SALEM, Ore. — Firefighters have one. So do Elks Club members and square dancers.
And come 2008, Oregon bicycle enthusiasts can join the specialty license plate club.
Vehicle plates bearing an image of a cyclist and “Share the Road” text will be available from the Department of Motor Vehicles on Jan. 2.
The plates are intended to raise awareness of cyclists and pedestrians and increase traffic safety, said Karl Rohde, government affairs coordinator for the Portland-based Bicycle Transportation Alliance.
Rohde said the plates will also reinforce the point that people who ride bikes also drive cars and pay their share for road maintenance.
The plates will cost an additional $10 over the ordinary two-year license fee ($54 for most cars). The extra money will be distributed to BTA and Cycle Oregon, the nonprofit organization that stages an annual weeklong scenic Oregon cycle tour that attracts hundreds of riders from across the United States.
Specialty license plates have become increasingly popular fundraising tools for nonprofit organizations and even universities. Plates bearing images of Crater Lake raise money for Oregon’s only national park, and plates imprinted with a brightly colored salmon bring in money for improving fish habitat.
Oregon will be the 12th state to offer a bicycle plate. Legislation to authorize the plates was sponsored by Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, who lost a friend in a cycling accident.
At least 500 plates will have to be sold every year for them to remain available.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
