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Bicycle Registration Letter to the Editor in San Mateo Daily Journal

Published Tuesday, March 17, 2009, by the San Mateo Daily Journal
Letters to the Editor

Common sense on the roads

I agree the roads should be for all but I have to register my cars for the privilege to use the roads. I think in this era of no money for various city and county projects, all bicyclists should pay at least $25 a year to register their bikes -- they use the roads -- they should pay.

I would like to see more cyclists obey traffic rules -- stopping at red lights and stop signs, watching out for pedestrians and not riding two or three abreast on a two lane street, which makes the cars go into the wrong lane to pass them. So we should be courteous of one another, use common sense and we should all pay to use the streets.

Bill Hogan
Newark

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Cycling in the Media
Paul's picture

Paul

March 24, 2009 - 12:13pm

Published Tuesday, March 24 in the San Mateo Daily Journal

No taxes for bicycles

Editor,

In his letter to the editor on Tuesday, March 17, Bill Hogan suggested that bicyclists should pay at least $25 a year for the privilege of riding the roads.

Anyone who thinks that the vehicle license fee is paying for our roads is misinformed. The vast majority of funding for our roads and highways comes from the federal government. As taxpayers, we all pay for the roads. In fact, taking into account how little wear and tear on our roads is caused by bicycles, bicycling taxpayers pay much more than their share. If you add government subsidies to the oil companies, the costs of pollution control and other hidden taxpayer subsidies to motorists, the discrepancy is even greater.

As to the writer’s other points, I could not agree more. All bicyclists should obey traffic rules, stop at red lights and stop signs, and give pedestrians the right of way. I also wish all motorists did the same.

Bicycling is a great way to get around. It is healthy, does not pollute and is a joyful experience. If we all spent more time on our bicycles and less time in our cars, I am quite sure the world would be a better place.

Paul Goldstein
Palo Alto

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