Obama administration spends $1.2 billion on cycling and walking initiatives

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Telegraph

Spending on biking and walking projects rose from less than $600 million (£407 million) in 2008, according to the Federal Highway Administraion. Twenty years ago, the federal government was spending only $6 million a year on such projects.

The spending on biking and walking projects was scheduled to rise last year anyway, but the administration boosted it with $400 million in funds set aside under the economic recovery program.

The new focus on biking and walking represents a turnaround from the administration of President George W Bush. Mary Peters, transportation secretary under Bush, dismissed biking paths and trails as projects that "really are not transportation," saying they had no place in federal transportation policy.

In March, Mr Obama's transportation secretary, Ray LaHood, announced a policy "sea change" that gives biking and walking projects the same importance as automobiles in transportation planning and the selection of projects for federal money.

The new policy is an extension of the Obama administration's livability initiative, which regards the creation of alternatives to driving – buses, streetcars and trains, as well as biking and walking – as central to solving the nation's transportation woes.


Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7834334/Obama-administration-spends-1.2-billion-on-cycling-and-walking-initiatives.html

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Good - about friggin' time!

[vaberella]

1. Great news. You should put this in the presidential section. n/t

[RamboLiberal]

9. Posted now in Presidential - Thanks n/t

[cliffordu]

2. This is why we need to support the Prez.

One of my biggest issues.

[FightingIrish]

3. I've been bike commuting for over 35 years.

This is the first time I've had a president supporting my choice. I use one of those paths that "really are not transportation" every day.

[apnu]

10. +1 for you!

I've been commuting since 2006, you've got me beat.

[gratuitous]

4. This is good

Now we start laying out new developments and renovating old developments to cater more towards pedestrians, cyclists and mass transit use and less toward motor vehicles, and we'll begin decreasing our dependence on imported oil. Sound like a plan?

[zipplewrath]

5. Good news for us walkers

I'm a big walker. Our city is bad about sidewalks. I often find myself walking in the street in residential areas. Some old fart got all pissed off one day and made some comment about "where you belong" and I retorted something about "sharing the road". He came back with something about "they were built for cars, not walkers".

I jumped on him quick. There are many, MANY roads in this country and others that were built basically on top of walking paths that had existed for decades. They became "roads" for wagons and horses as well. Cars came long after these paths existed. We've gone car crazy in this country, and we are paying the price for it now. One of my small battles is "taking back" the footpaths underneath all that asphalt and concrete.

[Oregone]

6. Its going to become an increasing necessity

[jimmil]

7. Ottawa, Ont.

Has a huge number of bike trails and walks. I may have this wrong but when I lived there in the 80's one third of city land was deemed for parks, trails, and walks. You could literally go from one end of the city to the other on trails and during the winter you crossed country skied them. It was really very nice. Ottawa is one of the nicest cities in all of North America and would make a great model.

Years ago before it was cool I rode my bicycle across the US and then across Canada. It was a real experience that I will never forget. I never ride one now as it is hazardous to your health to ride one in Texas. Too many crazies on the road.

Finally, didn't the Carter Administration have a bill that would pay for either 80% or 90% the cost of putting in bicycle trails in cities? I think I remember that and none were put in if I recall. Of course, my recall is not what it used to be.

[Art_from_Ark]

18. I rode through part of Texas one year

from Toledo Bend to Texoma. No one bothered me. But that was 30 years ago.

[kestrel91316]

8. [phone]

[NYC_SKP]

11. K & R!

:bounce:

[MidwestRick]

12. Where are they getting the funding?

I like the idea, but at the same time, this is a lot of money and I wonder where the administration plans to get it from. Does anyone know if this has been discussed?

-MR

[emilyg]

17. Shhh - what's another couple billion.

[madrchsod]

13. remember--ray lahood is a illinois republican....

and his family are all bicycle riders.

[Lance_Boyle]

14. Sidewalks and many bike paths *are* transportation and should be funded as such.

"Nature" walking trails and bike paths are more properly supported through recreation funds, not transportation funds.

[lfairban]

16. No difference

My daughter uses the "Bike Path", which is actually a multi-use path, to get home from work. Her ride is about 7 miles. She can't use the bus to get home since she works something like a 2nd shift, and they aren't running when she gets off. It is obvious it was built as a recreational path since it runs through several parks and along a river, very scenic. Of course, that late at night you can't see much.

It would be nice to have a real "Bike Path" that was designed for transportation, but that would be a lot harder to fund.

[dgibby]

15. Excellent!

Great news. Kudos to Obama for this.

K&R!

[ProudDad]

19. Wow!

1/100th of the road building budget...

1/1000th of the war budget

Such a deal...






:sarcasm: