The more you weigh, more you pay
In response to the Aug. 7 letter "Those bicycle lanes cost money, too: Tax state's cyclists," about taxing bicycles for road usage, I couldn't agree more. All vehicles should pay their fair share. As it is now, gas taxes and vehicle fees only pay for about half the cost for road construction and maintenance. All other monies come from other sources.
As an example, developers pay for all of the roads inside and adjacent to a subdivision and pay a fee that builds other major road improvements in the city. So, really, it is the homeowners who are paying for those new roads and bicycle lanes and their property taxes pay for most of the maintenance. The idea that automobiles pay their way is a myth.
The deterioration of a roadway is proportional to the miles driven on it and the weight of the vehicle. It is not a straight-line proportion, but goes up dramatically as the weight is increased. But to keep it simple, let's charge all vehicles $0.0001 per pound-mile. So the average 3,500-pound vehicle driving 10,000 miles would pay $3,500 per year. The average 25-pound bicycle driving 10,000 miles would pay $25 per year.
I agree that the more you use and abuse the roads, the more you should pay. In response to the letter writer's call to "tax them all or none at all," I would say the more you weigh, the more you pay.
ROBERT E. SMITH
Bike Bakersfield
Bakersfield
