There would be a lot of potential for abuse of the incentives program, I think, but I do feel that the way to go is to push for more bike lines, more pedestrian access, and more education all around. In cities, bicycling can certainly be an answer but in the suburbs designed around the car, people have to be fairly hardcore to get themselves from point A to point B because it IS farther. My rural experience says that there is ample opportunity to be active simply by being in the sticks, but many choose not to take these opportunities and use their car for everything.

I don't think that this 'active desire' is genetic, but I do feel that it is an environmental thing. I grew up surrounded by both obesity and activity. My brother and sister became obese and I watched them (and my mother) gain weight and decided that would not be me. Since, then, I've watched my brother take up road biking and track racing and he is gradually starting to change shape and slim down. I'm really proud of him because I know that it requires a near-complete reprogramming of habits he's developed over a lifetime. Also, as the youngest, he was enabled a lot when it came to food and sedentary lifestyle. We're trying to encourage our sister gently, but she really needs to see the writing on the wall on her own.

I agree with you Crankin, that in many ways New England is a bit of a conundrum. It's generally a fairly 'thin' cluster of states, but man are the roads NOT fit for cycling. We made the best of it, but NE roads simply weren't designed for other travel besides car travel. I'd love to see Boston shift its eye toward complete streets now that the Big Dig and the bridge are essentially complete.

Another interesting thing is that some cities that have a large bicycling population still aren't as bicycle-friendly as they ought to be. Madison, WI is a good example of this. I don't think I've ever been to a city with more bicyclists, but there were only as many bike lanes as there are in St. Louis. You'd think with such a flourishing bike culture, the city would try to do more for these people.

All I can say is vote vote vote and lobby for yourselves. I wish there was a way to donate my tax money to specific causes, we all know that that's not how it works.