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Advocacy Alert

Take Action, Save Bike Funding!

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Bicycle and Pedestrian Funding under Attack AGAIN, Contact your Senators to Save Transportation Enhancements Funding

It’s happening again… Just one month ago, Sen. Coburn (R-OK) failed in his efforts to strip funding for Transportation Enhancements from the six-month transportation extension.

Now, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is taking the lead to destroy Transportation Enhancements. On November 1, the Senate will finalize the transportation appropriations bill. Sen. Paul has proposed an amendment to redirect all funding for Transportation Enhancements to bridge repair.

Send an email to your Senators now to ask them to vote against the Paul amendment that would eliminate Transportation Enhancements. We agree on the need to keep our bridges safe, but the lives of pedestrians and cyclists are important too.

If Sen. Paul’s amendment succeeds, it would eliminate $700 million in federal funding in 2012 that is used to construct sidewalks, bike lanes, bike paths, trails and other infrastructure that makes our roads safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. Even if every penny of these funds is actually diverted to bridge repairs, Senator Paul’s plan will still take 80 years to fix the backlog of bridge repairs we have today. Keep in mind that:

  • The TE program represents less than two percent of federal transportation fund. These projects help alleviate traffic congestion, improve safety, get people active, and create more jobs per dollar than highway-only projects.
  • Last year, states gave more than $530 million dollars of bridge repair money back to the federal government last year.
  • Thirteen people died when the Minneapolis bridge collapsed in 2007: since then, close to 20,000 pedestrians and 2,800 cyclists have died on our nation’s highways, largely as a result of poor highway design and a lack of safe non-motorized infrastructure – exactly what TE program was created to fix.

If the Paul amendment succeeds, it will make it much more challenging to sustain funding for TE, Safe Routes to School, and Recreational Trails in the long-term transportation bill that the Environment and Public Works Committee starts debating just 8 days later on November 9.

We must turn back any amendment to strip Transportation Enhancements.  Last month, more than 75,000 messages were sent to Senators to ask them to stand strong for TE. That was an amazing turnout, but we must do better this time. Every time someone in Congress attacks bicycling and walking, we must push back even stronger. And, we will keep doing it until bicycle and pedestrian funding is protected.

This is the third time in a month that a few Senators have targeted Transportation Enhancements, using a different angle each time. It is a waste of the Senate’s time and taxpayer dollars to focus on this small and valuable program when we are in dire need of real and viable solutions to fix our failing transportation system.

Please contact your Senators today to ask them to vote against the Paul amendment (SA-821) to eliminate Transportation Enhancements.

And then forward this message to five others who care about the safety of people walking and bicycling on our streets. Thanks for your help, and for passing this along.

Advocacy Alert

Bicycle & Pedestrian Funding Under Attack

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This year, around $700 million of Federal transportation funds, (less than 2 percent of total transportation dollars) will be spent on bicycling and walking.  In 2012 that figure could be A BIG FAT ZERO. Show our leaders that bicyclists are voters too!

Join the Coalition, our state and national partners and call your Senator to let them know you support CONTINUED FUNDING FOR BIKING AND WALKING. The League of American Bicyclists has a simple site to find out who your Senator is, and allows you to easily contact them. We ask that you take just a moment and contact your Senator TODAY.

We have created a simple infographic to outline the importance of this issue, feel free to share with your friends and family:

 

Advocacy Alert

Transportation Funding Press Conference

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The future of transportation funding is important for bicycle and pedestrian facilities, for our local economy, for job creation, and many other reasons. Congresswoman Lois Capps is going to be in San Luis Obispo to talk about these issues, and what we can do to ensure the future of biking and walking is not in jeopardy.

WHAT: Transportation Funding Press Conference (w/ Lois Capps)

WHEN: Wednesday, August 31st, 10:30 – 11:00 am

WHERE: Corner of Johnson Ave and Buchon St (map)

WHY: Join us, and various local officials, to discuss the importance of funding infrastructure for creating jobs and boosting our local economy, and how the proposed House Transportation Committee plan would cut funding by 33% and jeopardize construction jobs and transportation improvements in SLO County

Speaking in order
Congresswoman Lois Capps
Jan Marx, Mayor of San Luis Obispo
Adam Hill, Chairman of SLO County Board of Supervisors
Bruce Gibson, Chairman of SLO County Council of Governments/County Supervisor
Dan Rivoire, Executive Director of SLO County Bicycle Coalition

 

Bicycle Collision Statistics

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Ever wondered what causes bicycle collisions? The answers might surprise you!

Still worried about crashing? Take one of our free Education Workshops to learn some techniques to avoid them while riding on the road.

Of the 18% involving motor vehicles…

Madonna Bike Path Dedication

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Join us on Friday, February 18th at 3:00 as the Madonna Inn Bike Path is formally opened!

We will all ride the path together, and have a group photo op to celebrate this great new facility. The dedication will take place in the north part of the Madonna Inn parking lot, please bike or walk to the celebration if you can. We hope to see you there!

