ride the
bicycle trail)  I spoke with a motel owner who told me the trail was  
a bigger draw than skiing.  There has been
talk of developing a rail-trail from Lewiston to Kooskia to generate  
tourist traffic and help the local economy.
And of course there is the Hiawatha Trail from Lookout Pass.

Under development in Washington (and complete in some sections)  is  
the John Wayne Trail from Plummer to
Seattle.  Also partially complete is a trail from Spokane to Pasco.   
These are mixed use trails developed as
tourist and recreation draws.

Bill Bonte


On Jun 1, 2006, at 6:56 AM, Dan Carscallen wrote:

> Jeff says:
> "It does seem appropriate that as bicycle use increases (as a  
> substitute
> for the high cost of driving and commuting) that there is some  
> mechanism
> for taxing bike riders for their share of developing a trail network -
> similar to the tax on gasoline is used to build and maintain highways,
> roads and streets."
>
> I couldn't agree more.  I pay $10 each for off-road stickers that help
> pay for ORV trails for dirt bikes and ATVs.  A lot of those are
> shared-use trails (throwing mountain bikes and horses into the  
> mix), but
> the cost burden of the upkeep is on the shoulders of those who have to
> buy the off-road stickers -- the dirt bikes and ATVs.
>
> I would gladly toss in $5-10 annually for each bike we ride on the
> Latah/Chipman/Paradise Path trails to help maintain them, as well as
> building new connectors.  If it can be done for ORV's, it should be  
> able
> to work for bikes.
>
> DC
>
>
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