Portland's Cycling Community

Anyone who lives in Portland has seen the steps that have been taken to accommodate the growing cycling community. The benefits of fewer cars on the road and to the environment are obvious. However, I am seeing some unintended side effects. First off, I am seeing tax payer dollars being diverted to more biking paths and things like 'Cycle Tracks'. If you don't know what a cycle track is, go to this story: http://www.katu.com/news/39220192.html. While I do think it's a good idea to keep cars and bikes separate, I wonder where the money for such ventures are coming from. In a rough economy, I know tax dollars and budgets are tight. Cyclists aren't paying a licensing fee or gas tax, so is it coming from the transportation budget or the general fund? I honestly don't have the answer. What I do know is this, either way, I think there should start to be some sort of licensing that goes along with cycling. It could be minimal, and even some sort of a sticker like they require for ATV's would be fine. Just make them offset a small portion of their own cost. Another huge problem I see is that cyclists only obey the rules of the road when it's convenient. They drive down the middle of the road like a car, but do not obey things like stop signs or red lights. This is a tremendous problem and is causing injuries and accidents that are unnecessary. If there was some sort of licensing it would be possible for police to write tickets for such violations. If you are going to be on a public thoroughfare, you should follow the rules of the road. If you are on a bike trail somewhere, then by all means do whatever you'd like. I would love to see Portland continue down the path of being bicycle friendly. It’s up to the individuals to make it a bicycle safe city. I see a big difference between bicycle safe and bicycle friendly. I’ll look forward to everyone doing their part to make Portland the most friendly AND safe bicycle town in the US.