Meridian Bridge
It's good to have a friend in the federal government who sounds like he's looking out for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Granted, most federal transportation projects are road-building exercises that support our car culture. But DOT Secretary Ray LaHood appears to understand that bicycles are one of the solutions to the traffic congestion that's stifling our cities.
It's a refreshing change from his predecessor, Bush-appointee Mary Peters, who complained in 2007 that spending on bike paths and trails was taking away money from upgrading the nation's transportation infrastructure.
Stimulus oversight
I just saw recently where LaHood came to the defense of bike paths that a couple of Republican senators attacked last month because they got funding in the economic stimulus package.
In December, Republican Senators Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and John McCain of Arizona released their stimulus oversight report that lists where money was “wasted, mismanaged, or directed toward silly and shortsighted projects.”
One of those projects was $484,572 for a bike path extension in Minnesota “that will lead pedestrians and bicyclists to the doorstep of the Minnesota Twins.” The Coburn-McCain report continues:
“Local baseball fans are reportedly thrilled, but it has drawn criticism from at least one prominent local former lawmaker who thinks the trail will never be used enough to justify its cost.”
Here's what LaHood says at his blog, Welcome to the Fast Lane:
“What he really means is that, because he doesn't get bikes, no one else does either.
“His report calls-out an extension of Minnesota's Cedar Lake Bike Trail that would allow people to commute to and from downtown Minneapolis all the way to the new Minnesota Twins stadium. It's a project supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. I guess a better bike connection to Minneapolis's central business district doesn't count as infrastructure to some folks.”
Bridge bike path
Another project criticized in the Coburn-McCain report is the $5.6 million conversion of the Meridian Bridge:
“And he calls-out the Meridian Bridge conversion to bike and pedestrian use. A newer bridge now carries automobile traffic over the Missouri River between Yankton, SD, and Nebraska. Hmm…demolish Yankton's signature landmark, listed on the National Register of Historic Places? Or use Recovery Act money to connect an extensive network of trails on the Nebraska side with a similarly extensive network of trails on the South Dakota side?”
Progress
Yankton's master plan report for the riverfront development — “Two bridges to the future” — says the historic bridge will become the centerpiece of a trail loop that follows both sides of the Missouri River to Gavins Point using existing and planned regional trails.
LaHood concludes:
“We've worked hard this year to get our Recovery Act dollars out to the states quickly and effectively. Yes, some of those projects include bike paths, a key ingredient in our livability initiative to allow people to live, work, and get around without a car.
“We don't call that waste; we call it progress.”
Previous comments
LaHood's statements are in stark contrast to predecessor Peters, who drew the ire of bike and pedestrian advocates in 2007 after her interview of the PBS News Hour with Jim Lehrer.
“Well, there's about probably some 10 percent to 20 percent of the current spending that is going to projects that really are not transportation, directly transportation-related. Some of that money is being spent on things, as I said earlier, like bike paths or trails. …”
Let's hope LaHood keeps fighting the good fight for alternative forms of transportation. You can also read about the department's efforts to curb “distracted driving.”
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