666

In some parts of the world camels serve as transportation, in other parts they serve as far more:

https://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/...=mostpop_story

Keith99

While accurate your quote is a bit incomplete:

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. Some is being spent on museums, on restoring lighthouses, as I indicated.

And the context has been totally ignored so far. The interview was about the bridge collapse and this comment was in responce to a followup question on pork projects where the interviewer said much of the pork was still transportation and the interviewee came up with examples where transportation infrstructure was not the object of spending. Now I would have prefered a responce that put more stress on that still being pork.

Keith99

Do you ride a bike path or trail to do it? If not then you actually help prove her point and mine. She did NOT say biking was not transportation, she said funds spent on bike paths and trails (and museums and lighthouses) is not money spent on transportation infrastructure.

Should transportation infrastructure money be spent on bike paths and trails? I would say that depends. There are some win/win paths. Weekend recreation weekdays commuter. The river path in Sydney comes to mind. I know I've heard about similar paths in the Eastern parts of the U.S.

caloso

Personally, I don't need any money spent on bike paths. Just keep the streets paved and enforce the existing traffic laws.

qmsdc15

Furthermore, DOT does not consider bicycle messengers members of the public. Entry to their headquarters in DC is categorically denied to bicycle messengers while all others are permitted if a DOT employee OKs the visit.

tpelle

+1

Where I live, public money IS NOT spent on bike trails - i.e: those specifically for mountain bike use. I did just read an article in the local newspaper where the county administration has given permission for a local mountain bike association to construct and maintain bike trails in a county park.

However, I think it would be perfectly proper to design bike LANES into roads as these roads are updated or re-paved/re-designed/

7rider

Even with the glorious weather we've had this summer, I still don't see that many bike commuters in this area where there are decent bike lanes. I'd chalk a lot of it up to sprawl and general laziness. Tomorrow, my daughter starts school when many kids who could walk or bike to school are shuttled to school in traffic clogging vehicles. The only school buses I regularly see in Silicon Valley are the short buses.

mandovoodoo

I didn't read the comment as addressing bicycles, just bicycle paths. From a federal perspective, bicycle paths are local rather than interstate transportation corridors. I can't see why they should get federal funds myself.

Bicycles themselves are vehicles and already have an extensive transportation network available nationwide. Roads.

oilman_15106

Cheap political shots will not change the fact that Minn. spent 37% of their $1.6 billion highway money on repair of highways. The other billion went to "other" uses. (WSJ Saturday) This is the point that she was trying to make while offending the bicycle commuting community.

patentcad

Cheap Political Shots RULE.

To become a Zen Master of Cheap Political Shots, one need only watch Fox News 1-2 hours each day.

kraftwerk 

Not surprising coming from this administration. Ignorant: Check. Anti-environment : Check. Put the blame on someone else: Check. Yeah, Blame Bicyclists for the bridge collapse. (Not so far from the R/Right blaming *****exuality for the world trade center disatster) Now if we hadn't wasted SO MUCH money on bike paths that bridge would still be standing. And maybe New Orleans would't have flooded. RIGHT!
Weird logic for sure.. Sad actually. Okay, I am exagerating a bit, but really. This is not the kind of person I want representing my transportation needs. Besides why shouldn't some bike paths be federaly funded? You CAN ride from state to state on a bike path..

kraftwerk 

Check this thread also: Adminstration fails to see value of cycling/trials
R900

spdrcr5

Just curious as to how a Lighthouse wouldn't be considered part of the DOT. Is a lighthouse not what controls coastal boating? Are tankers and container ships not under DOT governing? Does a lighthouse not keep a tanker/container ship from running aground, crashing into something, etc? How is that any different than a traffic light in an intersection?

As for bicycles not falling under DOT jurisdiction for MUPs or any other type of path or not being considered transportation... it all falls under DOT jurisdiction. NY State received quite a bit of Federal DOT funding recently to begin, finish or help design new MUPs and bicycle lanes, put up Share the Road signs and mark out hundreds of miles of bicycle paths and lanes all across the state. I guess this was a different DOT that approved all of this...

kenny!

With obesity becoming a health crisis it's in the country's best interest to promote transportation via some means that includes exercise. If you figure what the long term costs are for treating heart disease and type 2 diabetes the bike paths are a good return on investment. Should the funds come from the department of health instead of the department of transportation? That could be argued either way. But it still comes down to the fact that it's addressing several issues that are plaguing the country.

Repairing a road only promotes the issues of congestion and poor health while further exasperating the problems. In other words, it's a poor return on investment and a waste of tax dollars in comparison to bikes.

johnny99

The League of American Bicyclists (the premier bicycling advocacy organization in the USA) has responded to the Secretary of Transportation's comments. There is a link in the top article on their web site: https://www.bikeleague.org/