A wheel tax is easy to implement and could bring in revenue to a municipality or county quickly, but it seems to miss the mark a little by taxing car ownership rather than roadway utilization (we own one car that sits in the driveway 95% of the time and most of the miles it does see are out of state). It would also be a bigger hardship to households with lower income.
What about a tollway system? I haven't heard talk of that for a while. Is it a bad idea? Politically unfeasible? Seems like a way to help raise some revenue from "freeloaders" from outside our state. And if anyone seriously proposes a bicycle wheel tax, I'm going to push for a shoe tax to accompany it. I'm tired of all those freeloading pedestrians not paying for their sidewalks... On Thu, Mar 5, 2015 at 6:22 AM, Larry D Nelson <[email protected]> wrote: > If there was a state registration and registration fees (and wheel tax) > for bikes, our work would be much easier. We would have a common > relationship with the motorists, who may currently regard bicyclists as > freeloaders. > > Right now, all we can agree on is that we as individuals should not have > to pay for anything. > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Mar 5, 2015, at 1:22 AM, Jeffrey Schimpff <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I would much rather pay a higher registration fee for a bike that I use > every day of the year, rather than for a car that sits in the garage most > of the time. A wheel tax is regressive for those of us who do our best to > conserve energy and use public roadways very little (aside from local > streets, for which we pay in large part with property taxes). > ------------------------------ > *From: *"William Hauda" <[email protected]> > *To: *"Eric Sundquist" <[email protected]>, "Larry Nelson" < > [email protected]>, "Matthew Logan" <[email protected]> > *Cc: *[email protected] > *Sent: *Tuesday, March 3, 2015 11:12:25 PM > *Subject: *Re: [Bikies] Iowa Raises Gas Tax > > The problem with a wheel tax is the same problem we face with the > state transportation fund. It's a perception issue. There's no guarantee > any of the $ from a wheel tax will go for bicycling. Given the negative > view of the public and their elected officials of cycling as being a part > of an integrated transportation system, it's just another tax to fund roads > for cars. While better roads for cars may also accommodate us (*if > complete streets is not repealed, which is a current issue in the > legislature, and Bike Fed is working on trying to resolve that problem*) > a wheel tax might finance new and re-pave existing streets and roads, but > it is not going to specifically help bicycle transportation. That's where > we need to go. We need to statutorily integrate bicycling into > transportation funding because it is a part of transportation. > > On 3/3/2015 5:49 PM, Eric Sundquist wrote: > > I have heard discussion among County Board members about establishing a > wheel tax and would favor it, based on that discussion and Larry's info. A > $20 tax in Dane County would bring in between $4 million and $5 million -- > not nearly what the RTA was looking at and small potatoes compared to big > projects like Verona Road or Highway M, but definitely a part of the puzzle > in growing the multimodal system in the county. > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Larry Nelson <[email protected]> <[email protected]> > *To:* Matthew Logan <[email protected]> <[email protected]> > *Cc:* [email protected] > *Sent:* Tuesday, March 3, 2015 5:31 PM > *Subject:* Re: [Bikies] Iowa Raises Gas Tax > > Planning includes financing needed public transportation improvements. > The following municipalities have adopted the wheel tax. > > Municipalities > Appleton (city) - $20 beginning February 2015 > Arena (township) - $20 beginning April 2015 > Beloit (city) - $10 through January 2015; $20 beginning February 2015 > Janesville (city) - $10 > Milwaukee (city) - $20 > Counties > Chippewa County - $10 beginning January 2015 > Iowa County - $20 beginning February 2015 > St. Croix County - $10 > > I don't think that they did that because they wanted to but that they had > to. I rather doubt that Iowa County and the Town of Arena in Iowa County > adopted a wheel tax because they wanted to: rather, I suspect that they had > to in order to fund their transportation responsibilities. > > The WIDOT collects the wheel tax for a small charge. > > And, I intend to lobby my township, the Town of Dodgeville, to do the same > in order to maintain town roads. > > I argue that biking is a transportation mode. Upon reflection, I don't > argue that: I assert that biking is a part of the transportation system as > a proven fact. > > The wheel tax has to be spent on transportation. This is a tool already > provided by the State. I suggest that you consider this when you next > discuss transportation issues with your elected officials. Think and act > locally. > > Larry D Nelson > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Matthew Logan" <[email protected]> > To: "Larry D Nelson" <[email protected]>, "William Hauda" < > [email protected]>, [email protected] > Sent: Tuesday, March 3, 2015 9:21:32 AM > Subject: RE: [Bikies] Iowa Raises Gas Tax > > The core problem since November 2010 is not a lack of funding or planning > for transportation - The Governor and Legislature have had no problem > making > money show up for highway