Proposed law to force cyclists off roads on federal land

[ny biker]

The US senate is considering a bill that would force cyclists off of
roads and onto sidepaths in Federal parks and on Federal land. Info here:

http://blog.bikeleague.org/blog/2011/11/proposed-law-would-force-cyclists-off-roads-on-federal-land-and-onto-paths/

The League of American Bicyclists has created a petition against it:

http://www.bikeleague.org/petition/

[Melalvai]

I signed.

On the previous 3 attacks in the last month, I contacted my senators each time. Sen Blunt (R) made statements in favor of bike/ped. Sen McCaskill (D) never said a thing. (In the past she's been against bike/ped). However, on the last bill that actually came to a vote, they voted along party lines. She voted against the bill (and for bike/ped), Blunt voted for it. Fortunately it was defeated. But I was very disappointed in him after he'd made all these statements-- including one right before the vote in an email to me (and other constituents who contacted him)-- in favor of bike/ped.

This year has just been one long struggle to keep our ground in the face of the attacks. That's frustrating after we'd been making progress in the past few years.

[tangentgirl]

There are party lines for bicycling? That's just nutso.

[Biciclista]

I signed too.

[Koronin]

signed

[azfiddle]

Me too - I ride weekly at Saguaro NP- where there aren't any paths anyway, but can you picture this in Yosemite Valley, for example? Maybe the speed limit is less than 30 mph there, so it wouldn't fit the law, but if you have pathways crowded with a lot of pedestrians, it would impossible to navigate through them safely!

[Melalvai]

There are party lines for bicycling? That's just nutso.
The specific bill attacking bike/ped was sponsored by a group of Republicans. Historically, attacks and supports have come from both sides. Bicycling is actually a great bipartisan issue usually. This year, Republicans are picking on bike/ped as frivolous funding.

Personally I think highways are frivolous funding. You can save taxpayers a lot of dollars by building bike paths instead of highways. Our transportation budget could be cut to 1% of what it is now. Instead of cutting our transportation budget BY 1% (eliminating bike/ped) and claiming that you are eliminating frivolous bike paths that no one uses.