Sweden is certainly on my list of places to revisit but I don't think it's happening this year sadly

I took my daughter to the wydah pirate museum for the first time just yesterday.

After we grabbed some lunch and went into Barnes and noble. On one of the front tables as you walk in are two books on the wydah. Coincidence but makes sense.

Later that evening I'm scrolling news and see this article. Really weird. I think the universe is telling me to be a pirate.

On a separate note- the museum was really cool. Tons of old recovered artifacts. Interesting story. They actually have a lab with a bunch of concreted artifacts in various stages of recovery. Neat stuff.

Okay?

We all pay a lot of property tax. A little off topic but thanks for sharing.

And you absolutely should pay your excise tax for your vehicles' road use. Just like you should pay a fare when you take the train or bus. See where this is going?

This isn't some social program to help the disenfranchised. You said it yourself- you pay a lot in property taxes, you own a vehicle. Doesn't sound like you're hurting financially. I'd argue you're probably pretty typical of the average cyclist. It's a choice. You are choosing to use roads not designed for that type of traffic, demanding change and demanding everyone else foot the bill while patting yourselves on the back for all the good you're doing. That entitlement isn't winning over many average citizens of the commonwealth. If you want a plan you need a way to pay for it. And if you want others to help, you better have some skin in the game too.

But the other way might work too.

I'm not denying anything. That has absolutely nothing to do with what I'm saying.

It's a simple concept- like it or not but modern roads were built for motorists. If we want to change that significantly (more than plastic dildos in the road) it's going to cost money (regardless of how insignificant an amount anyone thinks that might be). The folks who benefit the most should share in that burden above and beyond the average citizen.

I'm scratching my head trying to figure out how this doesn't seem fair and reasonable...

We can agree to disagree but that's my point. They're not paying more than their fair share. We all pay for everything that comes out of the general. Including roads, bike lanes and the mbta. Motorists pay above and beyond that specifically for roads. Riders on the mbta pay above and beyond via fares.

Bike lanes are not a public park. Sure they may have some residual benefits to society as a whole but again, so do roads and like you pointed out, the T. Bike lanes are created for and used by one subset of the population. You'd think those people would have a vested interest in kicking in a little extra by way of a tax or registration to make the situation better.

And sales tax pays for a portion of the mbta. I haven't been on a train or bus in 20yrs. It is what it is. Their point is vehicles pay a specific use tax. Bicycles do not. Cyclists want more and more of the road but don't want any of the burdens of being a responsible operator on these roads. No license, no registration, no excise, no insurance, no inspection, no direct use tax.

Don't misunderstand me. I'm all for bike lanes. I also believe it's only fair that cyclists should contribute specifically to the creation and maintenance of these projects much in the same way as motorists.