Bicycle commuting

Steve said:

Congress to bikers: Get a car

A house subcommittee has voted to cut all funding for bike paths and other pollution-free
transportation programs.

salon.comindex.htmlOpen ↗

Maybe now all the [censored] motorists hurl about "get off my road" can cease since not only do cyclists
pay for roads, but they don't get anything in return.

Preston

Steve said:

A house subcommittee has voted to cut all funding for bike paths and other pollution-free
transportation programs.

That's because they don't burn oil - any journey accomplished without buning oil is subversive and
un-American. If the last year has taught us anything it must surely be that oil is everything to the
current administration. America is an oiligarchy now!

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. chapmancentral.comchapmancentral.comOpen ↗ [currently
offline awaiting ADSL transfer to new ISP]

Steve said:

Congress to bikers: Get a car

A house subcommittee has voted to cut all funding for bike paths and other pollution-free
transportation programs.

salon.comindex.htmlOpen ↗

Bike commuters ride on the road, not bike paths. The only ones who'll suffer are rollerbladers and
dog walkers.

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles habcycles.comhabcycles.comOpen ↗ Home of the $695 ti frame

"Steve" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Congress to bikers: Get a car

A house subcommittee has voted to cut all funding for bike paths and other pollution-free
transportation programs.

salon.comindex.htmlOpen ↗

"Steve" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Congress to bikers: Get a car

A house subcommittee has voted to cut all funding for bike paths and other pollution-free
transportation programs.

salon.comindex.htmlOpen ↗

Those F*&#@$^%^^!&()@#$(*_&()!!!! They can't come up with $600 million for an entire year as we burn
through a billion a week in Iraq. If anybody knows a link to how the members voted on the measure
please post it. If you live in their district here's where to let them know what you think:

Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury and Independent Agencies 2358 Rayburn HOB Washington,
D.C. 20515

Ernest J. Istook, Jr., Oklahoma (CH) Oklahoma-5th, Republican 2404 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC
20515-3605 Phone: (202) 225-2132

John W. Olver, Massachusetts Massachusetts-1st, Democrat 1027 Longworth HOB Washington, DC
20515-2101 Phone: (202) 225-5335

Frank R. Wolf, Virginia Virginia-10th, Republican 241 Cannon HOB Washington, DC 20515-4610 Phone:
(202) 225-5136

Ed Pastor, Arizona Arizona-4th, Democrat 2465 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515-0304 Phone:
(202) 225-4065

Jerry Lewis, California California-41st, Republican 2112 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515-0541
Phone: (202) 225-5861

Carolyn C. Kilpatrick, Michigan Michigan-13th, Democrat 1610 Longworth HOB Washington, DC 20515-2213
Phone: (202) 225-2261

Harold Rogers, Kentucky Kentucky-5th, Republican 2406 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515-1705 Phone:
(202) 225-4601

James E. Clyburn, South Carolina South Carolina-6th, Democrat 2135 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC
20515-4006 Phone: (202) 225-3315

Todd Tiahrt, Kansas (VC) Kansas-4th, Republican 2441 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515-1604 Phone:
(202) 225-6216

Steven R. Rothman, New Jersey New Jersey-9th, Democrat 1607 Longworth HOB Washington, DC 20515-3009
Phone: (202) 225-5061

Anne Northup, Kentucky Kentucky-3rd, Republican 1004 Longworth HOB Washington, DC 20515-1703 Phone:
(202) 225-5401

Robert Aderholt, Alabama Alabama-4th, Republican 1433 Longworth HOB Washington, DC 20515-0104 Phone:
(202) 225-4876

John E. Sweeney, New York New York-20th, Republican 416 Cannon HOB Washington, DC 20515-3220 Phone:
(202) 225-5614

John Abney Culberson, Texas Texas-7th, Republican 1728 Longworth HOB Washington, DC 20515-4307
Phone: (202) 225-2571

I ride a bike, and I drive a car. I never ride on bike paths, as they are usually poorly designed,
and then drivers get [censored] when you dare get on "their" rode.

Learn to ride on the road, and then all the new roads are new bike paths.

"Steve" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Congress to bikers: Get a car

A house subcommittee has voted to cut all funding for bike paths and other pollution-free
transportation programs.

salon.comindex.htmlOpen ↗

In article <[email hidden]>,

Scott Bonner said:

I ride a bike, and I drive a car. I never ride on bike paths, as they are usually poorly designed,
and then drivers get [censored] when you dare get on "their" rode.

Learn to ride on the road, and then all the new roads are new bike paths.

That is all well and fine. I, too, tend to stick to the streets. But here in Chicago we have bike
lanes that are nicely placed on the streets. This funding might help out with making more miles a
reality in the city. Of course, we'll never know. There are also projects afoot in the area to
expand some of our out-of-the-city paths, which are excellent, traffic- and trouble-free ways to
bike. This is no good, no matter how you cut it.

Typical, though, of narrow-minded politicians, though, who look as far as the end of their noses.
Support big business, big pollution and is astonished when the inevitable happens. The good thing:
EVENTUALLY, we will run out of oil. I shall wave cheerfully at the $50,000 SUVs parked in every
American driveway.

"Donny Harder Jr." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Scott Bonner said:

I ride a bike, and I drive a car. I never ride on bike paths, as they

are

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

usually poorly designed, and then drivers get [censored] when you dare

get

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

on "their" rode.

Learn to ride on the road, and then all the new roads are new bike

paths.

Quoted message said:

That is all well and fine. I, too, tend to stick to the streets. But here in Chicago we have bike
lanes that are nicely placed on the streets. This funding might help out with making more miles a
reality in the city. Of course, we'll never know. There are also projects afoot in the area to
expand some of our out-of-the-city paths, which are excellent, traffic- and trouble-free ways to
bike. This is no good, no matter how you cut it.

Chicago is a great example of the utility of a well-planned bike path. Whenever we visit for a
weekend, we always bring the bikes and we treat the lakefront bikepath as a sort of limited-access
bike 'expressway' -- exiting onto local streets whenever we get as far north or south as we're
going. No buses and taxis to dodge on the bike path, no exhaust to breathe, and the views of the
lake and skyline are fabulous.

Mark

Donny Harder Jr. said:

Typical, though, of narrow-minded politicians, though, who look as far as the end of their noses.
Support big business, big pollution and is astonished when the inevitable happens. The good thing:
EVENTUALLY, we will run out of oil. I shall wave cheerfully at the $50,000 SUVs parked in every
American driveway.

No, you won't. You'll be too busy dodging the ex-drivers who've pulled the old Huffy out of the back
of the garage and are wobbling up the hill on the way to work while they listen to their portable
stereo using headphones. :-)

Jon

Mark Hickey said:

Steve said:

Congress to bikers: Get a car

A house subcommittee has voted to cut all funding for bike paths and other pollution-free
transportation programs.

salon.comindex.htmlOpen ↗

Bike commuters ride on the road, not bike paths. The only ones who'll suffer are rollerbladers and
dog walkers.

This also eliminates the funding for ROAD improvements for cycling. (Naturally, the Salon article
didn't mention that since to most people, probably including Salon editors, cycling = bike paths.)

Here in Connecticut you can easily see the difference this funding makes. There are a number of
bridges across the Connecticut River, for example. Those built before TEA funding required
pedestrian and bicycle access in the design have no, or poor, access. Those built or rebuilt
post-TEA are accessible. I, for one, have no wish to return to the days when new construction
projects made bicycle use of the road network more difficult.

The bill at issue would eliminate Transportation Enhancement funding. This is precisely the funding
used to widen shoulders, provide ped/cycle access to bridges and make various safety improvments
that affect cyclists and pedestrians.

Bottom line: Unless all of your riding is on single track, this proposed cut in funding very much
affects you.

Jon

Jon Bloom said:

This also eliminates the funding for ROAD improvements for cycling.

Naturally. SUV makers are trying to sell into other markets, so they are having to reduce the crappy
gas mileage of their behemoths. Only by eliminating benign modes altogether can the US continue to
buck the global trend and reduce the average mpg of it's vehicles.

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. chapmancentral.comchapmancentral.comOpen ↗ [currently
offline awaiting ADSL transfer to new ISP]

Jon Bloom wrote:

e bill at issue would eliminate Transportation Enhancement funding. This

Quoted message said:

is precisely the funding used to widen shoulders, provide ped/cycle access to bridges and make
various safety improvments that affect cyclists and pedestrians.

Bottom line: Unless all of your riding is on single track, this proposed cut in funding very much
affects you.

