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 Linda Thomas
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Should bicyclists need a special license?

September 16, 2011 @ 3:32 am (Updated: 4:50 am - 9/16/11 )

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn says it's time to drop the rhetoric about cars versus bikes on the roadways and work to make everyone safer as they commute.

"As part of my commute I bike the same route taken on Dexter Avenue by Mike Wang, a 42 year old father of two who worked at PATH. One afternoon, on his ride home just two blocks from his office, he was killed in a hit-and-run accident while crossing the intersection of Dexter and Thomas," says McGinn on his blog. "I see the flowers and the white ghost bike, reading 'A cyclist died here,' almost every day."

Mayor McGinn says in his bike travels this week he also went by the intersection of University Way and Campus Parkway, where Robert Townsend, a 23-year old man who delivered sandwiches on his bicycle for Jimmy John’s, died after being struck by a car last weekend. He also rode to the spot on Fairview Avenue where Brian Fairbrother, who worked at Espresso Vivace, died after crashing on a set of stairs on August 30th.

GhostBike

"It’s time to stop finding fault with each other, and to start finding a remedy," says McGinn. "There has been a lot of overheated rhetoric about cars versus bikes or bikes versus cars, and it’s not helping make our roads any safer. It’s not even accurate."

To begin working on improving safety and responsibility on the roads, McGinn is calling for a community summit. The date hasn't been set.

Seattle will also invest in several education programs and improve enforcement of rules for both cyclists and motorists, and invest in road projects that make it safer for bicyclists to use city streets.

A reader, John, came up with this interesting idea I'd like your thoughts on. Require cyclists to get a license, just like anyone else who operates vehicles on the roads. Here are his suggestions:

Cyclists get trained about the rules of the road formally. No exceptions. It becomes a requirement.

Cyclists have a license plate on their bikes. That provides a means of accountability if they break the rules of the road.

You’d get a license plate on a bike once the bike has been inspected and is found to be equipped with a standard, DOT approved lane signaling and brake indication device.

Instruct police to ticket bike scofflaws who don’t follow the rules of the road. Set the fines to be the same as car fines. If you cross an intersection on a red light, that’s a $124 fine.

Create legislation that puts the traffic violation riding a bike on the person’s car driving record. A person that drives a car responsibly should also be forced to drive a bike responsibly.

The revenues collected from licensing bikes and bike traffic fines can go directly to pay for educational efforts and bike infrastructure. The higher the need for more infrastructure, the higher the license fee. Or, just base it on the price of the bike.

Photo from GhostBikes.org

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Comments (90)


  • Add A Comment

  • soo purletiv wrote...
    License the bike, not the operator
    September 16, 2011 5:24 pm
    No, it won't eliminate ALL biking incidents, but it will have an impact on many, if not most, if the operator knows there is an identification tag on their vehicle that leads back to them.

    It will also help in enforcing bike riding laws as well as help in retrieving lost or stolen bikes.

    As far as cost goes: How much can it cost to produce license plates and pay an admin. fee plus a little sumpin sumpin as a user fee for the first year the bike is licensed. After that, pay for the tabs every 2 years to save on administration costs.

    At that point we can all say: "WINNING"...... ;-)

