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Oregon Bicyclists Could Pay Tax To Fund Bike Path Improvements

Read More: http://knkx.org/post/oregon-bicyclis...h-improvements

A proposed $8 billion transportation spending package in Oregon could include a tax on the sale of bicycles. It's a funding idea that's often talked about but has rarely been implemented nationwide.

- The bike tax is still being debated at the state capitol, but the current proposal would tack on anywhere from three to five percent to the cost of a new bike. Under the current version of the plan, the tax would only apply to adult bikes that cost more than $500. --- At the capitol, Gerik Kransky is a lobbyist with The Street Trust, which until recently was called the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. His group is opposed to the bike tax. --- "We feel it's not an effective way to raise revenue,” said Kransky. “There’s not a lot of money in the bike industry and so we won't be able to generate the kind of dollars from a bicycle excise tax that would really have an impact on building new transportation infrastructure.”

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