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State Rep. Ed Orcutt reportedly told a Tacoma bike shop owner in an email that he believes bicyclists actually pollute when they ride. (AP Photo/File)

Rep. Orcutt says bicycles aren't environmentally friendly

BY MyNorthwest.com  on March 4, 2013 @ 5:43 am (Updated: 3:47 pm - 3/5/13 )

We've heard from drivers that bicyclists blow through stop signs and red lights and that they get all the benefits of using the roads without paying for them. But we've never heard that bikes are bad for the environment, until now.

Last week, House Democrats announced their proposals to raise more tax money for transportation projects, including phasing in a 10-cent per gallon gas tax increase. Rep. Ed Orcutt of Kalama, the top Republican on the House Transportation Committee was among the Republicans opposed to it.

He opposed it in part because he thinks we should find ways to build roads cheaper. "In some cases, we're two, two-and-a-half times as much for similar projects to what's being paid in other states," said Orcutt.

But it turns out Orcutt is not opposed to all transportation taxes. He does support the proposed bicycle tax which would require everyone who buys a bike worth more than $500 to pay a $25 fee.

Defending an idea to tax some bicycle owners $25 to pay for the roads, Orcutt told a Tacoma bike shop owner in an email last week that he believes bicyclists actually pollute when they ride.

The email stated bike riders put out CO2 as they ride because of their increased breathing - which means bike riding isn't as environmentally friendly as people think.

Read the email

Orcutt apologized for the comment on Monday, but he didn't retract his claim that cyclists contribute to climate change with their "increased heart rate and respiration." He did admit it was inflated language.

Orcutt told KIRO Radio's Dori Monson his email was "poorly worded" and "off the cuff."

Orcutt says the truth however, is that bike riding reduces emissions by 90 percent, but not entirely.

"That's the study that I saw on the Seattle Bicycle blog," Orcutt told Dori. "That's higher than I would imagine."

Orcutt said his comments weren't meant as any disrespect for bicyclists, who are doing their part to reduce greenhouse gases.

"They're riding in the rain, heat, wind," he said. "That's how passionate they are about reducing CO2 emissions."

Regardless of the CO2 emissions, Orcutt still feels that bicyclists sharing the roads with cars should pay their fair share. "My feeling is if we are going to take money out of the transportation account for things dedicated to bicycles, it would make sense for them to pay some of that."

A brief search for the emissions of bicyclists on the Seattle Bike Blog (not Seattle bicycle blog) only found a recent post that referred to this story from BikePortland.org.

A report by KIRO Radio's Chris Sullivan and Seattle's Morning News host Dave Ross.

MyNorthwest.com, Staff report
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Comments (51)


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  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    http://mynorthwest.com/174/2217893/Wash-pol-bike-riders-pollute-the-air
    March 4, 2013 10:14 am
    Retraction:The global warming nutcakes started it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • dori monson fan wrote...
    usmc
    March 4, 2013 10:25 am
    they likely have that policy so their photographers/reporters don't get summoned to court as witnesses in divorce cases.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tlmbrt wrote...
    Are
    March 4, 2013 10:45 am
    you freaking kidding me? O..m..g
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    when I ride my bike
    March 4, 2013 11:02 am
    I pass more gas than the oldest Sound Transit Bus. I'm bee right back got to open the all the windows! Mommy made home made chill last night! ((0))
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HLC wrote...
    If you global warming hoax supporters were around.
    March 4, 2013 11:06 am
    In the 1970s is was all about the ice age coming. Some of the same research labs that are now calling for warming. Do a little research and you'll see I'm correct. It's all about the research grants. If the people that control the grants want cooling, cooling it is. Either way it is what it is and there is nothing we can do about it. It's gonna happen folks.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Anybody remember
    March 4, 2013 11:18 am
    The giant hole on the ozone panic in the 80's? We were all doomed to be slowly roasted alive by the sun rays shinning through? The polar ice caps were supposed to be gone by now? Good God people are stupid.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • messiah101 wrote...
    Fish Last year
    March 4, 2013 1:35 pm
    I was in Southern Chile (Puenta Arenas) there was several aircraft at the airport that represented several governments environmental departments why? Because there is a large hole in the ozone layer that concerns scientists from many countries. Its not a myth its dead on science.Every Glacier in Patagonia is disappearing or getting much smaller
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • newfer wrote...
    Seriously
    March 4, 2013 11:15 am
    Does this mean we should all stop exercising too? I mean, seriously, just add the stupid fee and call it a license. But, to say bicycling causes pollution is stupid. Plant some more trees. It should offset, the bicycling pollution.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • dori monson fan wrote...
    the bikers aren't polluting
    March 4, 2013 11:24 am
    it's all the cars they force to slow down that have to stomp the gas to quickly accelerate to get around/past them. usually four or five times each at every light, so yea they make drivers pollute way more!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ToldYa wrote...
    Get rid of the 'prevailing wage' insanity
    March 4, 2013 11:26 am
    we should find ways to build roads cheaper. "In some cases, we're two, two-and-a-half times as much for similar projects to what's being paid in other states,"
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • messiah101 wrote...
    Told ya
    March 4, 2013 1:37 pm
    Build a mountain road then build a road on the flat lands and which do you think costs the most?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    Depends on the prevailing wage
    March 4, 2013 2:43 pm
    and which party controls the DOT
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • igotanopinion wrote...
    ToldYa
    March 4, 2013 4:34 pm
    Best post I've seen on this article. You can get this done a lot cheaper if you pay the workers down at home depot $10 and it would get done twice as fast. I think thats what I got out of the article more than any other content. Let me pose a question.... if everyone in king county decided to park their cars and ride bikes how would we fund our roads or bike lanes? I think that you have to impliment some type of bike use tax for the increas in bike traffic. Oh, and figure out how to build roads cheaper too. All other state projects as well.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cigarfan wrote...
    CO VS CO2
    March 4, 2013 12:11 pm
    Plants breathe CO2...they don't breath CO -which is what combustion engines produce. What do you bet Rep Orcutt is GOP?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    Cigar - am I missing something ???????
    March 4, 2013 12:30 pm
    Nowhere on the story - nor in any posts - can I find any reference to carbon monoxide (CO). ..... So what is your post about, except a science lesson?

    BTW- the article clearly states Orcutt is a republican. no bets needed, if you read.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cigarfan wrote...
    @ron prevost
    March 4, 2013 3:37 pm
    You're right...it does say he's a Republican. -Mea culpa
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Realistic Rick wrote...
    Is this bunk or truth?
    March 4, 2013 1:14 pm
    I wonder if they included the in this study the normal aspiration rate of CO2 a vehicle driver as a addition to the overall CO2 emissions to the analysis? In other words, vehicle emissions rate/hr + driver rate/hr (normal aspiration rate) = overall C02 emissions x 2 hrs/day x 260 workdays/yr = CO2 emissions per year. Now take the bicyclist at a higher aspiration rate of CO2/hr x approx 4 hrs/day (assume longer time to commute) x 260 workdays/yr = CO2 emissions per year. This would be more accurate if they included the driver as a baseline CO2 emissions. Thus the percentage stated in the article would be less per bicyclist.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }