Bicycles finally might get fair shake!

[catsittingstill]

Obama's Transportation Secretary made an announcement last week:

LaHood says the government is going to give bicycling — and walking, too — the same importance as automobiles in transportation planning and the selection of projects for federal money. The former Republican congressman quietly announced the "sea change" in transportation policy last month.

This is wonderful. Should have happened a long time ago, of course. Finally transportation will not continue to make bicyclists' lives unnecessarily difficult by arrangements made for the supreme convenience of cars. Freaking about time.  Anything that increases bike and walking transport helps with air pollution including global warming, with traffic congestion, with finding parking, and with human health.  If the Obama administration actually sticks to this (a big if, in my mind) it's a win win win win situation.

Of course, there will always be some people who can't share.

At a recent House hearing, Rep. Steve LaTourette, R-Ohio, suggested jokingly to a Transportation Department official that one explanation for the new policy is that the secretary's thinking has been clouded by drugs.

Somebody needs to explain that, while motor vehicles have effectively been an only child for a long time, they have brothers and sisters now, and they will have to learn to share. 

Comments

[admnaismith.livejournal.com]

Why is it that the standard Republican response to anything sensible proposed by a Democrat is words to the effect of "Whoo-boy, what have YOU been smoking?" Is that considered persuasive in their circles? Is it polite? Or is it that DC in general is so poisoned with bullshit that politicians in general are confused and choked by common sense? Maybe they have to wear special suits to visit the real world, like the B-5 crew when they go to the methane-breathers' sector.

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

It's the Republican response to *anything* proposed by a Democrat; whether it's sensible doesn't enter into it. The more dysfunctional the whole political process becomes, the more they expect to get away with, so they're as much invested in breaking the system than in actually doing anything in particular.

Republicans understand the modern media landscape. They don't talk about what they actually hope to accomplish, they talk about much more extreme and outrageous things. Democrats foolishly talk about what they actually want to do. The media today, instead of actually investigating the story and telling us the truth, seeks to "even handedly" present the two sides, leaving most people with the understanding that the sensible middle ground is somewhere in the middle.

Fortuately tricycles were left out

[bigbumble.livejournal.com]

-bike and walking transport helps with air pollution including global warming, with traffic congestion, with finding parking, and with human health-

Cat, you sure know how to take the fun out of it. All I want to do is cruise down the road looking dopey!

Re: Fortuately tricycles were left out

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's also cool :-) a win-win-win-win-WIN scenario.

[egoldberg.livejournal.com]

This is actually old news already ;-)

Here's the update on LaTourette's syndrome:
http://streetsblog.net/2010/04/16/rep-steve-latourette-backpedals-on-dismissive-cycling-remarks/

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

I put it up when I saw it--not having seen any buzz on LJ about it :-)

[judifilksign.livejournal.com]

In Columbus, there have been some of the Jobs funds for the economic recovery spent on making hiking/bike trails separate, but parallel to busy roads already.

This has been important since many schools have expanded their walk zones to two miles from a half a mile to save on transportation costs.

I saw a boy on a tricked out mountain bike, with extra foot rests on both the wheels on one of these paths. He was pedaling hard, standing up. He had a cute girl perched on the handlebars, with a backpack on her back, and one in her arms. There was another cute girl riding on the seat behind him. Perched standing up on the foot rests, holding onto the seated girl for balance, was a THIRD cute girl. The boy pedalling was in VERY good shape.

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

:-) He should start charging for fares :-) But maybe he considered being befriended by three cute girls to be worth the effort.

[callibr8]

Funds for bicycles, definitely good news!!

I'm kinda surprised, though, that you didn't put a link to your Bicycle Blues song, somewhere in this post. :-)