It is time to get past the think that "mege-infrastructure" is solving our problems. Repair and maintenence is worthy however, it is silly to ignore the cycle... build a big road with public dollars to solve congestion ...new private development takes advantage of infrastructure (as they should)...more congetion...new road...private investment...congestion......

The way to solve this problem is multi modal trasit options with associated land use to inspire walkable and bike-able streets. Think out of the box-- or better yet, take a vacation to Amsterdam or Beiging - then tell me the bicycle isn't a form of transit.

Thank you for your e-mail about the importance of bicycling and walking as a form of transportation. I share your interest in a safe, efficient multimodal transportation system. Your e-mail discussed comments I made during a recent interview regarding the importance of effectively prioritizing major transportation spending decisions. These comments were in no way intended as an indictment of bicycle and pedestrian investments broadly. Rather, they were part of a much larger critique of the processes by which investment decisions are increasingly being made at the Federal level. Too often, political influence and power are guiding transportation spending priorities, instead of merit, competition, data, and analysis.

The U.S. Department of Transportation believes that bicyclists and pedestrians are legitimate and welcome users of our Nation's transportation system. They are a healthy part of the solution to congestion in our urban areas. We also believe that States, metropolitan planning organizations, and transit agencies are in the best position to understand the unique needs of their own communities, which is why we have continued to strongly support broad eligibility under the Federal-aid program for a diverse mix of transportation investments, including bicycle and pedestrian transportation facilities.

Programs that improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians are also eligible for Federal safety dollars. Although the number of bicyclist and pedestrian injuries and fatalities has dropped by 10 percent since 1994, fatalities have increased in the last 2 years, and this is not acceptable.

Thank you again for voicing your opinion. I hope to continue to work with bicycling and pedestrian advocates as we face the challenges of meeting our country's changing transportation needs.

[Signed]
Mary Peters

Here's the link:

http://bicycling.about.com/b/2007/10/29/wait-bikes-really-are-transportation-dot-secretary-mary-peters-now-says.htm

CT currently has an order in for new train cars and there is still time for adjustments to the order to made, particularly for Caltrain-style bike cars to be added. I have written to Jodi Rell and requested that this be done. I encourage you to do the same.
Governor.Rell@ct.gov

Other than the usual arguments for bike use, you might want to mention that bike cars would help resolve the shortage of parking spaces at Metro-North stations (actually a big issue here in the press and in local politics).

CT has a new order of train cars in and there is still time to for Caltrain-style bike cars to be added to the order. I recently wrote Jodi Rell (CT governor) about this and encourage everyone else to do the same. Governor.Rell@ct.gov.

Other than the usual arguments for encouraging bike use, you might want also to mention that bike cars on trains would help solve the critical problem of parking shortages at Metro-North stations (which is actually a major issue in the CT press).

http://nyc.mybikelane.com/profile/index/154
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVYxpanvjEE

Keep it up and ride safe!

We are listening.

Do your folks let you ride into Manhattan on your own?

How often do you do that sort of ride?

Very cool.

Because you see, bikes are transportation. The only reason people don't ride bikes to work or school is perception & they're own views. America for the past 50 or so years has been a car culture. There are large suburbs like Long Island, Westchester, Southwest Connecticut, North New Jersey in the NYC area. A lot of people who live there drive, even though there is fast commuter rail in all those places. But most of the time there are large expressways such as the Long Island Expressway, the I-95, & the I-78. Many people use these. So America for the past 50 years has been built around the car. That means people shun other modes of transportation due to class & other people's views.

If we portray bikes & trains as quick, cheap, easy, healthy ways of transport more people will use them. And if we accommodate people to use bikes & trains more people will use them. That means bike lanes & paths. So you should accommodate bike riders. This also helps reduce congestion which is a problem in Manhattan & is a great thing to go along with the money you gave to New York to fight congestion.

Thanks for listening
Quinn Hu

Hopefully she;ll listen to a 13-year old boy like me.