Hosted by the City of San Luis Obispo, Madonna Inn, Air Pollution Control District and CalTrans

Member Profile: Vanessa, Ella & Cora

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Vanessa Amerson, San Luis Obispo

How long have you been a Coalition member? 2008

When did you start bicycling? When I was 6 on a cruiser with wooden blocks on the pedals

Why do you bike? I hate Cars and parking and paying for parking. And I like saying “good morning” to neighbors and chatting with friends

How many bikes do you own? 5, all very different

How often do you ride? Commutishly about 10 trips a week

What kind of riding do you do? Costumed SLO-hemian, Amateur Ballet

What do you think the most important thing the Coalition has done in our area? Joined the people to create a voice of advocacy

What changes/improvements have you seen since you lived here? Bike Blvd, Bike Kitchen, Bike signal, Bike parking

What additional changes would you like to see? Better Bike facilities at the Elementary and Jr. High Schools

What’s your favorite ride? To and from school with my daughters

What’s your advice to encourage others to get on their bikes? If you find a bike you love you are more likely to ride it and a bike doesn’t have to be expensive to fall in love with it.

How do you get involved with Coalition? I encourage parents and kids to practice riding together at Kidical Mass

What’s your favorite Coalition program? The Bike Kitchen

Anything else you want to add? Biking makes happy easily accessible.

Cora, San Luis Obispo

When did you start bicycling? When I was 4

Why do you bike? Because it’s fun

How many bikes do you own? 2

How often do you ride? Very often with my dad and most of the time with my mom

What kind of riding do you do? Regular riding

What do you think the most important thing the Coalition has done in our area? Help with Kidical Mass

What changes/improvements have you seen since you lived here? None

What additional changes would you like to see? I want everyone to like me

What’s your favorite ride? Kidical Mass

 

Anything else you want to add? Ella’s bike is shiny and mine isn’t

Ella, San Luis Obispo

When did you start bicycling? When I was 5

Why do you bike? It’s fun

How many bikes do you own? 2

How often do you ride? Whenever I’m with my mom

What kind of riding do you do? Kidical Mass riding

What do you think the most important thing the Coalition has done in our area? Keeping people safe when they’re riding bicycles

What changes/improvements have you seen since you lived here? I’ve seen a lot of people on bikes.

What additional changes would you like to see? A BIG sign in front of Bike Valet that says “Bike Coalition”

What’s your favorite ride? SLO Little 500

What’s your advice to encourage others to get on their bikes? All you have to do is pedal

How do you get involved with Coalition? I tell my friends about Kidical Mass

What’s your favorite Coalition program? Kidical Mass because sometimes the Childrens Museum brings crafts and you can put them on your bike

Anything else you want to add? When people help out at the Kitchen they help people get their bikes fixed and that makes people happy.

If You Build It, They Will Come: The Future of Bicycle Infrastructure

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Recently, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a ‘sea change’ in transportation policy: making bicycling as important as driving. LaHood’s statement is representative of what the American people want; alternatives to car transportation and a sustainable future.

But many communities want the opportunity on the weekends and during the week to have the chance to bike to work, to bike to the store, to spend time with their family on a bike. So, this is not just Ray LaHood’s agenda, this is the American agenda that the American people want for alternatives to the automobile.

What’s happened around America is people are buying bikes and they’re using them for recreational purposes on the weekend and there’s no better family way for people to spend a weekend than riding their bikes on these biking trails.

-Ray LaHood, Transportation Secretary

In his interview on NPR’s All Things Considered last week, LaHood spoke of the initial investment we made in our advanced highway system over 50 years ago, and how if the same energy was put towards any other mode of transit, we would be connected in a variety of ways. Shifting attention towards alternative forms of transit can help provide options for everyone.

With an increase in bicycle transportation, we can see a decrease in the number of cars on the road, thus alleviated congestion along crowded vehicular corridors, providing a win-win for both modes of transportation. Less than 10% of the country uses bicycles as a primary mode of transit, but as we increase bicycle facilities, these numbers will continue to rise.

We know that 90 percent of the people aren’t going to be cycling to work, but that opportunity and that option and that kind of alternative is something we think people want.

-Ray LaHood, Transportation Secretary

The mentality of “if you build it they will come” can be directly applied to the future of bicycle infrastructure throughout our country. Here at the Coalition, we are working to make projects like this a reality in SLO County, join in our efforts by becoming a member of the Coalition or volunteering for our events throughout the year.

An image showing the same number of people in single occupancy vehicles, a bus and bicycles. Look how much less space the bicycles take than the cars!

the shweeb

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this pedal powered monorail system was developed in New Zealand, by Geoff Barnett, about 10 years ago. currently, it is set up as a park-style ride, but Barnett’s original inception was as an individual form of transport for major cities. the idea is centered around a sustainable form of transit that provides people with an aerobic workout as well.

right now the shweeb is only in a park setting in New Zealand, but it’s concept is something reminiscent of a hyper-futuristic city, or the beginning title sequence of futurama: