AAA opposes funding for bike trails...link to an online petition

[Mr. Bloom]

I'm a AAA member...but now question the value I receive when there are other "towing vendors" out there... I don't use any of their other services...

I'm really quite shocked by this:


ANNOUNCEMENTS
Ask AAA to be a part of America’s Transportation Future
The American Automobile Association (AAA) wants Congress to cut funds that support trail, biking and walking programs in order to funnel that money to the highway system. AAA has forgotten that bicyclists drive, support AAA, pay gas taxes and want balanced transportation systems that provide the choice to get around in a variety of ways. Help us help them remember! Sign the Petition
http://support.railstotrails.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AAA

I've signed the petition as a member of AAA, but the rails-to trails petition is available for non-AAA members as well.

[Trek420]

Just one of the reasons I switched to Better World Auto club ;)

[channlluv]

Petition signed.

What is Better World Auto Club?

Roxy

[Mr. Bloom]

Trek is right ... Plus Better World offers assistance to stranded cyclists

http://www.betterworldclub.com/

[ridebikeme]

Thank you for sharing this! I did send out an email to friends/clients and hopefully more people will sign the petition.

Thanks Again!

[Norse]

I signed and forwarded to others and yes, we are a AAA household. But we'll be checking out the BetterWorld club now. Thanks everyone for the info.

[smilingcat]

signed and forwarded too.

thank you for the link!! My AAA membership is about to expire so this is a good time as any to switch. I like the idea of green friendly and bicycle friendly.

[Trek420]

Trek is right ...

Of course I am :p ;) :cool: + they give free bike maps to cyclist members. I must say felt pangs about leaving AAA, have always had them. One of my earliest memories of driving was my Dad handing me the card (may have been as he was showing me how to change a tire)

[KnottedYet]

Luuuuuuuuv my Better World membership!

Every driving and bike-riding member of the family has one. www.betterworldclub.com

And you even get a DISCOUNT if you regularly ride mass-transit.

I had also been a long-time member of AAA, but I could not continue to support a group that was so strongly against my other transportation choices. (I drive AND bike AND bus AND train AND walk)

[OakLeaf]

Every time I think about ditching my AAA membership, I have some trouble with a vehicle, call whatever other club I'm trying out, and when I can't get help from them, wind up having to call AAA. :(

AAA has been on the wrong side of pretty much everything for a long time. But I don't know how else to find a reliable wrecker service when I'm away from home.

[beccaB]

I went through this a while back. I have AAA and 3 young drivers and tried to find a less expensive policy, but there was not one in our area. I would like to be able to visit a local office and talk to a real person. Does this better world cover Michigan? There is an article about AAA being environmentally irresponsible from a leading national publication who's name I can't remember. Sierra club can probably provide a link to that. I will still look around some more. I can't just stand by and watch AAA take away more of the best bike riding places.

[Mr. Bloom]

I hear the issue about AAA loyalty...my family has had membership for over 40 years...

BUT:

They've never gotten me a tow truck faster than I could get one myself...they just paid for them IF I remembered to send in the receipt
They don't provide assistance to cyclists
I have a back-up alternative available through my auto insurance company
Years ago, I had a chronic problem and needed a tow three times (out of 20 years of membership) and they sent me a letter saying "one more tow and you're out":eek:...do much for loyalty:mad:


If you look at AAA, they're really an insurance agency and travel agency...cars are just the front door to their marketing of those services...PLUS, I'm really ticked off to hear what they're doing with this lobby.

I just became part of a local task force to get upgraded to Bike League Platinum Community status and I can't in good conscience continue membership in an organization that is opposing the funding for something that I'm actively supporting!

:)I'm really glad Trek posted this...it got a lot of forum time a couple years ago and I never followed up on it:)

[NoNo]

This came up on my local cycling discussion board, and a AAA representative wrote back to one of them:

Thank you for contacting our internet department with your comments about AAA's position relative to funding walking and biking trails

AAA is a large federation of clubs serving nearly 52 million members in the U.S. and Canada. Naturally, opinions within our federation and those expressed in the various individual club publications are not always congruent, and frequently reflect specific local and regional issues. At the same time, we do share much in terms of our support of our advocacy goals, which focus on a myriad of issues including teen driver safety, senior mobility, distracted driving and child passenger safety.

The specific commentary about transportation funding that has generated e-mail from yourself and others was printed recently in a AAA club publication from the mid-Atlantic area. Here at AAA Southern New England, our positions on federal transportation program and funding reforms are clear. We seek support for a transportation system that:

O provides clear choices and multi-modal opportunities
O is affordable and accessible for all users
O facilitates personal travel needs
O preserves and maximizes the utility of the current system
O increases capacity to address growing congestion

Our local club consistently supports the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy with modest financial support each year. More importantly, we support the organization as it vocally advocates for cyclists across America. We are aware that many AAA members enjoy riding bikes for recreation, and that many people use bikes as a means to commute to work, improve their physical health and reduce their overall carbon footprint. Our club's extensive and on-going work in the area of bicycle and pedestrian safety is further testimony to the broad and inclusive view we take regarding our country's transportation system.

As we look ahead to crafting a thoughtful and responsible highway reauthorization formula in the coming year, it is critical that the needs of a diverse stakeholder group be considered. I am hopeful that the various constituencies will continue to work together to achieve our mutual goal of making transportation a national priority.

Sincerely,

Lloyd Albert
Senior Vice President
AAA Southern New England
110 Royal Little Drive
Providence, RI 02904
401.868.2000 x2130

[Trek420]

When they say
As we look ahead to crafting a thoughtful and responsible highway reauthorization formula in the coming year, it is critical that the needs of a diverse stakeholder group be considered.

One wonders if they mean this ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nySs1cEq5rs&feature=player_embedded

In AAA's favor:
their call centers are union (I'm a union member and a call center rep, the work's dang hard so this is important to me)
on the phone, in person in the offices etc their customer service is very good
they are highly rated on diversity in hiring, promotion, customer service etc
the discounts with the card are enticing

And there's that sentimental "I've had this card since my learners permit in 1792" thing :rolleyes:

[MomOnBike]

The guy in that video could use a mile or two on a (heavy duty) bike.

Sigh. Talk about clueless. . .:rolleyes:

[smilingcat]

This just came in on my e-mail:


As you may have read in Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's (RTC) September eNews, states were mandated to "rescind" (cut from funds not yet spent) $2.2 billion in transportation funds by August 25. We were concerned that heavy-handed, disproportionate cuts would be made to Transportation Enhancements (TE), the nation’s largest funding source for trails, walking and bicycling.

Unfortunately, we were right. Nearly $580 million—more than one-fourth of the total transportation rescission, or more than 10 times what would have been proportional—was cut from TE alone.

Speak up now!

To target TE so disproportionately by cutting the equivalent of nearly eight months worth of TE funding across the country does great damage to the future of trails and other walking and bicycling infrastructure.

California cut many times TE’s proportional share.

Please contact your governor to voice your concern, and ask that these wrongs be addressed moving forward.

Thank you,

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy


P.S. For a detailed breakdown of cuts by state, please see RTC's rescissions table.

P.P.S. For background on this issue—including how to interpret any feedback you receive from your state officials—see RTC’s "Funny Money" article about how states have responded in the past to our concerns about TE rescissions, and why we don’t buy these responses.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
2121 Ward Ct., NW
5th Floor
Washington, DC 20037
+1-202-331-9696

[Trek420]

The guy in that video could use a mile or two on a (heavy duty) bike.

We could find one for him :D ;)