Wasteful Bike Paths?

Triathlon Forum
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From bicycling.com’s weekly newsletter and link below to tell the Secretary how misguided she is. My email sent.
clm

http://boulderreport.bicycling.com/2007/08/things-people-s.html?cm_mmc=Bicycling%20NL-_-2007_08_30-_-blog-_-boulder

Those Wasteful Bike Paths

Look, your “cycling” may be a personal virtue, but it does not a sound transportation policy make. At least, that’s the view of Mary Peters. And you should care ‘cause Peters is the Secretary of the federal Department of Transportation. Speaking to PBS NewsHour reporter Gwen Ifill, Peters responded to a question about raising the gasoline tax to pay for infrastructure maintenance by saying that it wasn’t an option because Congress already wastes the money it gets. Peters cited bike paths as a primary example because they’re not “transportation-related.”

Why’d Peters single out the two-wheelers? Oh, maybe because the push for a gas tax increase is headed in part by Minnesota representative Jim Oberstar, whose Minneapolis district had that federally funded highway bridge collapse. Oberstar is also a major bike advocate on Capitol Hill. Thus, in the neanderthal politics of the Beltway, if one of Oberstar’s policies is flawed, they all are!

What Peters didn’t say was that many bike paths funded by the Transportation Equity Act are transit-related, and that the total budget for bike paths from TEA funds is less than one percent of the entire TEA tax haul. Apparently a lot has changed since Peters – then Federal Highway Administrator – told the 2002 National Bike Summit that “bicyclists are an integral part of the nation’s transportation system and we all need to work together to develop a more balanced transportation system that provides facilities and programs for bicyclists on a routine basis.”

Whether Ms. Peters came to her new position on her own or was led there by, oh, Karl Rove, it seems that her definition of “integral” and “balanced” in transportation means “non-existent.” Fortunately, you can tell Ms. Peters what you think of her priorities. Remember before you hit the send button that we still live in a civil society. So be nice, even when the other side’s not.

(UPDATE: Right-o, commenters; Oberstar does not represent Minneapolis proper - District 8 is northern Minnesota, including Duluth and International Falls, but certainly not Minneapolis. He is the chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which makes him quite a bit MORE powerful, in fact, on transit issues than if Minneapolis was his home district. Thanks for the catch.)

Link to send message to Peters:

http://capwiz.com/lab/issues/alert/?alertid=10193871&type=cu

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This created a huge buzz on TreeHugger.com. I think it had more comments than any other post in recent memories.

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Peters lied!
Cyclists died!

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Is she referring to cycling paths like in parks or does that include bike lanes that are on public roads? Bike lanes I find useful. The only bike path I can think of around here goes from nowhere to nowhere anf is a great place to buy crack.

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Peters clearly has never been to Denver. We have a terrific bike path system that is highly useful for transportation. When I worked dowtown, I used to use it 4 days a week to commute by bicycle.

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LAW had an interesting response…

http://www.bikeleague.org/news/images/peters_letter.pdf

Of most interest were the final paragraphs:

Secretary Peters, as Federal Highway Administrator you delivered remarks at the 2002 National Bike Summit that presented a much different view of the role bicycling can play in our national transportation system.

As you stated then, and I quote, “Many people in our country use bikes for more than recreation. For them, bikes are their vehicle for the commute to work and for the errands of daily life. We need every mode of transportation to keep America mobile. What modes did you use to get to your hotel? Very few of us depend on a single mode. I strongly agree with Secretary Mineta, bicyclists are an integral part of our nation’s transportation system and we all need to work together to develop a better more balanced transportation system that provides facilities and programs for bicyclists on a routine basis.”

Secretary Peters, I urge you to stand by your words in 2002, and publicly correct the misleading impressions regarding bicycling that you left with the viewers of the MacNeil Lehrer show.

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I think we all can think of some excellent bike paths that we use regularly from this funding.
However, because a lot of it seems discretionary as to what a bike path is (and gets credit under the plan for the community)… I would venture to say much of the funding is wasted on useless activities. These include the favorite “bike path” in suburban neighborhoods to make more on street parking available and to slow down traffic. Much of the pathway here in AZ is not maintained, so they often become paved shoulders to the road so trash can collect there for our tires. There are a lot of issues on how effectively this program is used and held accountable.
Dave