Interesting Cyclist Idea

[hobsini2]

I saw this in the Chicago Tribune online earlier today. At first I thought it was a joke but looks to be a real proposal for cyclists who commute to work.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-08-22/news/ct-met-kass-0822-20120822_1_city-bike-miles-of-bike-lanes-rahmfather

[hobsini2]

While I do not agree with the idea of cyclist tolls, I do like the idea of bicycle stickers similar to vehicle stickers and stop sign cameras to issue tickets to cyclists who blow through stop signs and signals.

And now time for the cyclist outrage....

[agentsteel53]

"Rahmfather"?

sure is written in a professional tone of voice that commands respect.

yawn for the hack columnist.  and people wonder why newspapers are dying.

[NE2]

Not this shit again...

[hobsini2]

Agent, you are not kidding with the downfall of columnists. And I also find quite often those columnists today rehash old columns and present them as new. It is sad.

[myosh_tino]

Hobsini2,

My sarcasm detector is not working properly so I have to ask...  Is the plan outlined in the column (tolls, stickers, stop-sign-cameras and parking fees) a real plan that's working its way though Chicago city hall?

Part of me says this is some columnists way of attracting attention to his newspaper but part of me wonder if Chicago is that cash-strapped to the point where something like that plan is feasible?

San Francisco recently considered tolling every single vehicle entering and leaving the city either using FasTrak (ETC) or by photo.  The plan died a quick death when neighboring cities protested and some even went as far as proposing to charge all S.F. residents a toll for entering neighboring San Mateo county.

[cpzilliacus]

San Francisco recently considered tolling every single vehicle entering and leaving the city either using FasTrak (ETC) or by photo.  The plan died a quick death when neighboring cities protested and some even went as far as proposing to charge all S.F. residents a toll for entering neighboring San Mateo county.

Across the pond in the EU, London, England and Stockholm, Sweden have been tolling very nearly all vehicles entering the core part of their metropolitan areas for some years now.

[hobsini2]

myosh, at this point, I think it is just a columnist who is trying to shock jock us. However, city hall is really strapped for cash so as crazy as some of the ideas sound, it could be possibly implemented if a couple city alderman or the mayor want to act on it.  A couple of years ago, the city council sold the city's parking meters to a private company for a lump some of cash. That company almost as quickly as it acquired the meters doubled the prices.

[KEK Inc.]

It will be interesting how liberals would react to this.  If this was Portland, they would support this for cars, but throw riots if this was also implemented on cyclists.

[NE2]

Liberals will riot. That's all they do anyway.

[myosh_tino]

Liberals will riot. That's all they do anyway.

You're not helping your cause by making comments like that. 

[NE2]

Liberals will riot. That's all they do anyway.

You're not helping your cause by making comments like that. 

What cause? Getting dumb threads like this locked?

[myosh_tino]

myosh, at this point, I think it is just a columnist who is trying to shock jock us. However, city hall is really strapped for cash so as crazy as some of the ideas sound, it could be possibly implemented if a couple city alderman or the mayor want to act on it.

My initial reaction was it was a columnist seeking attention. So maybe my sarcasm meter isn't as broken as I think it is...   

[Zmapper]

A big problem with bike tolls and license plates is how tourists who bring their own bikes are supposed to follow the law. Say that I wish to visit a city with a license requirement as a tourist, and bring my personal bicycle to ride around while I am there. How am I supposed to receive approval from the city government when I may only be spending a few days there?

[Scott5114]

A big problem with bike tolls and license plates is how tourists who bring their own bikes are supposed to follow the law. Say that I wish to visit a city with a license requirement as a tourist, and bring my personal bicycle to ride around while I am there. How am I supposed to receive approval from the city government when I may only be spending a few days there?

Purchase a day pass?

[Roadsguy]

Though I favor the STOP sign cameras (I see bikers blow through red lights all the time), I don't like the bike tolls, but maybe they could turn stand-alone bike paths into toll roads for bikes.

[Scott5114]

Dunno how feasible that'd be–I'm sure evasion would be rampant. It's a lot easier to lift a bike over a toll gate than it is a car.

[english si]

Across the pond in the EU, London, England and Stockholm, Sweden have been tolling very nearly all vehicles entering the core part of their metropolitan areas for some years now.

Except for, of course, in the London area few vehicles actually having to pay the charge, especially the full charge - the price has doubled just to cover costs, which have decreased. Electric and very-low emission vehicles pay nothing, taxis pay nothing, buses pay nothing, pedestrians (OK, not a vehicle) pay nothing, trains pay nothing (though obviously aren't on the streets), cyclists pay nothing, diplomatic vehicles refuse to pay saying it's a tax not a toll (court cases still raging on), residents pay 10% (though that is payment), motorbikes pay less too. I reckon 1% of vehicles on the street in the zone over the course of a week day had to, and did, pay the full amount. Perhaps another 15% paid a discounted amount - leaving 74% exempt (not counting trains, electric assisted pedal bikes) - mostly buses and taxis.

Oh, and congestion on the boundary has increased, and it hasn't really decreased within the zone (in part due to the extra buses added as a carrot to the charge's stick - and given that buses caused the congestion in the first place...). London also removed the western extension of the zone, as it was very silly - include a large and mostly wealthy area in the zone, meaning that they pay £1 instead of £10 to drive in the centre thanks to the resident discount.

A San Francisco Congestion Charge might work - given that it's the tip of a peninsular (the I-80 US101 freeway would have to be free though and perhaps former route 480, to link with the Golden Gate - or you just make the Golden Gate 'free', but leading inescapably to the charge zone) - if you don't want to go there, you can almost totally avoid it.

I was going to comment on the stupidity of bike tolls, but I decided that we weren't fucking morons here and could see how absurd such a suggestion was. I can't think of a toll road that charges for pedal bikes - the Itchen Bridge in Southampton even has (rather narrow) bike lanes that pass around the booths so you don't even have to stop at the barrier.

[Special K]

Liberals will riot. That's all they do anyway.

You're not helping your cause by making comments like that. 

What cause? Getting dumb threads like this locked?

Try harder.

[NE2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Cycleway

[Alps]

This is a country that needs to encourage responsible bike use. That means a) no disincentives to riding and b) serious disincentives to improper riding. Going through traffic control should be the same ticket for a bicycle as a car, unless you dismount and walk. I've heard of maximum speeds being enforced for bikes - especially in limits under 25 mph.