Oregon Considering a Bike Tax

"A proposed $8 billion transportation spending package in Oregon could include a tax on the sale of bicycles," reports Chris Lehman.

As Lehman explains in the article, the idea of taxing bike sales is a frequent talking point around the country, but so far only licensing taxes have been enacted.

In Oregon, the proposed bike tax, still being debated at the state capitol, "would tack on anywhere from three to five percent to the cost of a new bike," according to Lehman. "Under the current version of the plan, the tax would only apply to adult bikes that cost more than $500."

Lehman also surveys a few bike experts to gauge the bike community's reaction to the idea. Some recreational cyclists quoted in the article are ok wit the idea. Bike advocacy group The Street Trust is opposed to the idea. When Lehman visited the Wheelworks Bicycle Shop, owner Bill Cole estimated how much his shop would pay the state each year, producing a figure of $18,000, which he said would be passed onto the customer.

Democratic Senator Lee Beyer, who helped craft the bike tax proposal, is cited in the article saying the tax proposals shows that bike riders "are now among the state's transportation priorities."