An organization of state highway departments wants to erode a federal directive that would put bicycle and pedestrian traffic on an equal footing with motor vehicles in state and metropolitan transportation plans.
The League of American Bicyclists issued an “action alert” Friday morning asking bicyclists to contact their state transportation department chiefs to ask they reject the recommendation.
The group, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), is asking the US Department of Transportation to withdraw its guidance that says bicyclists and pedestrians be given “due consideration” in comprehensive planning and that there “must be exceptional circumstances for denying bicycle and pedestrian access.”
“Where appropriate”
Instead, the AASHTO wants the language for bicyclist or pedestrian access reverted to “consider where appropriate.” Otherwise, they say, the regulation “presents an undue burden on states to justify exceptional circumstances when not including provisions for bicyclists and pedestrians in a project.”
The League says this approach is “misguided”:
The bicycle advocates go on to say that 23 states have embraced Complete Streets policies and the AASHTO should get on board.
Write a letter
If you want to contact your state Transportation Secretary (in Washington state it's Paula Hammond) about this issue, the League of American Bicyclists has an advocacy email you can send as is or amend.
Treating bicyclists and pedestrians as equals to motorists in transportation planning has been one of the missions of Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. He spelled out the new direction last year in his “The Fast Lane” blog (“My view from atop the table at the National Bike Summit”).
Days later, he was ridiculed by Republicans who suggested that more bicyclists means less money for transportation, and that bike lane construction doesn't create jobs. Subsequent studies have shown, however, that bike lane construction actually creates more jobs per $1 million spent that road repairs, upgrades and resurfacings.
Holistic
There are many members of the AASHTO who do favor bicycling; that's why their request to the federal government is so perplexing.
AASHTO is one of the groups working to create the 50,000-mile network of the U.S. Bicycle System. Let's hope that the organization changes its mind on this one and, as the League says, becomes “a leading voice in shaping holistic and comprehensive transportation systems.”
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