Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Streetsblog.net

Washington State Lawmaker: Cyclists Cause Pollution By Exhaling

false

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:

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday’s Headlines Wrote Themselves

Blame it on AI. That will fix everything.

March 6, 2026

Friday Video: How Boomers Broke the Auto Market

Take a deep dive into America's SUV apocalypse — and learn how the next generation can undo the damage.

March 6, 2026

Talking Headways Podcast: The Annual Prediction Show with Yonah Freemark

Yonah Freemark joins Talking Headways for their annual discussion of future of transit in the United States (and Mexico).

March 5, 2026

‘Stupendous Potential’: Pay-Per-Mile Auto Insurance Would Cut Costs And Traffic Violence

Lowering car insurance costs doesn't have to eviscerate crash victims's rights.

March 5, 2026

Urban Truth Collective: Straight Talk About The Joy Of Cities In An Age Of Disinformation

The Three Tenors of Urbanism explain their latest effort: The Urban Truth Collective.

Study: AVs Will Super-Charge VMT

Yes, robocars address many of our traffic violence troubles, but they may fail to uproot the deeper rot of car dependency that has hollowed out our society

March 5, 2026
See all posts