The Chainlink

Another brilliant Aldermanic proposal-- $25 license and mandatory safety course for all cyclists in Chicago

Got a call from a Trib journalist for a reaction.... 3rd ward alderwoman, no time to look up the name which I'm blocking on. Sometimes this job interferes with my internet usage...

Anyone got anything?

How many times have we been here before....

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Permalink Reply by Cheryl on October 24, 2013 at 11:08am

+1 (and blocking intersections!)

Fran Kondorf said:

Hey, AlderPuppets- you want to make $10M magically appear in the city's coffers?

 How about getting CPD to start ticketing the motorists for reckless driving, blowing red lights, not signalling, cell phone use, passing us too closely,...

Permalink Reply by Chitown_Mike on October 24, 2013 at 11:17am

My facebook wall has exploded with people crying out to "tax the bikers".  I have pointed out I would gladly pay $25, which equates to $.83/lb of bike if they same was put onto their vehicle, plus a tax based on the output of emissions.  They all responded they are taxed enough, then went on rants about cyclists not following the rules of the road, cyclists are unsafe, we are all either "douche bag, mustache having hipsters" or "one nut Lance wannabe's", or causing accidents.

They were also as upset, and more when I brought it up, about the potential 50% increase on their cable bill, which from what I read would increase their costs about $11 for the average customer over the course of a year.

SMH....I sometimes just want to give up.  

Permalink Reply by Duppie on October 24, 2013 at 11:25am

Sounds like it's time for a FB friend cleaning. Just in time for fall.

Chitown_Mike said:

My facebook wall has exploded with people crying out to "tax the bikers".  I have pointed out I would gladly pay $25, which equates to $.83/lb of bike if they same was put onto their vehicle, plus a tax based on the output of emissions.  They all responded they are taxed enough, then went on rants about cyclists not following the rules of the road, cyclists are unsafe, we are all either "douche bag, mustache having hipsters" or "one nut Lance wannabe's", or causing accidents.

They were also as upset, and more when I brought it up, about the potential 50% increase on their cable bill, which from what I read would increase their costs about $11 for the average customer over the course of a year.

SMH....I sometimes just want to give up.  

Permalink Reply by Marcus Moore on October 24, 2013 at 11:27am

I wonder how a required "rules of the road" class would work for Divvy usage?...

Permalink Reply by Chitown_Mike on October 24, 2013 at 11:39am

I wonder how suburban cyclists would feel about having to register their bike in Chicago.  And how we would enforce it since they don't live here.


Marcus Moore said:

I wonder how a required "rules of the road" class would work for Divvy usage?...

Permalink Reply by Andy J on October 24, 2013 at 12:03pm

As a former city guy turned suburbanite, I would feel the same way I do about not having to line aldermen's pockets with fees from city wheel tax stickers - relieved.

Permalink Reply by Tom Dworzanski on October 24, 2013 at 12:41pm

Probably the same way they enforce city stickers: ticket everyone without a sticker and make people prove their innocence.

Chitown_Mike said:

And how we would enforce it since they don't live here.

Permalink Reply by Sean Phalen on October 24, 2013 at 1:00pm

You guys are thinking about this much more than the Alderman who proposed it. Sadly, these are not things she is required to think about before stating her proposal in a public forum where its taken seriously enough that it is covered. 


Chitown_Mike said:

I wonder how suburban cyclists would feel about having to register their bike in Chicago.  And how we would enforce it since they don't live here.


Marcus Moore said:

I wonder how a required "rules of the road" class would work for Divvy usage?...

Permalink Reply by Active Transportation Alliance on October 24, 2013 at 4:20pm

Thanks for linking to our first blog post about this, Echo!

We just posted this blog (copied/pasted below) in response to the Kassh#le (subtle? professional?).

Thanks,

Ethan Spotts, Active Trans

John Kass: “Big newspaper man” at it again.

Kass-ti-gate /ˈkastəˌgāt/ verb, to reprimand (someone) severely in order to sell newspapers, i.e., "He was kasstigated for being a little bike person.”

Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass must have been beside himself with glee when Chicago Ald. Dowell, a real fan of cycling, got frustrated over a proposed cable TV fee and made an off-the-cuff remark about charging a $25 fee for bikes. 

Kass has championed this idea before as a way to make “little bike people” pay for all the benefits we give society by biking, and he seized upon her remarks in his column today. 

We like the alderman and support her goal to increase safety and to pay for transportation, but a bike fee doesn’t improve safety and will make little if any money once you pay to collect the fees. 

Check out our blog on this and my previous blog post in response to a similar rant from Kass. 


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Permalink Reply by Fran Kondorf on October 25, 2013 at 11:48am

You're absolutely correct, Lisa.

This is just more click bait for the Trib.



Lisa Curcio 4.1 mi said:

Frankly, I think that is one of his most obviously tongue in cheek pieces in recent time.  And he is quite grateful to Alderman Dowell for giving him the opportunity to jump back on this bandwagon.

Permalink Reply by Bryce Sabin on October 25, 2013 at 12:35pm

You should pay a tax if you own a car and do not own a bike. As a carbon offset. 

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on October 25, 2013 at 12:40pm

Could we also propose a tax credit for every bike we own?

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