It is a vicious cycle that needs to stop. We go to war and end up protecting oil wells so we can fill our cars with gas at a cheap price. Cars that get low gas milage and contribute to global climate change. We then spend more money abroad than at home. Money spent on the war machine could be and should be spent on better things at home like infrastructure, health care, and education.
We need to take care of ourselves and elect politicians that have OUR best intrest in mind, not theirs. It is about our quality of life people.
We are the fattest nation on the planet. The health care system, run by former politicians, is getting rich from this. The government doesn't want people exercising. If you don't ride your bike to work they win. You put money in their pocket two fold, from gas and your declining health.
I live in Ft. Collins, Colorado. We have bike lanes on a majority of our roads and two large trails through town. I ride my bike everywhere because of this. Colorado in general has a lot of bike trails. Maybe this is why Colorado is also the leanest state.
Let's all face it, govenment should be funding more bike paths and alternative methods of getting to work. Along the way, maybe they could give a tax break to healthy people but that would be giving not taking.

http://www.bikeleague.org/news/images/peters_letter.pdf

League Responds to DOT Attacks on Bike Projects

The bicycle community responded quickly to a series of astonishing statements by Mary Peters, Secretary of Transportation, linking the tragic Minneapolis bridge collapse to spending on bicycling projects and the Safe Routes to School program. The League's quick response to her statements on the News Hour with Jim Lehrer was picked up by bloggers and advocacy groups across the country. "Our rapid reaction was even more important as we discovered Secretary Peters had been spreading this misinformation to newspapers and editorial writers as part of a campaign to discredit Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN) and other Congressional leaders seeking to raise additional funding for infrastructure needs. We haven't heard back from the Secretary yet," said Andy Clarke, executive director of the League. Write to her yourself, at our Advocacy Center: http://capwiz.com/lab/home/

When the Democrats take over in Washington, let's not let them make these same kinds of idiotic statements. They're not perfect, but they can't be this dumb.

Norm "Amtrak is losing money! Let's dismantle it!" Mineta was pretty close.

Dear Secretary Peters,

I saw your recent comment on the Newshour with Jim Lehrer that certain nationally-funded transportation projects that facilitate bicycling "are not transportation, directly transportation-related. Some of that money is being spent on things, as I said earlier, like bike paths or trails." I have seen your previous statements and I know that you are aware that bicycling is a significant mode of daily transportation at least in some parts of the country that should be encouraged. Will you please publicly clarify your comments so that you will not be misunderstood or misquoted as having the view that "bicycling is not transportation"?
If not, please explain why not.
Thank you,

Peters clearly understands the issues from the carefully worded speeches that some have posted from Bike to Work Day. But sometimes in the heat of a conversation (or after a few beers), your real views show through.

Perhaps we can use this as an opportunity to help get the word out in a more "enlightened" manner.

I sent a letter to her, as I suggest all do. I commute on a mixed use bike path in Chicago that also supports walkers, joggers, roller bladers and recreational cyclists. During rush hour, there are thousands of cyclists. This is exactly the type of path she has in her head is not really used for transportation. This is exactly the type of path our mayor here in Chicago thinks makes our city great. He spent millions of dollars on a "Bike Station" downtown that includes indoor bike parking, showers and lockers, and which now has a long waiting list. This was a very attractive consideration when I was considering relocating my family to Chicago 5 years ago.

I asked her to not issue a simple retraction, rather, a fully educated statement on the benefits of bikes as transportation and our fledgling bicycle infrastructure. When she does this, of course, I've asked her to convey that she mis-spoke on the news program. We're worth more than a footnote retraction.

One additional suggestion - take it or leave it: state your line of work and some demographics about yourself and those of fellow cyclists. I think there is a perception that cycling commuters are some fringe group. Here in Chicago, I commute on varying days with a lawyer, investment banker, software developer, truck driver, doctor and ceo. It should be clear to these politicians that we are voters that cross the demographic and political spectrum. If we're seen as a niche group, it does less to help our cause.

The University of Minnesota is just south of the bridge, with major University Buildings on both sides of the River. Law School, Social Science, Business, Humphrey Public Policy Institute and the main library on the West Bank, and most University Housing and the rest of the U on the E. Bank. Bikes are a great way to get from one side to the other, and a bikeway on a new I-35 would help. In fact they have closed four bike paths during the recovery. Yes, I-35 is Mexico to Duluth interstate, and it moves commuters in from the burbs to the business district, but it also carries cross-river neighborhood traffic.