Bikes Don't Pay Taxes For Roads!

I had an interesting exchange with a friend of mine this past weekend, who wondered why it was legal for bikes to ride on the road when they don't pay their fair share of taxes. I was brought up short and said "gas and road taxes do not pay for the entire cost of roads." To which he responded "they pay more than bikes do!"

I was not able to formulate an informed response. His point seemed to be that because bikes don't contribute directly to the upkeep and construction of roads, they should not legally be allowed to use them. At the most basic level, this makes sense. But it seemed like I should be able to refute it somehow. . .

This helps.

It turns out that the percentage of road costs covered by car, road and gas taxes (let's call them "user taxes") has dropped over the years. Now "non-users" pay about 50% of the cost of roads. That's to say, property taxes, municipal bonds and other revenue sources pay as much of the cost of roads as gas or user taxes do. So the question becomes "if cars only pay half of the cost of roads, why do drivers demand 100% of the use?"

In fact, if we weren't building so many car-bearing roads, we could get by for a lot less money overall. Car infrastructure is expensive as hell. Streets wide enough and strong enough to support cars are much more expensive to make and maintain than bike trails. So in a way the high cost of roads is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Cars make roads MORE expensive, not less, because without cars (and the subsequent need to accommodate them side-by-side and to park them) we could get by on the cheap in many areas.

Another common frustration for motorists is when a bicycle is on the roadway even when a trail runs alongside it. The thought is that the bike should be on the trail to free up the road for "traffic". I can think of a lot of reasons why this is not always the best choice for the cyclist. Many trails are rough and hard to ride or have a posted 10MPH speed limit or are clogged with pedestrians and dog-walkers and runners and baby stroller-wielding walkers, all of whom are potentially hazardous. My wife has crashed hard when a flexi-leashed dog ran out in front of her bike. The woman walking the dog had no idea what was going on and could not hear because of her earphones. The truth is, bike trails are really multi-use trails and everyone assumes that the other users will yield right-of-way. When the trails are crowded, the streets are the safest, most expedient option.

All of this said, I started the conversation by noting how courteous Minneapolis drivers had been during the summer. It seems like my motorist neighbors are more accepting and understanding of bicyclists all the time. I've only been honked at once all summer, which is a significant reduction from prior years. We still have a ways to go until everyone believes, as I do, that it is not only possible for cars and bikes to share the road, but that we can do so without stress or confusion or conflict.

Save the Date: 2012 Winter Pedal Pub Crawl, January 29, 2012

More details forthcoming, but for the one and a half people that still read this thing, consider yourself forewarned!

We'll be doing a Minneapolis version of it again this year as we have more places to visit than in St. Paul. Maybe even a brewery visit? It could happen.

Stay tuned. . .

January 29, 2012. Starting at noon, somewhere. Ending later, someplace else.

Lanny

3rd Annual Winter Bicycle Pub Crawl Sunday, January 30

The time draws near!

Show Jack Frost that you won't lie down!

Join us at the Bulldog NE (401 East Hennepin) at noon for the premiere winter bicycle pub crawl in Minneapolis. Maybe even the only one.

We will hit five destinations from NE Minnneapolis to South. Food and drink specials, door prizes, lots of laughs and I can almost guarantee that you will enjoy yourself. Unless you are joyvoidant.

No registration needed, no charge to ride along, no way you should miss this.

Stops include: Bulldog NE > Tilia (if they are open) > King's Wine Bar > Bryant Lake Bowl > The Aster Cafe (where the end party includes tacos, music and beer specials!)

New Bike Alert

Big news in Lanville.

I gots me a Surly Pugsley.

It's white with mud and road dirt highlights. It's mostly stock but I had Mongo add twist grip shifters (which completely transformed it for the better) a rack and, as you can see, a frame pack.

My physical condition has not allowed me to thrash it as much as it deserves, but if slow and unsteady wins any races, I'm a winner.

I find it remarkably comfortable and have done a couple of 25 mile days on it. So far it's not drawn blood, but I'm sure it's plotting my downfall even as we speak. The false sense of security that it engenders will surely be my undoing at some point, but for now I'm enjoying life on the hairy edge.

Perhaps the biggest transformation is that it allows, encourages and requires that you look at your environment differently than while riding "normal" bikes. Limitations on where you can ride, or when, are largely gone. Railbeds, narrow trails, big rocks, little rocks, snow, ruts, dirt track or gravel are all fair game.

For sure it's a fun winter bike, but I suspect that my Pugsley and me will have a year-round relationship.

Big Canoe, Small Bike

I wish we had better footage, but you get the idea.

This worked remarkably well, by the way.

Thanks to my friend Eric for loaning me the Brompton. It's being used and loved, as you can see.

2011 Winter Pedal Pub Crawl

Save the date.

Sunday, January 30, 2011.

Noon.

Someplace in Minneapolis.

More details to come. In about 4 months.

La Trappe is Back!

A rare business post here.

One of the breweries with whom I have worked the longest is La Trappe. For years it was known as Koningshoeven in the United States for reasons to arcane to recount.

Well, the old and better name is back.

Join me tomorrow night (July 27, 2010 at 7:00PM) at the Bulldog Lyndale as we toast the returned La Trappe Trappist Ales. Dubbel, Witte and Quadrupel on draft and Tripel in bottles. The first 24 get to keep their glass.

I'll be there in the corner texting Father Isaac and keeping him updated.