http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/10/28-2
Published on Friday, October 28, 2011 by Shareable
Why Are Bikes Being Targeted by Congress?
by Jay Walljasper
How in the the world can biking and walking be controversial?
They're good exercise, fun to do and-as an alternative to driving
everywhere-help us save money and the environment. Both biking and
walking are increasingly popular for transportation and recreation
today, thanks in large part to a recent flowering of federally-funded
trails, bikeways and pathways that make getting around on two wheels
and two feet safer and more convenient.
But in these antagonistic political times, bikers and walkers are now
targets of controversy for some members of Congress. In September,
Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn proposed stripping all designated federal
funding for bike and pedestrian projects from the pending
Transportation Bill. After an outpouring of opposition from citizens
coast-to-coast, Coburn withdrew his amendment.
Now bicyclists and pedestrians are under attack again, this time in
an amendment from Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. He wants to redirect
every last penny of money dedicated to bicycling and walking to
bridge repair instead.
His proposal is scheduled for a vote next Tuesday. (Here's how to
contact your Senators and Representatives to save federal bike and
walk programs.)
Now we all agree that safe bridges are important. Look at the tragic
bridge collapse four years ago in Minneapolis that took 17 lives.
But safety for the millions of kids and adults that bike and walk
every day is important, too. Since 2007, 2,800 cyclists and 20,000
pedestrians have died on America's roads-many due to the lack of
sidewalks, bike lanes and other safety measures that federal funds
provide.
We shouldn't have to choose between safe bridges and safe streets. Here's why.
First of all, Senator Paul's amendment will not even
come close to fixing America's bridges. Biking, walking and other
so-called "transportation enhancements" that Paul wants to kill
account for less than two percent of the total Transportation Bill.
It would take 80 years using money saved from scrapping these
programs to finance the backlog of current bridge repairs-not to
mention future needs.
States are not spending the money already allocated
for bridge repairs. Last year, they returned $530 million to the
federal government. That represents a big chunk of total bike and
pedestrian projects.
Federal money to make biking and walking safer and
more convenient is a great investment in America's future that pays
off in safer streets, reduced environmental damage, greater energy
security, improved public health and more resilient, neighborly,
pleasurable communities.
Jay Walljasper, editor of OnTheCommons.org and author of All That We
Share and The Great Neighborhood Book, writes widely about cities,
community, sustainability and travel. On The Commons is a commons
movement strategy center.
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