Instead of Taxing Bikes, Let's Promote and Encourage Biking!

Last month a bill was proposed in the NH Legislature which would require bicyclists to pay a $50 registration fee to ride on state or municipally funded paths, trails, and roadways, or face a $100 violation. H.B. 1703 was introduced by Representative Thomas Walsh of Merrimack, the chair of the House Transportation Committee and two other Republicans. Opposition to the bill was huge, vocal, and bipartisan. More than 14,000 people submitted comments against the bill while only 36 supported it, and dozens more attended the hearing to speak out in person against the bill. That’s an incredible response for an early Transportation Committee hearing, and says a lot about the support for bike riding in our state. 

Our organization, Seacoast Area Bicycle Riders (SABR), was one of the groups that raised awareness about the implications of this bill, along with the Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire and other regional groups. As political commentator Steve Marchand wrote in his newsletter, there was no need to fund and build a campaign from scratch around this issue, as the cycling community was already engaged and prepared to “passionately, authentically respond within days.” But we are not some secretly powerful special interest group; just citizens of diverse backgrounds who want safer biking on the Seacoast. 

There are many reasons to oppose a bike registration fee. A fee would discourage biking both for recreation and transportation, running against public health and environmental goals. It would hurt tourism as riders go to bordering states. The administration and enforcement costs would be large and take police away from enforcing more serious crimes. And it would put a significant financial burden on low-income people using bikes to get to work in a state with scarce  public transit options (NH has consistently ranked second lowest in the nation for transit funding). 

The stated goal of the bill was to fund infrastructure, as the NH Department of Transportation faces a large funding gap for transportation projects. But most bike riders in NH are also car drivers, homeowners, or renters, already paying car registration fees, property taxes, and gas taxes. The legislature would be wiser to look at the gas tax, last raised in 2014, or the turnpike tolls, last raised in 2007 (and largely paid by out-of-state drivers). Perhaps they could also re-consider projects like the $370 million plan to widen five miles of I-93.

Seacoast Area Bicycle Riders is a volunteer-led nonprofit, and we stay engaged in biking issues at both the state and local levels. We also  encourage the public to stay informed by joining us along with our friends at the Bike-Walk Alliance of NH. Beyond opposing bad bills, we’re working to make biking better on the New Hampshire and Maine Seacoast region for people of all ages. We review bicycle-related transportation and master plans to weigh in on and advocate for ways to enhance safe bike riding in our communities. Our Seacoast Pedal It Forward (SPIF) program repairs donated bikes to give to community members in need of reliable transportation. This year, we’re again partnering with the city to organize  the Portsmouth Mayor’s Ride on May 17th and other family-friendly rides in nearby towns. On May 31st, we will partner with the Portsmouth Recreation Department for a Kids Bike Rodeo to teach safe riding skills. And our Bike Benefits program rewards people who ride to local businesses. 

While 14,000 is an impressive number of comments, we know there’s an even greater number of us who would bike more if we had safer routes. We’ll keep advocating  for completion of the Seacoast Greenway, Ssafe Rroutes tTo Sschools, and safer roads across the Seacoast. We hope you’ll join us in this important bicycle-friendly advocacy.

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Matt Glenn is board president of Seacoast Area Bicycle Riders, a non-profit organization founded in 1992.