Dear County Executive Falk, I urge you to rescind the recently passed trail fee for use of the Capitol City Trail. At the time the Capitol City Trail was constructed, I recall that it was presented as a commuter trail, was built with transportation funds, and in the future would be maintained with transportation funds.
I have used this trail a number of times for commuting to meetings at the DNR regional office in Fitchburg, as it is a pleasant, healthy and safe alternative to using Fish Hatchery Road. I believe it is entirely appropriate to classify this trail as a commuter route. As such, it should be maintained with the same source of funds as all other commuter routes in the county - namely, the county share of the state motor vehicle fuel sales tax, and the county property tax. Using fuel tax revenue is entirely appropriate , as each use by a bicycle commuter removes one motor vehicle from our increasingly congested county roads and local streets. This benefits the remainder of our population who have not yet embraced the joys and freedoms of motorless transportation. I don't believe our region's 300,000 or so motorized commuters and property owners would object to contributing a few cents each toward maintenance of this trail, as its use reduces roadway congestion for motorists. Finally, I would like to once again advocate that you push for the adoption of a commuter impact fee. At the very modest rate of anywhere from 10 cents to 50 cents per day per motor vehicle commuter parking stall, this fee can pay for a large portion of the county's transportation-related expenses. It can remove a significant part of the property tax burden from those homeowners who rarely use the street network via a motor vehicle. Unlike the recently-proposed state motor vehicle registration increase (a state wheel tax), a commuter fee fairly places the transportation cost burden on those who create the demand for the biggest transportation expenditures by using, not just owning, a motor vehicle. Sincerely, Jeffrey A. Schimpff 2721 Kendall Avenue Madison, WI 53705 _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
