Posted on 03/25/2010 3:30:11 AM PDT by Man50D
Rest of title: at the Expense of Non-Motorized'
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has announced that federal transportation policies will no longer favor “motorized” transportation, such as cars and trucks, over “non-motorized” transportation, such as walking and bicycling.
LaHood signed the new policy directive on March 11, the same day he attended a congressional reception for the National Bike Summit, a convention sponsored by a bicycling advocacy group, the League of American Bicyclists. LaHood publicly announced his agency’s new direction four days later in a posting on his blog—“Fast Lane: The Official Blog of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation”--where he effusively described it as a “sea change” for the United States.
“Today, I want to announce a sea change,” LaHood wrote. “People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.”
LaHood’s policy statement not only called for this change to take place in programs funded by the federal government, but also said the federal government would “encourage” state and local governments to do the same in their own programs.
“The establishment of well-connected walking and bicycling networks is an important component for livable communities, and their design should be a part of Federal-aid project developments,” said LaHood's policy statement.
“Because of the benefits they provide, transportation agencies should give the same priority to walking and bicycling as is given to other transportation modes,” it said.
LaHood's policy statement envisions the development of a transportation system in which people walk and bike for short distances and rely on mass transit for longer trips. “The primary goal of a transportation system is to safely and efficiently move people and goods,” said LaHood's statement. “Walking and bicycling are efficient transportation modes for most short trips and, where convenient intermodal systems exist, these nonmotorized trips can easily be linked with transit to significantly increase trip distance.”
On May 21, LaHood told reporters at the National Press Club that the “Partnership for Sustainable Communities’ his department had formed with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Housing—sometimes known as the “livability initiative”--was designed to “coerce” people out of their cars.
“Some in the highway-supporters motorist groups have been concerned by your livability initiative,” said the moderator at the National Press Club event. “Is this an effort to make driving more torturous and to coerce people out of their cars?”
“It is a way to coerce people out of their cars,” said LaHood.
The moderator later asked: “Some conservative groups are wary of the livable communities program, saying it's an example of government intrusion into people's lives. How do you respond?”
“About everything we do around here is government intrusion in people's lives,” said LaHood. “So have at it.”
Motorists now pay a federal tax of 18.3 cents on every gallon of gasoline they buy, and 24.4 cents on every gallon of diesel fuel. These taxes fund the federal Highway Trust Fund. According to a study by the Heritage Foundation, 26 percent of the money in this trust fund was diverted in fiscal 2008 to pay for things other than highways and roads. Of the total of $52 billion spent that was spent that year, $9.7 billion went to mass transit, even though mass transit passengers accounted for only 1.6 percent of surface-transportation passengers. The highway trust fund also gave $80 million that year to build trails.
maybe these people need to be removed after all....
““Because of the benefits they provide, transportation agencies should give the same priority to walking and bicycling as is given to other transportation modes,” it said.”
Neither that fat ass or the rest of the elite will live in those communes, nor will they be pedaling bikes.
Last time I was in a country heavily dependent on pedal power was S. Korea in 1975. I was real impressed by the papasans pedaling along with an A-frame on the back of their two wheelers loaded down with cases of coke or other product. Typical 3rd world and 2nd world mobility.
This sh*t has got to stop.
Ahhh sorta Like North Korea where the bulk of the populace get around by walking or biking while the elites travel around in Limos and Armed Motorcades...
Yup.
There is not a single public servant worthy cabinet member in this administration.
This could totally backfire on bicyclists who might someday be charged an equivalent registration fee and fees comparable to what we pay in gas taxes that go to highways. Everything always ends up in more taxes from every sector, no matter how protected they think they are at the beginning of the process.
Did you get hired as Secretary of Transportation?
Then there’s school busing....out of their neighborhoods....where they still get “D’s” and let their pants hang below the crack line.
Let`s see .........what kind of mandates & restrictions can we place on bikes?
WE will tell you what size tires you can have....everybody`s bike must be the same lest an idividual have a better bike than another.........no American flags or stickers on the bike..........giant chain guards on each bike to prevent burquas from becoming entangled in the chain....etc
More force from this admin. Go figure.
Hey lahood, are you going to be riding a bike?
these people are straight up mental.... what the hello.... removal is imperative at this point. these people hate america.
Since bikes are human propelled, we don't have to worry about OBAMA telling us to save fuel by properly inflating the tires.
Stupid is as stupid does.
That's really the only safe option for some people. I mean, you could be a sitting duck on a bicycle if a whole lot of people decided that you were some sort of enemy (foreign or domestic).
Gates and Mueller are the best cabinet members. The rest like LaHood are slugs!
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