Salon: A new congressional transportation appropriations bill will entirely eliminate some $600 million worth of annual federal funding for bike paths, walkways and other such transportation niceties in fiscal year 2004. Meanwhile, “highways would receive $34.1 billion in fiscal year 2004, which is $2.5 billion more than this year.”
Never mind the political fallout of U.S. oil dependency on the Middle East, or the fact that the average mileage per gallon for new cars and trucks in the U.S. is at its lowest level in 20 years.
We worked very hard to find a house within biking distance to work. The bike path that gets me 80% of the way there has turned out to be more of a blessing than I had imagined (when I’m not getting atomized on the remaining 20%). Being able to ride or walk to work through the city amongst green grass, away from threat of cars, is an experience I wish every American — and every congressperson — could have for just one week. Instead we encourage the problem and discourage the solution.
:( People will never learn… never…
Environment? Bah, who cares! We have money from the oil lobbies to colect, the Earth won’t notice a few more cars on the highways, those pesky environmentalists are such fatalists…
People will never learn…
I agree about the wonders of riding to work through green space and so on. Even riding on roads is an improvement. The environmental benefit aside (and that’s not to minimize it, because it’s the major reason I started), I explain it to people this way: Driving or even taking public transit, my commute to work is a significant daily stress factor. Biking, my commute to work is a significant daily relaxation (or at least, de-stressing) factor. Since the environment seems to be job #infinity on not only the government’s minds these days, but the minds of most of the people (see also Ford’s report that their biggest fuel efficiency challenge these days is consumers’ drive for larger and larger vehicles), I wonder how much benefit could be presented for cycling paths and the like simply in terms of health/stress benefits. I’m amazed at how much impact riding or not riding has on me in terms of overall health and well-being and even mental health and well-being.
Seen this?
http://www.mslinux.org/
At the risk of preaching to the choir: Elect an oil man to the office of President, expect the nation to be run in favor of big oil. And big oil is by nature a short sighted business – most companies try and plan further ahead than “and at this point, we run out of oil, and we all go out of business.”
come live with us in the Netherlands. We ride bikes everywhere and have bikers lanes along every road (except freeways). As a kid I used to visit my grandmother around 20 kilometers south by driving there on my bike, all over seperate lanes.
Edwin, believe me, it’s a recurring fantasy (to move to Holland, or Sweden, or, Denmark..)
Zdarec.
Edwin M:I agree that riding a bike is good relaxation but if you have time for 20-kilometer-long way to your grandmother you have to be very succesful man.So are you succesful man or only next employee of your boss?I want to know if you are really in good time(age) to riding a bike or you ride a bike because of another reasons…
Are you a happy man? And if you are not so why and why are you loosing a time with riding a bike?Tell my why?
This could be a good page for discussions and I would like to know it…