I don't really see what the big attraction is to shoulders, anyway. They're always filled with
glass, gravel, litter, cigarette butts, and other wonderful things. Better off in the lane, which is
kept clean by traffic. Let the motorists pass you when it's convenient and safe.

The only thing I could really see this affecting is traffic signals. But isn't that covered under
some other act/publication? Something about universal accessability? Don't sensors have to pick
up all valid traffic, or they are considered "broken"? And if the signal is broken, treat it as a
4 way stop.

I think we can ride on the road. Let's not lose our rights to it by demanding special
facilities(cycle paths that let us avoid roads, or special lanes where we must ride when they
are present).

I'm not talking about breaking the law, or cvffvat people off, just getting from point a to point b,
on the roads that we are entitled to use, in a safe and speedy manner.

Quoted message said:

No, you won't. You'll be too busy dodging the ex-drivers who've pulled the old Huffy out of the
back of the garage and are wobbling up the hill on the way to work while they listen to their
portable stereo using headphones. :-)

Jon

don't forget the cell phone......

[regarding a recent proposal by a US House subcommittee to de-fund all Transporation Enhancements
projects in the next federal transportation bill]

Mark Hickey said:

Bike commuters ride on the road, not bike paths. The only ones who'll suffer are rollerbladers and
dog walkers.

First of all, they're actually proposing to eliminate more than just Enhancements funding. They've
pretty much gone in and ripped out every bit of bike/ped funding they could find. And while they're
at it, they've drastically reduced funding for transit and Amtrak.

Second, one of the great steps forward in ISTEA and TEA21 is the provision for citizen input into
plans and projects. If much Enhancements money has been spent on multi-use paths, it's because
citizens have been standing up and clamoring for paths. If you and other transportational cyclists
in your area want Enhancements money spent on projects that you prefer--wide curb lanes, street
cleaning, driver or cyclist education, "Share the Road" signs, bridge access, bike racks on buses,
or whatever else turns your crank--then get together, lobby your local governments and
metropolitan planning organizations, and make those things happen INSTEAD OF (or in addition to)
the trails you dislike.

Here are some of the projects I happen to know have been funded here in Missouri from ISTEA-TEA21
Enhancements funds:

* Adding width to some streets & highways to better accommodate bicycles (and I don't mean just
drawing a bike lane on an already wide street--although I'm sure that has been done, too--I mean
actually laying down new, wider pavement)

* "Share the Road" signs

* Bike racks on buses in Kansas City and St. Louis areas

* Hazard mitigation (replacing dangerous grates, fixing potholes, adjusting traffic lights
for bicycles)

* A series of high-profile radio advertisements educating motorists about driving safely around
bicyclists

* Distribution of bicycle safety literature (and not just pablum, either--pretty good "effective
cycling"-type stuff)

* Funding for programs to encourage bike commuting and things like "guaranteed ride home"

* Funding for Statewide Bicycle Coordinator position in MoDOT. This person is a bicycle advocate in
a place that previously had no bicycle advocate nor anyone who especially thought of bicycling on
state roads. This one change has brought about a daisy-chain of positive results, including a new
rumble-strip policy, a new drain grate policy, better mention of bicycle-related issues in the
official state Driver Guide, work on state-wide bicycle routes and maps, and numerous
improvements to specific road projects.

* Funding for Bike/Ped Coordinator positions in every Metropolitan Planning Organization (such
coordinators help create region-wide bike plans and standards and can help greatly to encourage
cities and towns within the region to plan and build bicycle-friendly roads)

* Creation of various city-, county-, region-, and state-wide bicycle plans and construction
standards. Again, previous to ISTEA there was essentially no planning around bicycling in
Missouri and no consideration of bicyclist needs in road construction.

And, yes, Enhancements funds have paid for the construction of a lot of multi-use trails in
Missouri, including almost all of the Katy Trail. And Enhancements funds have paid for pedestrian
projects and a lot of other things you probably don't care about, like highway landscaping,
transportation museums, and other such stuff.

But Enhancements is the main pot of federal money that can be used to improve the roads for
bicycling.

So--don't throw the baby out with the bathwater!

Last I heard, discussion of these proposed cuts in the House Appropriations Committee is scheduled
for 10AM, Thursday, July 24th, 2003.

For more details see

antc.netfy04 appropriations alert.aspOpen ↗

To contact a member of the US House of Representatives, see

house.govhouse.govOpen ↗

--Brent Missouri Bicycle Federation bhugh [at] mwsc.edu