Finding a clear title for this post was more difficult than usual. The concept was lucid in my mind. But stating it in a few words, so that the meaning was apparent at first glance, proved challenging. Nonetheless, it is an important topic, so elaboration is in order.
I began thinking about this relationship while reading about Seattle’s Bicycle Master Plan. According to an opinion piece recently written on the subject, Seattle will have to spend 20 million dollars per year for the next 20 years to complete the Master Plan. As with all large scale projects, the question of how to fund it becomes a major issue.
Needless to say, the majority of the 126 comments left on this piece were written by people who want the cyclists to pay for this new infrastructure. Putting aside all of the insults commenters hurled at cyclists — given as an excuse to penalize them — sheds light on a common theme. Continue reading ….
