if they paid for their own lanes and not taxpayers no one would care
You've got a point there. Generally gasoline taxes pay for roads and road maintenance, or at least that was the originally state purpose of that tax.
Maybe a 3% tax on bicycles and bicycle components is the ticket. It wouldn't effect me much; I got my trail bike in a swap, and rebuilt the old road bike I had in high school for asphalt riding, but it would make me feel good in knowing that I'm making a contribution.
Also, the tax would burn the worst of our lot the most-- those day-glo leotarded creatures that look like exotic bugs gliding along on thousand dollar carbon, titanium, scandium or what-the-hellium confections while they peer down their noses at the rest of the world
Who knows, maybe one of these days I'll be one of them, but I swear I'll never complain about the enviro-value added tax on my new riding outfit.