For all the years I have owned and operated a motor vehicle I have never felt the need to get involved in the vanity/specialty license plate thing. But things change. If and when these plates come out, we will be all over it. We will get them for us, we will likely give the kids money to get them for their cars, maybe even offer to pay family and friends to convince them to get them as well.

The Share the Road license plate bill passed the Oregon House on Friday, meaning that SB 789 is off to the Governor’s Desk. This bill creates a new license plate that will be designed to encourage people to share the road. The bill states that each plate will cost $5 per year of registration at the time of purchase. So if you are re-registering your car and buy two plates, it would cost $20 (2 plates for two years.) On your new car if would be $40 extra, 2 plates for four years. You will not have to pay again when you register your car in out years. The bill calls for BTA and Cycle Oregon to help lead the design, funding, and promotion for the plate.

Also, ever hear or say, “Bicyclists don’t pay for roads”? Well , in the Metro area, 85% of the money that goes to new transportation projects (not maintenance) over the next 30 years will come from non-vehicle funding sources – property taxes, urban renewal dollars, system developments charges, etc. These are fees and taxes we all pay, not just drivers. And local governments depend on them to keep modernizing our transportation system.

And, while there are cyclists who do not own cars,  many by their own choice,  most cyclists do own cars out of some necessity, which means that they are drivers too.
I’m just sayin……