expansions (that primarily benefit people in the > suburbs of Milwaukee), even when facing large deficits that are otherwise > used to justify large cuts elsewhere in the budget. The problem is that the > people making the decisions do not believe it is the role of the state to > provide funding for bicycling, while at the same time, clinging to > 1970's-era thinking about the value of highways. > > The Governor has stated that until all the roads are fixed, bicycle > facilities will have to wait. Of course, by "fixed" he means, enough money > lavished on them to send a signal to businesses (the few that directly > benefit from highway spending) that they should consider relocating to > Wisconsin. The Governor has also effectively said that the people of > Wisconsin have chosen to drive, so that is where all the money should go - > to infrastructure that directly benefits the payers of gas tax (which means > motorists). The Governor and GOP have been promoting the meme that the > transportation fund has been raided, and needs to be repaid. This, despite > the fact that the LFB reported a net $314 million transfer from the General > Fund to Transportation since the "raids" began in 2003. > > These beliefs displayed by the Governor and legislature are at odds with > the > reality of AADT trend lines looking more flat - a fact now acknowledged by > AASHTO. > > The problem is not that we need a plan for a revenue stream - it is that > our > elected officials have no rational basis upon which we can argue the merits > of increasing funding for bicycling infrastructure. They live in a world > where economically productive highways have been cheated out of their due > by > special interest groups like teachers and bicyclists. They live in a world > where fairness dictates repayment for this perceived wrong. Until that > belief system changes, planning will have no effect. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Bikies [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Larry > D > Nelson > Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2015 7:02 AM > To: 'William Hauda'; [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Bikies] Iowa Raises Gas Tax > > In my observations and study regarding the construction of public works > from > Rome to the present time (I apologize if that sounds pompous: it is my > hobby), there are periods of time when funding and resources are just not > made available to construct needed improvements. But, wise people plan for > the future. For example, the interstate highway system planning took place > decades before there was a President Eisenhower to implement the plan. > Planning is relatively inexpensive. > > Bill, please plan and propose. > > For my part, I'd like to consider moving the responsibility for state bike > routes from the WDNR to the WIDOT, and recognize that their construction > and > maintenance are transportation corridors/modes. > > Ok, I am off my soap box :>) > > > Larry D. Nelson, P.E. > > PO Box 199 > 4180 Wilson Road > Dodgeville, WI 53533 > > 608 630 6532 (C) > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Bikies [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of > William > Hauda > Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2015 7:01 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Bikies] Iowa Raises Gas Tax > > Mike, Iowa also has in place a constitutional amendment that earmarks a > portion of any future sales tax increase for things like trails. Problem > is, > there is no enthusiasm to increase the sales tax. > I'm currently researching some policy that I think has hampered bicycling > in > Wisconsin and think I will have a recommendation for either the next > meeting > of the Non-motorized Recreation and Transportation Trails Council or the > Bike Fed, where the Advocacy Committee we served together on developing > things like Complete Streets is, I'm told by the powers that be, about to > be > reconstituted. Where I am going might not only be politically palatable to > a > conservative administration, for reasons other than bicycling, but set us > up > with a guaranteed source of funding. Where I am headed will involve a major > paradigm shift. Got my fingers crossed. > Bill > > On 2/25/2015 6:03 PM, Michael Rewey wrote: > > With bi-partisan and governor's support Iowa just raised their gas tax > > a whopping 10 cents per gallon. > > > > Too bad that could not happen here so we can get balanced > > transportation instead of just building for cars and trucks with bond > > dollars. But of course a governor who is running for national office > doesn't dare raise any taxes. > > > > We'll have to pay more for trail passes and state park passes to name > > a few, but those are "user fees". In reality gas tax is a user fee also. > You only pay if you use it. Frustrating.... > > > > Mike Rewey > > _______________________________________________ > > Bikies mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > > > > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > > > --- > This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. > http://www.avast.com > > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing > [email protected]http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > > > > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > > > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > >
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