Transportation Bill Amendment Would Restore Bicycle, Pedestrian Funding

If a transportation bill amended Thursday passes the Senate, it will likely include dedicated funding for bicycle and pedestrian paths.

Bicycle and pedestrian advocates who worried that the Senate transportation bill would threaten their paths to work and school breathed a sigh of relief after money for safety enhancing projects was included in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's manager's amendment for the bill.

Critics of the original Senate bill were worried that it could bring the country back to a 1960s, highway-only mindset on bicycle and pedestrian safety. Instead they are hailing the amendment, sponsored by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss.).

"Including Cardin-Cochran in (the Senate transportation legislation) makes a good bill much better. This is a win, not only for local governments, but for believers in safe and accessible transportation," said Caron Whitaker, campaign director for America Bikes.

The original version of the legislation gave states the power to decide whether to fund bicycle and pedestrian programs, which make up 2 percent of federal transportation funding. If the manager's amendment passes in the bill, states will instead be forced to let cities and towns compete for the money from a "protected pot" of dollars.

State officials have long treated people who don't get around in cars like transportation outsiders, said Andy Clarke, spokesman for the League of American Bicyclists. Transportation honchos would rather build big-ticket interstates and roadways than focus on simpler solutions that could save lives, he said.

According to the Alliance for Bicycling and Walking, 12 percent of all trips are made by bicycle or foot, but bicyclists and pedestrians make up 14 percent of traffic fatalities.

Clarke argued that the 2007 collapse of the Interstate 35 bridge in Minnesota, which killed 13 people, may have distracted Congress, causing it to focus funding on fixing bridges and ignore those who don't use cars.

The I-35 disaster was "obviously a terrible tragedy, and people lost their lives," Clarke said. "But in the five years since then, something like 20,000 cyclists and pedestrians have lost their lives, and not another bridge has collapsed."

Including bike and pedestrian paths in the Senate bill's pool of dedicated dollars, he argued, will also have benefits beyond safety. "When gas prices ratchet up, the places that are going to weather the storm the best are where people have got an opportunity to go outside," he said. The places that have only built highways have "built themselves into a really difficult future, and we can't afford to do that as a nation."

Comments

[Kenz300]

06:22 PM on 03/03/2012

The price of gas is going up and the Republicans want to kill any alternatives like safe walking and bicycle paths.

The oil companies want you to stay in your gas guzzler and keep giving them your money.

We need to end the oil monopoly on transportation fuels. We need choice at the pump. Bring on the electric, flex-fuel, hybrid, CNG, LNG and hydrogen fueled vehicles.

[Dallas Dunlap]

07:41 PM on 03/03/2012

Kenz300 - Don't worry, we'll have thousands of miles of eight lane bike paths once this Mideast war gets rolling.

[oneworld movers]

03:15 AM on 03/03/2012

Moving Company Auckland
says that This is a good news for the pass transportation bill...Administration officials to recognize the importance of funding for trails and related facilities. Transportation bill pass have main mortive that They focus is on transportation funding for trails, greenways, and recreation routes, as well as programs for bicycle/pedestrian facilities and Safe Routes to School.

[foofie]

09:01 PM on 03/02/2012

Our city ("home" when we are in the U.S.) of Greenville, SC has been working on bike lanes for several years. More people ride now that it is safer to do so. With gas prices so high this is a need for more and more people. Our family resides in SE Asia where bicycles, carts, cars, buses, scooters, and small motorcycles all share the road along with dogs, cows, chickens, and people. :) Bike lanes here don't exist really, but thankful for the towns and cities making these available in America. Oh, and we build bikes here... if you are interested in reading more about our project, go to: www.bamboobikemaker.com

[jamesw2]

12:41 PM on 03/02/2012

Bicyclists have valid arguments for asking for dedicated funding. Numbers don't lie pedestrians and cyclists are at the most risk. Another issue is in case of disaster what better way to evacuate an area do you know of other than walking and cycling.

[NovemberScorp]

11:45 AM on 03/02/2012

Well this is a good thing, but how about diverting money from building any NEW super highways, freeways and putting that money toward building massive public transport.

[ladameennoir]

11:17 AM on 03/02/2012

We can build all the bike paths we want, and there won't be but a few people using them. Who wants to wear a helmet, mess up their hair, and be all sweaty when they get to work?

[Goodgulf2]

12:18 PM on 03/02/2012

Somebody who knows how to use a comb, and perform a sponge-bath (If it's even necessary.) or has nearby gym membership where they can shower, or doesn't ride so hard they get all sweaty. Riding to work and looking good is trivially simple.

[conservativekc]

03:24 PM on 03/02/2012

Seriously? Those are the things you worry about?

[Jim Milks]

04:25 PM on 03/02/2012

"We can build all the bike paths we want, and there won't be but a few people using them."

You sound like someone who has never been on a bike path before. You should try it sometime. The 250+ miles of interconnected bike paths where I live get quite a bit of use from pedestrians, rollerbladers, people in motorized wheelchairs, kids learning to ride bicycles, recreational bicyclists, scout groups working on bicycling badges, racing teams, and local bike clubs, in addition to bicycle commuters.

"Who wants to wear a helmet, mess up their hair, and be all sweaty when they get to work?"

You may not be willing to bike to work, but others are willing. In my case, riding my bicycle takes the same time as it would for me to drive to work, find a parking place, and walk from the parking lot to my building.

