[SDCBC] FW: League Responds to U.S. Transportation Secretary's comments on PBS

Sat Aug 18 00:40:41 EDT 2007

On the flip side, gas taxes do not hardly cover the cost of motor 
vehicle transportation infrastructure.  The automobile is a highly 
subsided method of transportation in America, from the use of general 
funds for infrastructure, to the tax benefits for oil exploration, to 
the use of land to store cars on public streets (parking).  If the 
real costs of driving were met by motorists, the impact to the 
motorist would no doubt be quite shocking.

Since cycling represents about 2% of the transportation use in the 
US, cycling should get 2% of the transit funding, vice the current 1%.

At 04:36 PM 8/17/2007, John Forester wrote:
>Andy Clarke's letter sent by the League is largely misrepresentation.
>
>If the issue is the extent to which bike paths and trails serve 
>largely transportation or largely recreation purposes, I think it 
>has been accepted by most who have discussed this issue that, by 
>length and probably by cost, the larger part of bike paths and 
>trails serve largely recreational purposes. In any case, I have seen 
>no careful study of this issue that might refute my hypothesis. One 
>of my suspicions is that this is an issue that most would rather 
>keep under the rug, afraid that a careful study would show the 
>recreational bias.
>
>Clarke then writes of the need to encourage bicycle transportation 
>for trips of less than 2 miles and less than 1 mile. Considering the 
>few possible urban locations for bike paths and trails, the 
>probability that any randomly chosen trip of 1.5 miles would be well 
>served by a bike path or trail is extremely small, far too small to 
>be considered in transportation planning.
>
>It is this kind of mendacity that makes reform of the League an 
>absolute necessity.
>
>
>
>
>At 10:01 AM 8/17/2007, Kathy Keehan wrote:
>>Content-Type: multipart/related;
>>         boundary="----=_NextPart_000_00BF_01C7E0B5.8DB80BE0"
>>Content-Language: en-us
>>
>>If you heard the interview with DOT Secretary Peters, you know that 
>>she thinks bicycle infrastructure is a waste of money. Links below 
>>if you would like to send her an email about her misguided ways. :-)
>>Thanks to the League of American Bicyclists for their excellent 
>>response letter and getting the word out!
>>Kathy
>>
>>From: Walter Finch [ mailto:walter at bikeleague.org]
>>Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2007 12:50 PM
>>To: Kathleen Keehan
>>Subject: League Responds to U.S. Transportation Secretary's comments on PBS
>>
>>Take Action Now
>>Image removed by sender.
>>
>>League Responds to U.S. Transportation Secretary's comments on PBS
>>Transportation Secretary Mary Peters talks about infrastructure 
>>problems and travel initiatives.
>>
>><http://capwiz.com/lab/utr/1/OUUQHNJXDR/OHFCHNJYBL/1358931826>More Info
>>Peters cited "bicycle paths" as a prime example of the waste
>>
>>Last night on the PBS NewsHour with Jim Leher, DOT Secretary Mary 
>>Peters was interviewed by Gwen Ifill.
>>
>>Peters, when asked about a possible gas tax increase, repeated 
>>President Bush's response - No, there can be no tax increase 
>>because Congress is wasting the money they already get.  Peters 
>>cited "bicycle paths" as a prime example of the waste because 
>>bicycles are not a transportation use of the gas tax money.
>>
>>It is disappointing that the administration is attacking Jim 
>>Oberstar for his efforts to get the Minneapolis bridge repaired 
>>along with raising all the funding for transportation maintenance, 
>>by using Oberstar's support for bicycles as a weapon.
>>
>>The League of American Bicyclists feels strongly that this should 
>>not go without a response and we have sent a letter to Secretary 
>>Peters voicing our view. 
>><http://capwiz.com/lab/utr/1/OUUQHNJXDR/DFNIHNJYBM/1358931826>Click 
>>here to view our response.
>>
>>For those of you who feel strongly about bicycling issues, we would 
>>also urge you to 
>><http://capwiz.com/lab/utr/1/OUUQHNJXDR/ABCPHNJYBN/1358931826>contac 
>>t the Secretary to share your personal viewpoints.
>>
>>To view a copy of the program 
>><http://capwiz.com/lab/utr/1/OUUQHNJXDR/BNYCHNJYBO/1358931826>click here
>>If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from us, please click 
>><http://capwiz.com/lab/lmx/u/?jobid=89284147&queueid=1358931826>here.
>>Image removed by sender.
>>
>>Image removed by sender.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>
>>You are subscribed to the SDCBC mailing list as forester at johnforester.com
>>To unsubscribe or change mailing options, go to 
>>http://www.bikesandiego.org/mailman/listinfo/sdcbc
>>List privacy information is located at http://www.stickman-computing.org/aup
>>For help or to talk with someone other than the mail robot, send 
>>e-mail to postmaster at stickman-computing.org
>
>John Forester, MS, PE
>Bicycle Transportation Engineer
>7585 Church St.
>Lemon Grove, CA 91945-2306
>619-644-5481 www.johnforester.com
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>
>You are subscribed to the SDCBC mailing list as gcarman at san.rr.com
>To unsubscribe or change mailing options, go to 
>http://www.bikesandiego.org/mailman/listinfo/sdcbc
>List privacy information is located at http://www.stickman-computing.org/aup
>For help or to talk with someone other than the mail robot, send 
>e-mail to postmaster at stickman-computing.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.bikesandiego.org/pipermail/sdcbc/attachments/20070818/b1fee275/attachment-0001.html 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 1668c597.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 823 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://www.bikesandiego.org/pipermail/sdcbc/attachments/20070818/b1fee275/attachment-0001.jpg 