Originally Posted by Daily Commute
Bicycle coordinators can be helpful, but "bike/ped" coordinators are a step backwards for cyclists. "Bike/ped" coordinators tend to think of cyclists as slightly-faster-than-normal-pedestrians rather than as slow-moving traffic.
Even if the coordinator himself or herself doesn't have that bias, the creation of a "bike/ped" position in a transportation department means that department doesn't see cyclists as legitimate traffic. The department sees us as pedestrians who should be excluded fromt he traffic flow.
I do not agree. In Iowa the bike/ped coordinator has a responsibility for both the needs of cyclists & pedestrians, so she has an equal bias to both, not more of a bias to one or the other.
Example, part of her job includes but is not limited to: For cyclists it is making sure the new guidlines for shoulder width along state highways are being adhered to. For pedestrians it is making sure the new guidlines for new side path/walk width is adhered to, especially when it comes to a side path/walk along a state highway that goes through a town or city. Yes there are quite a few that do.
Another reason the same person does both is it costs the state less money. Which means it costs the tax payers less & it can provide more funds for bicycle/pedestrian facilities & improvments in the state.
In Iowa cyclists are considered legitmate traffic by the IADOT. Remeber Iowa hosts RAGBRAI every year. The RAGBRAI officials work with the IADOT & the state highway patrol department. If cyclists were not considered legitimate traffic RAGBRAI would not be allowed to continue for as long as it has, over 30 years now. In fact it got to the point where the RAGBRAI officials had to start working with the IADOT & highway patrol to make sure cyclists wer considered legitimate traffic or it would have been shut down.