Congress to bikers: Get a car

For every bike commuter who proudly pedals to work under the mantra "one less car," Congress has a message for you: Get back on the highway where you belong, burning fossil fuel like a real American. That goes for you, too, you traffic-hazard pedestrians.

Fresh out of subcommittee, a new congressional transportation appropriations bill will entirely eliminate some $600 million worth of annual federal funding for bike paths, walkways and other such transportation niceties in fiscal year 2004.

Never mind the political fallout of U.S. oil dependency on the Middle East, or the fact that the average mileage per gallon for new cars and trucks in the U.S. is at its lowest level in 20 years. Members of the House's Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury and Independent Agencies know that what America needs now is fewer bike paths and walkways -- but more highways.

Defenders of the bill argue that, in light of huge federal deficits, something has to go, but for bike activists and environmentalists who have been pushing for decades for alternatives to driving, the cuts are a giant step backward.

http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2003/07/22/bike_paths/index.html

Blind and partially blind people need walkways to get where they need to go because they are prohibited from driving. I can see more "urban planning" that totally excludes nice pedestrian improvements so that enables everybody to get to work, shopping, or mass transit connections.

Face it, the Republican Congress just plain sucks. We need to get this message out to the bicycling community so that the middle of the road professional types know that they have no friends in the GOP.

Remember when they were first elected, Cheney dismissing conservation when it came to U.S. energy policy?

since I think the article is "Salon Premium" I'll try to paraphrase:

highways will get $34.1 billion in fiscal 2004, that's an increase of $2.5 billion from last year. There will be NOTHING for enhancements, such as bike paths, walkways, etc. They are significantly reducing $ for many things such as Amtrak and reverse-commute programs.

the subcommittee argues that with a $455 billion deficit (gee, I wonder where that came from??) they had to cut SOMETHING and it's more imp. to provide basic funds for roads

but subcomm. chair Istook (R-Okla.) put out a press release stating "528 million headed to Oklahoma!"

the law governing DOT funding expires 9/30, but this subcommittee went right ahead and set the agenda for 2004 anyway.

money to Amtrak and public transit has been reduced.

Ernest Istook who heads the committee has been a long time opponent of any form of alternative tranmsportation to the car. I wonder if that asshole has evere been in the military or has relatives in the service? Considering the shit our service people are taking in Iraq I think he would want to lessen out dependance on foreign oil.

Any chance it will be fixed in the Senate?

:grr:

--Peter

and it has to be considered by the Committee on Appropriations, then voted on in the House. So I guess now would be the time to complain to your Reps

Thanks for the info.

--Peter