Bicycle registrations

[mraf]

Well we NYers dodged this one for now. But it won't be long before somehow or someway it passes. Seems there was a bill that was shot down for now that would have us paying to register our bicycles in order to traverse NY state highways. Gotta love this state our politicians are creative!:mo money:

[SC89Venture]

So why should bicycles get a break? Seems like if they use the road, should pay for the road. Everybody else has to pay to use the road.

[Mariner Fan]

I don't ride my bicycle on the public roads. Drivers around here like to run them over. http://www.bikeforums.net/images/smilies/injured.gif

[midnightventure]

A bicycle doesn't weigh near as much as a car and I can't concieve one doing any damage to a road. I would say more but it would be political.

[Marcarl]

Pretty soon we'll have to register our shoes,, or go barefoot.

[Rocket]

Pretty soon we'll have to register our shoes,, or go barefoot.

 

But you could go to homemade wooden ones. May be interesting, on trying to insulate them for winter.

[BIG TOM]

I:bighug:New York !

[Squidley]

I'm going to be the catalyst here, I absolutely believe if you ride a bike on the road you should have to pay for that, now here's the reason why.

 

They can and do take up space in a lane, an obstacle that you have to avoid should you be in a cage. I have seen 1/4 mile backups where you cant pass them due to oncoming traffic. I also see them riding on the road where there is sidewalk available to ride on. Perhaps I'm old fashioned in the fact that I believe that is what sidewalks are for.

 

I'm not for the political money grab that this is, but I do get irritated when I have to maneuver around them, as if something happens and I end up hitting them, life will suck for both party's involved. I know some of you aren't going to like these statements, but thats just the way I feel about it.

[KiteSquid]

I think that sidewalks are for walking on.

 

 

Roads are for bicycles that are traveling quickly, say fast enough that they cannot come to a complete stop in 1.0 seconds, any faster and they should be on the road but not on limited access roads.

 

If you cant stop a bike in 1.0 seconds it is a GREAT danger to pedestrians, which is what the sidewalk is made for.

[Snaggletooth]

I'd have to say I'd support it IF they hold them accountable for following the same traffic regualtions we have to follow in our motor vehicles. Now that would be the money maker!!!

 

There isn't a day that I don't see a cyclist run red lights, cut lanes in stopped or slow traffic, fail to yield, and lets not forget they have no idea what a stop sign means.

 

I ride a trail bike myself but it's usually on a bike carrier until I get to a trail site, away from motor traffic. Some of the stuff I see cyclists pull on city streets makes a lot of the crotch rocket crowd look pretty sane.

 

Some of them around here have figured out that those fancy spandex pants don't do much to protect them from road rash. Good lesson for them.

 

They do have one up on us though. When they high side a bike.....they can limp home with it on their back.

[Dave77459]

A bicycle doesn't weigh near as much as a car and I can't concieve one doing any damage to a road. I would say more but it would be political.

This is true. Roadway pavements are designed using an "Equivalent Single Axle Load", or ESAL. An ESAL is the damage equivalent to an 18,000 pound axle load (18KIP). The calculation varies by pavement type (concrete or flexible, for example), but several thousands of auto trips are required to do the damage of one truck trip. Then, it takes 40+ motorcycle trips to equal one auto trip. In pavement design, motorcycle damage is considered negligible. Any pavement designed to accommodate a car wouldn't even notice a bicycle, even if they ran the Tour de France over it, every day.

 

However, there is an alternate way to look at facilities and pricing. In short: what is it worth to you? What is it worth to you to be able to ride on the street? If the state said that you couldn't ride unless you paid $5/year, would that be worth it to you? In some places, riding on sidewalks is illegal, so your choice is to ride trails, or the street. So then, how much would you pay?

 

The streets have value, they provide benefit, they are not free to build or maintain... why shouldn't you pay? If you don't like it... walk.

 

Like I said, this is a different way to look at it.

 

Dave

[flb_78]

So do farmers have to pay for plates to use the roads with their tractors?

 

Those tractors tear up the roads and cause traffic problems much worse than any bicycle.

[midnightventure]

I just don't like politicians that are constantly looking for another way to gouge people.

[dray]

I Dislike the way so many of them ride right in your lane instead of off to the side; I have seen Kids do it to block traffic and in this case should be Fined for obstruction of traffic which is a good ticket for them

 

and yes they should pay if there going to be on the road; why dont they just stay on the shoulder away from traffic

 

OH! there not happy there!!!!

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

As a person that commutes almost daily by bicycle to and from work, first I must say..... bicycles do not use sidewalks! Around here you will get a ticket for doing so. Here we commute year round so our tax dollars have prepared most of the main roads with cycle lanes and we have commuter trails that run into the main city area from the outer communities.

With this said unless you have extremely narrow streets or possibly some extremely large road vehicles we do not have, most roads are constructed with enough width that a bicycle and a car can pass in one lane IF the car driver actually knows how to drive the car and is aware of its' size. As for lane swapping, running lights/stop signs and the other infractions some have mentioned... how often do you see crotch rockets doing the same things.

I am sure this will piss a few people but... it comes from the other side... a cyclist.

[MikeWa]

Once bicyclists have to pay to use the road they may feel like they own it. Talk about jamming things up.

Mike

[Mariner Fan]

Actually, bicycle riders do have the right to ride on most roads. There is a lot of misunderstanding between bicycle riders and car drivers. Like I said earlier. You won't catch me on a road with cars. It's too dangerous and you don't have a motor to get out of the way.

[Bubber]

If I may so bold to add my two cents worth.

 

Thank you very much!

Edited March 6, 2011 by Bubber

[camos]

..... bicycles do not use sidewalks! Around here you will get a ticket for doing so. Here we commute year round so our tax dollars have prepared most of the main roads with cycle lanes and we have commuter trails that run into the main city area from the outer communities.

I don't know where your commute is but in downtown Victoria cyclists are on the sidewalks about as often as they are on the road. I am so tempted to clothesline them when they go by me. There is a bylaw against riding on the sidewalk but I have never seen it being enforced. Bicycles are considered vehicles and have the right to be on the road and are required to follow the same rules of the road as all other vehicles.

 

There are lots of really stupid, self centered people on the roads and cyclists are probably no worse than the rest of them. Many of our roads have cycle lanes but not all do and I don't mind cyclists riding in a sensible manner. I don't like cyclists that can't seem to decide whether they are a vehicle or a pedestrian. My personal opinion is that bicycles should have to be registered and licensed in the same manner as motor vehicles. It is not about using the road but rather to enable fines and suspensions for stupid cyclists just like we have for stupid motorists.

[Guest]

Personally I want to see a hefty tax on those darn roller skaters. Theyre also a major hazard on the highway for us motorists. Gliding in and out of traffic..just who the heck are they anyway........and lets not forget those oh so innocent babies in strollers!! MY god man, they really hog all of the sidewalks. They should get a good spanking as well as having a hefty tax put on their bottles of milk. Double if its warm milk...triple for chocolate milk.