[artleads]

11:16 AM on 03/02/2012

If the DOT folks would be more proactive, most large thoroughfares would be constructed in such a manner as to allow for the separation and ubiquity of bike and pedestrian routes. In other words, these shouild be everywhere but separate from one another and from automoble traffic altogether.

[alteredstory]

10:30 AM on 03/02/2012

How about instead of taking money from bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, we stop paying mercenaries to do the US military's work, and use THAT money for improving bridges, etc.

[junkpile]

09:39 AM on 03/02/2012

It is amazing how attention deficit the blue/red blight is on the transportation bill. I would prefer if national funds are coming to the states that they be free and clear for states/locals to determine appropriate (NOT alternative) modes - not the FEDs. Where is the discussion of who pays? Transportation revenue (House or Senate) is not even $40B annually – all the plans $50B House, $55B Senate, $80B President and $262B Moneta/Skinner never talk about the real issue – how do you pay for this annually. The truth is that every year we improve our gas economy by 2 MPG we erode 1 cent of gas tax. While a tremendous benefit to reducing dependency on foreign oil from folks that hate us - the CAFE standards left a giant hole in the transportation funding scheme that tolling and VMT options are too far away to help in the next 6 years - it is time to start speaking the truth in these Transportation Bill discussions. One cent of gas tax (a true user fee) generates $1B annually – they are a few pennies away from balancing any of these plans. Oh ya – and the run up of virtually $1 gallon to the middle east/oil companies – not problem, but a few pennies that would preserve USA jobs, USA assets, USA mobility, USA competiveness – oh the horror. Both the House and the Senate need to discuss this rather than silly amendments.

[nothingchanges]

09:22 AM on 03/02/2012

America has a lot of problems right now.

Two of them are an ongoing energy crisis, and now an obesity crisis as well.

Walking, and bicycling could go a long ways in combating both of those issues. But until it is safe to do so, it won't make significant inroads.

Americans in general have a motorcar mentality, and government policies haven't helped. The corner grocery, or the mom and pop business down the street are a thing of the past.

Partly because of politicians pandering to big business, but also partly do to a government zoning policy that segregates business from residential area's. How many people are willing, or have the time, to bike 5 miles one way to the nearest mall?

This is an area where a change in government mindset could do a LOT of good.

It is my understanding that most people in the Netherlands own cars, yet MOST of them commute or shop by bike.

We could learn a lot from our neighbors across the ocean..............if we were willing to learn.

[Goodgulf2]

12:20 PM on 03/02/2012

The Netherlands has a 20% modal share for bikes. So most people bike, but it's only about 20% of total miles (Their public transit is like another 40% though if memory serves.) since they use cars and PT as well.

[Frank-Landfield]

09:06 AM on 03/02/2012

Good news. Now please more electric car charging stations and solar. :-)

[palindrom]

07:27 AM on 03/02/2012

Over the last few decades, the right has cultivated a sense of grievance among the middle class -- my kid didn't get into college because of affirmative action, I pay way too much taxes to subsidize welfare bums, and so on. As part of this they've tapped into American anti-intellectualism to foment resentment of educated, "librul", elites.

A weird offshoot of this is hating on cyclists, especially, God forbid, the "spandex-clad Lance-Armstrong-Wannabes", i.e., the dedicated and expert cyclists. This intersects with the sacredness of the automobile, which is one of the few things in the average person's life that gives them any sense of power. How dare this elite person think that he or she has any right to make me slow down a bit and move over, or, God forbid, actually wait a moment to pass them?

I think the House's excrebable bill was the result of these trends. The Republican Party has become the national id. They are defintely not channelling the better angels of our nature.

[LibKnot]

02:26 PM on 03/06/2012

Stereotyping is such a time saver.

[Genna]

04:40 AM on 03/02/2012

I am glad to hear it. When you are a highway with cars, drivers usually don't pay attention to how close they are regardless of how many neon colored clothing pieces you wear or lights you carry. Even with the share the road signs, drivers act like you don't have a right to be there. Forget about slowing down.

With these gas prices I suspect many more people will be on foot or on their bikes in the near future. I expect if people have to pay the price that it actually costs the environment and we get prices upwards of European levels, the U.S. would price out 50% of the market. Just like we need public transportation that is convenient and electric powered alternatives for vehicles, we need pedestrian and bike lanes because the future looks grim for gas.

[imlaughlin]

01:02 AM on 03/02/2012

The transportation bill that came out of the House was called the worst in 30 years ... by a Republican Transportation Secretary no less. I'm following this bill, and if my Nebraska representatives and senators don't vote for the amendment restoring the tiny, 2% funding for alternative transportation, I will conclude they are not statesmen ... and will work aggressively to elect someone who thinks straight. ... and I'm a lifetime, active Republican.

[crawdadslim]

09:41 PM on 03/01/2012

Its pretty rural where I live, so this will not affect me directly, but I worry that drivers will learn to think that if there is no bike path or lane, then bicycles have no legal right to the roads. Well, they already think that for the most part.
I hope that all this helps, but I will still live in a place were I feel safer wearing a Nascar jersey on long rides...

[Goodgulf2]

12:23 PM on 03/02/2012

BMUFL signs and sharrows can help with this a lot. So can a small amount of training to police.

[DaleCarter1021]

06:32 PM on 06/12/2012

I have found the opposite to be true. In my town, where there are quite a few lanes, they think we have no right to be on a road that does not have the lanes.