Skip to content

Washington State Lawmaker: Cyclists Cause Pollution By Exhaling

We've heard some silly arguments against cycling before, but this one from Washington State Representative Ed Orcutt... well, it speaks for itself.

We’ve heard some silly arguments against cycling before, but this one from Washington State Representative Ed Orcutt… well, it speaks for itself.

Orcutt, who is a supporter of the proposed tax on bicycles in Washington, told a constituent that cyclists should be taxed because they cause pollution with “an increased heart rate and respiration.”

Tom Fucoloro at Seattle Bike Blog got in touch with Orcutt this weekend and he didn’t back away from his comments one bit:

“You would be giving off more CO2 if you are riding a bike than driving in a car,” he said. However, he said he had not “done any analysis” of the difference in CO2 from a person on a bike compared to the engine of a car (others have).

“You can’t just say that there’s no pollution as a result of riding a bicycle.”

Orcutt has a few other brilliant ideas about transportation, Fucoloro reports:

Photo of Angie Schmitt
Angie is a Cleveland-based writer with a background in planning and newspaper reporting. She has been writing about cities for Streetsblog for six years.

Read More:

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog USA

Waymo Means Way Mo’ Cars, According To Uber Docs

April 17, 2026

Friday Video(s): Kidical Mass, Night-Biking in Tokyo, and More

April 17, 2026

Look What You Made Friday’s Headlines Do

April 17, 2026

Talking Headways Podcast: Second-Hand E-Bikes Can Be The Way Forward

April 16, 2026

Florida Town Gives New Residents Free Golf Carts to Replace Their Cars

April 16, 2026
See all posts