Month: February 2012 (Page 3 of 3)
I read a blog post yesterday about cycling that I am still thinking about today.
It hit home with me, expressing thoughts and beliefs that have crossed my mind, but that I have never taken the time to think through fully nor write about. Even if I had, I couldn’t have written so eloquently or insightfully. The blogger is Dave Horton and his blog is – thinking about cycling. I encourage you to check it out.
With his permission, here is an excerpt from Horton’s post, Who is cycling for (click on the link to go directly to the post).
I hope you won’t just settle for this excerpt, I highly recommend following the link and reading the entire post. What he says is profound and so right. Read the comments too, some are essays on cycling in their own right.
I have posted in the past about why we ride, this post is more about why others do not. Read it, you won’t regret it.
Who is cycling for/by Dave Horton
This might seem a strange question. Surely, cycling is for everyone? Well, after three years’ research for the Understanding Walking and Cyclingproject, my clear answer is that – in Britain today – it’s not. Our task of course is to make it so.
So who then, have we found cycling to be for? Primarily, for a hardy bunch of inadvertent elitists. People like me, perhaps like you, who ride despite the generally atrocious conditions which effectively discourage the big majority of people from doing likewise. Often we don’t notice conditions are atrocious because we’ve got used to them, and/or our skill levels have improved in order to deal with them.
We cycle, we take our capacity to cycle for granted, and we sometimes drift towards an expectation that other people should find it as easy, or almost as easy, as we do. We fail to understand how difficult other people find it. Read more here…
My letter to Oklahoma Representative James Lankford, a member of the House transportation committee, asking for his support of biking and pedestrian funding.
*(I should add that the first three paragraphs are mine, the rest is the generic letter I sent through Rails-to-Trails. I also sent letters via LAB and Alliance for Biking and Walking and other orgs fighting for our rights. Watching the vote now – SL)
Dear Representative Lankford:
I have written to you in the past asking for your support of bicycling, but never have the circumstances been more dire.
As a country we may not realize it yet, but biking will be an important mode of transportation in the future. To many of us it already is. I know people who can’t afford to own a car or two cars for couples and use a bike (or walk) to get to work, school, shop, etc. Of course I also know people who ride for recreation and enjoyment.
As you may recall, Oklahoma City Mayor Cornett challenged Oklahoma City residents to exercise and lose weight – and they did, over one million pounds. Many did so by biking. As a country we need to do everything we can to encourage people to bike, walk and focus on their health – certainly not reduce funding to the very programs that provide for these activities.
I ask you, as a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to vote for the Petri/Johnson/Lipinski amendment that will restore dedicated funding to the Transportation Enhancements (TE) program, among other important fixes, in reauthorization markup.
In particular, I am deeply upset that the draft bill eliminates the rail-trail category. Rail-trails do tremendous good for everyone: commuters, children learning to ride a bike, and small towns looking to boost their tourism and attract families. We all desperately need–and deserve–more such opportunities.
I look forward to hearing of your efforts to stand with Reps. Petri, Johnson and Lipinski by voting for this amendment to restore dedicated funding to the TE and Safe Routes to School programs.
Sincerely,
*Update: Unfortunately, the amendment failed by two votes. It isn’t over but this was a set-back. Rep. Lankford didn’t vote for it – no surprise. Two Republicans on the Committee voted yes, all Democrats did. Thanks to everyone for all efforts made in support of biking and pedestrian programs. More will be needed, and as I learn of future votes, etc. I’ll try to pass them on here. –Susan
If you care about bicycling, or walking in your community for that matter, you need to take action – NOW.
Dedicated funding for bicycling and walking programs is eliminated completely in the new Transportation funding bill, American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, currently in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
The time to act is now:
If one of your representatives is on the Committee (Oklahoma Representative James Lankford is) please contact them immediately. An easy way to do that has been provided here by the League of American Bicyclists.
To find out if your congressman is on the transportation committee go here and follow the process using your zip code. Even if your rep is not on the committee you should still contact them to voice your support.