How to encourage doubling our gas mileage quickly.
My car gets 25 mpg. My motorcycle gets 45 mpg. My scooter gets 90 mpg.
Guess which is the most fun? That’s right, the 125 cc scooter that passes more gas stations on a gallon and a half than you can shake a stick at. It’s also the fist step to US energy independence.
I’m no longer the only freak on a scoot- I’m seeing them everywhere- (and this is Dayton- which is always at least 5 years behind the rest of the country). Just today I saw two Honda Ruckus scooters- the ugliest scoot known to man (it looks like the engine has a roll cage). The age of the scooter has finally arrived in America- but it’s not happening fast enough.
So- lets change some laws:
- No more sales tax on scooters or motorcycles that get over 40 mpg, or on bicycles.
- Free license plates.
- With proof of purchase of gas and supporting miles- rebate all gasoline taxes annually.
- Require all public parking garages to set aside at least 5% of spots to free 2 wheeled parking.
- Allow free scooter parking on sidewalks as long as wheelchairs can still pass.
Dramatic radical benefits to scooting instead of SUVing.
Combine this with my proposed “Walk to work” tax credit plan– and voila- real incentives to change the way America hits the highways and byways.
The reason for eliminating tag and gas taxes is that motorcycles and scooters put very little wear and tear on streets compared to cars. They also take up considerably less space in urban areas- making it easier to pack us into higher density living/working environs. These can have a huge effect on cutting gasoline consumption.
Next step- paying bicyclists to ride to work. Not only are they going to be healthier in the long run- requiring less health care costs, but, they use absolutely zero fossil fuels. Let’s reward those who do the most good- instead of trying to penalize the polluters using “Cap and trade” type policies- or economic impact fees.
The key is not to have to buy oil from OPEC- or have to use it at all. Since we can’t make mass transit happen fast enough, lets see if we can scoot our way out of trouble faster.
Viva two wheels. Ride on.
Your thoughts?
How will we buy and transport things on the scooter? We would need local, urban farmers.
Urban Farmers should also be able to ship produce on the RTA (or other taxable means) to enhance ridership and provide transportation of the products to more populated locations(ie suburbs). With Oil rising, Dayton will have to go back to the future.
Or farmers could ride on a super scooter, if there is such a thing.
Gene-
Do you have to be an idiot all the time?
I wasn’t suggesting a replacement of cars- I was just adding an incentive to get rid of 2 of 4 wheels.
I manage to go to the grocery quite fine on mine.
I certainly like the idea of getting paid for riding my bike to work, especially since that is what I do almost every day.
Now I guess it will just take the rest of Dayton to get the hint and you’ll see these little guys all over the place. I bet the laws actually become more strict though, and a tax on bike riding is put in place, rather than taxes and fines decreased. That’s America for you though.
Geez, when they were someone else’s comments you did not call them an idiot, Cherry picker.
Not bad ideas, but should be implemented for any fuel efficient vehicle. I gave up a mini van for the smallest car I could manage with two kids. It is a ULEV – but not as cool as a scooter I suppose.