At the risk of raising the ire of many fellow bikers, might I suggest:
Rather than oppose a Capital City Trail user fee, perhaps we should be more
vigorously and vocally SUPPORTING tolls on our city
and county roads for all traffic. The money has to come from somewhere to maintain
the trail. I don't object to paying a direct user
fee for maintenance of the path I use.
Automobile drivers across the US (Wisconsin and Madison included) seem to have
no problem with the idea that taxpayers should
fund road development and maintenance. I (perhaps in an extreme minority) believe
that the full cost of road maintenance should be
paid by those who use them -- either in the form of a large gas tax, toll booths, or
whatever. When the American automobile driver
understands just how much money they are spending on roads, etc. perhaps our
transportation infrastructure might begin to change.
I for one wouldn't oppose paying a user fee for my use of bike paths around
town. Just as I would rather all of these
automobile drivers around Madison pay for the full price of all of these goddamn
roads. I know I am sick and tired of subsidizing
their gluttonous usage. I have no problem paying for my traffic, but I sure as hell
shouldn't have to pay for theirs. It is only
fair.
Besides, if a vocal contingent of bikers started to campaign for toll roads in
Madison or a local gas tax to pay for our roads,
perhaps it might shine some much needed light on transportation issues in Dane County
or at least the inequities of the current setup.
Sincerely,
Bryan Walton
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