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  • messiah101 wrote...
    As usual you Rightys
    September 16, 2011 5:31 pm
    Are not consistent in your arguements.You whine constantly about smaller government and government regulation and quickly change your tune when an issue of this type comes up. Thats why we on the LEFT rightfully understand we are the thinkers and you are simply BLOWHARDs,and GASBAGS.I say we should license Blowhards and Gasbags but only after they get educated
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  • tlmbrt wrote...
    You on the left
    September 17, 2011 12:21 am
    are THINKERS? HAHAHAHA....what a joke. All you do is think of ways to tell others how to live according to your PC views of the world. YOU are the gasbags who think you know better than everyone else. And the reason we bring up licenses for bikes is because bicyclists think they can dictate to car owners, and make them pay for their stupid bike lanes. If those pinheads want their own lanes, they CAN PAY FOR
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tlmbrt wrote...
    You on the left Part 2
    September 17, 2011 12:22 am
    THEM!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    Yes...assiah's a "thinker"...sure.
    September 17, 2011 5:18 am
    Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.
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  • Kitsapbass wrote...
    Why be consistent?
    September 17, 2011 6:19 am
    Liberals are the biggest hypocrites on the planet. What's a smart liberal? An oxymoron.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tlmbrt wrote...
    HEY
    September 16, 2011 6:03 pm
    If bike riders want to SHARE THE ROAD, then they should be required to follow the SAME RULES and requirements that govern motor vehicles. That includes licensing and rules of the road. No exceptions.
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  • AmIalone wrote...
    Simply
    September 16, 2011 7:32 pm
    YES
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • AKAF wrote...
    Yes, yes, yes!
    September 16, 2011 10:59 pm
    When I bought my first bike in 2008, out of state transfer, I had to sign a statement that I agreed that I knew the rule of the road for cyclists. Unfortunately, my travels in Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, and other areas in this area shows that some cyclists don't understand the exact rules. Establishing licenses for cyclists traveling on roads, especially in town traffic, will stop these accidents from happening. As for special fees for bikes, heck yes! If bikes expect special lanes then they should help pay the costs of said lanes.
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  • mr inspector wrote...
    License
    September 17, 2011 6:47 am
    Now I'm all for education of cyclist, I believe it should be taught in grade school but to test, license and register bikes with plates is just too much. And I honestly doubt going through all that BS will solve anything. Giving a drivers license to anyone who can pass a written & demonstrated test in a vehicle surely doesn't mean they know what they are doing, nor will they drive safe, nor that they will follow the law. Drunk driving is illegal and yet every day drunk drivers are arrested, speeding is illegal also and how many of us have been ticketed for speeding. Maybe the police should issue more citations for reckless bike handling, such as weaving in and out of cars, riding on the side walks and running stop signs/red lights? Or close off certain side streets to cars/trucks during peak traffic just for cyclist and ban all cyclist from using these areas during these times. Better bike paths, better education and the desire to solve this problem amongst ourselves before passing more laws would be my suggestion. Lets police ourselves before we are forced into being policed by others.
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  • Steve in Bucoda wrote...
    YES!
    September 17, 2011 7:42 am
    Bikes are supposed to follow traffic rules just the same as a car. Does that mean I can drive my pickup on the sidewalk and cross in cross walks....travel opposite the traffic flow on one way streets and a myriad of other violations I have witnessed bike riders commit? License them AND their bikes, require them to pay tolls where cars pay and let them pay for their own bike lanes.
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  • messiah101 wrote...
    Is it OK
    September 17, 2011 7:50 am
    For me to drive my lawnmower on the highways? After all I pay gas tax.You MORONs will never get it.Remember idiots every time you see a bike on the road that means one less vehicle.These people are actually doing something to lessen our dependence of foreign oil. Remember those that drive vehicles are being heavily subsidized by the Federal government for that CHEAP GAS. I believe that one of the GOP Presidential Candidates put the real cost of a gallon of gas at $13.00. So you jealous Twits should be thanking the biker instead of attempting to make his life more difficult. The ONLY one who has a GENUINE BEEF is the guy on the Bike (his tax money is helping to pay for your gas,FOOLS)
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  • sleuth96 wrote...
    No more regulations...
    September 17, 2011 8:21 am
    For God's sake! The last thing we need is another, new government agency to monitor bicycles. License bikes? Really? Since they are not defined as "motor vehicles" under the RCW in this state, do any of you realize how expensive it would be to implement this and have to add or change to the existing legislation? I agree with Messiah as far as his stance on the issue (it killed me to type that), but for him to say that those who agree to the idea of licensing bicycles are right wing zealots is laughable! I was born and raised conservative and I think this is a stupid idea. Seattle already has the means to solve this problem, and they don't need a bike czar or new agency to do it. Tell the police on bikes to be more aggressive and start enforcing the laws that are already on the books.
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  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Forget about Messaih
    September 17, 2011 9:39 am
    She or he is only posting because they have no life and this is the only socialization they can get.

    Only posting to get someone to respond to her or him!

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  • Angry Monkey wrote...
    It's a nice idea....
    September 19, 2011 9:46 am
    but, unless Seattle gets more Bike Cops, I don't think bike registration will be enforceable. Of course if Seattle had more Bike Cops then perhaps cyclists breaking traffic laws would not be such an issue, thus rendering the registration proposal irrelevant. It is an interesting idea though, and as a cyclist, I would not be opposed to paying my "fair share".
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