* Which of these vehicle types do you think we should have more of?

Well, you left off regular bicycles, inline skates, and skateboards. I think we should have more of the non-motorized vehicles, and more of the small motorized vehicles so long as they replace larger motorized vehicles. I expect we'll get there.

* Which ones should be allowed on main roads?

All of them.

* Which ones could use an on-road bicycle lane amongst traffic?

The ones without motors. Frankly, I think we should just call bike lanes HPV (Human powered vehicle) lanes.

* Which ones could use an off-road bicycle path in your local park?

The ones without motors.

* Which ones should get free entry into congestion charging zones?

The ones without motors.

* Which ones require dedicated parking spaces?

Why would any of them require dedicated parking spaces?

* Which ones would you feel safe in?

I usually bike or in-line skate to work, so I'd say all of them.

* Which ones should you be able to carry on a train?

The ones that are small enough to fit safely.

* Which ones should be taxed, and which ones subsidised?

None of them should be taxed and none of them should be subsidized. We should charge fuel taxes to deal with Peak Oil and GHG pollution and leave the taxes and subsidies at that.

However, I do think we should get our insurance rates and laws to reflect the potential damage a vehicle can do to others. Then, in almost all cases, anyone who hits a pedestrian is at fault both legally and financially. Operators of larger vehicles who hit operators of smaller vehicles should be proportionally by size and fault responsible for the crash. The idea that all vehicles are equal in terms of responsibility is bunk.

* Which ones should 'bicycle' advocacy groups support?

Bicycling advocacy groups should support the rights of HPV bicyclists first, other HPV operators, then maybe electric bike operators. Basically, the ones in similar discrimination positions.

* Which ones should be allowed on main roads?

All of them.

There was a children's tricycle in there. That's the only one that made me stop and think. On a side-street or a cul-de-sac, perhaps, but I wouldn't think that would be appropriate on a main road.

I also would be pretty unhappy if I couldn't ride my electrically-assisted bicycle (has a "motor" but one must pedal it) in bike lanes or paths. It is quiet, the size and shape of a regular bicycle, and the assist fades out as it approaches a speed of about 17 mph, so it does not endanger or inconvenience other users of such lanes/paths. As a matter of fact, using it, I cannot keep up with really strong people who are riding un-assisted bikes. But for those of us who are not very strong, the electric assist makes bicycle-commuting far more feasible, especially when the commute is long and hilly (relative to the person's strength - in my case the commute is 9 hilly miles each way).

I would make a distinction between an electric assist and an assist with a little gas motor. I wouldn't want to be stuck behind one of those stinky things on a bike trail. An electric bike I wouldn't mind very much (I would only start to mind if the trails started to get crowded :-).

OK, but then where do you draw the line? What about an adult tricycle? How about an adult tricycle operated by an elderly lady who doesn't go much faster than a kid on a tricycle? Do you mean that kids shouldn't be allowed to operate on main roads? What if the kid is biking with parents? Triking along with mom pushing a stroller in a bike lane with no sidewalk? What if this main road is 20 years post-peak and has almost no car traffic?

There's a trike club in my area. Yep, trikes. They call them, proudly, trikes. And they are usually Harley-based, 3-wheeled motorcycles. Apparently they're meeting at the local McDonald's because I saw like 4 of the things parked there, should have stopped in and said Hi.

Stuff all that legal stuff vis-avis liability. I hear that in India drivers who hit pedestrians get lynched.