Proposed Bill Would Add Fee To Studded Tire Purchases
Just ask my friends and neighbors- I harrangue them for using studded snow tires every year when they put them on their cars. They won't be happy to hear that the Legislature is being asked to tax studs.
A proposal by a group of Western Washington senators would place a $5 fee on each new studded snow tire sold in the state to help pay for the damage they do to our streets and highways.
The Spokesman-Review has the details.
About SRTC
SRTC is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Spokane County. Urbanized areas with populations exceeding 50,000 people are required to have an MPO. SRTC was formed to address the county's transportation planning needs. It provides coordination in planning between the public, cities, small towns, the county, the state, transit providers, and tribes.
SRTC offers services including transportation monitoring, transportation modeling, census information analysis, travel demand forecasting, historical traffic count analysis, geographic information systems, and trip generation rates.
4 comments:
I really think the fee should be larger, but it is a start. I do think people that use studded tires need to pay for the repairs they cause by using studs on dry pavement.
I do have studs, but drive very little in the winter, so my studded tires may fall apart before they wear out.
I agree Charles. An extra $5 only adds $20 to your bill and when you're paying several hundred dollars for tires, what's another $20??
And I'm shocked! YOU have studded tires @Charles?? I'll try not to let that influence my future interactions with you ;)
I've been thinking about this all through the many bare, dry days of November, December, and January, as I listen to the sound of studs grinding the pavement while I ride my bike to work.
Every time someone talks about people on bikes "paying their share" I have two thoughts:
a) We DO pay for streets--through sales tax, property tax, even federal income tax since that supplements the federal fuel tax and comes back to the state in grants for transportation infrastructure.
b) I use a lot less than I pay for, especially when you factor in studs.
If you can find a way to tax me based on my actual effects on the road and the cost of maintenance, and do the same for the guy all by himself in the big SUV with the studs, then wahoo! My 16-year-old Honda Odyssey does just fine with all-weather tires the few times I drive it somewhere.
It kills me everytime I see a four wheel drive vehicle with studs on. Where are these people driving that they need not only four wheel drive but also studs? The Arctic tundra?? So I realize some people DO travel in areas that have difficult terrain in winter, but I was hoping the proposed fee would be large enough to put studded tires into the same price range, or even more expensive, than some of the snow tires that use new technology but are said to provide just as good traction as studs. That way when they're deciding what tires to go with they might lean toward the cheaper, less harmful option.
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