Biking now a "real" transportation mode!

Great news for the bicycling enthusiasts! The Obama Administration has announced that its transportation policy will give bicycling and walking the same importance as automobiles when determining federal fund allocation and planning. Ray LaHood, the Transportation Secretary, announced the policy on his blog in conjunction with an announcement by the DOT. Recommendations include clearing snow from bike paths and including biking and walking lanes on roads and bridges.

The Huffington Post has an article about the reactions to this announcement (click here).

Obviously, the biking world is very excited about this policy, catapulting LaHood to rockstar status. Certain trucking and manufacturing industry representatives and Republican lawmakers are not so pumped. One congressman, Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio), questioned if LaHood had been on drugs while writing the policy. His main problem with the policy is that it would be using the federal gas tax to fund these alternative transportation modes. This money is currently used to repair highways and rail transit systems. (Interestingly, aka hypocritically, LaTourette supported federally funded bicycle paths in his own district.)

I think this is actually the perfect way to fund clean, green transportation options. It's the equivalent of a carbon tax. The first step is getting the infrastructure in place. Then, if you choose not to use the biking/walking paths, you should be charged a small fee (in the form of the gas tax) for the carbon footprint you are leaving. On the other hand, if you choose the greener transportation option, you are being rewarded by having your lower gas use equate to lower taxation. Where else should the money come from, if not the Department of Transportation? It's all transportation. Prejudicing the system toward the "big bucks" manufacturers and industries and against the individual is not responsible governance. If we don't at least create the infrastructure and give people the option of eco-responsible transit, then the entrenched powers and habits will never change. We can't ask people to change their behavior if we don't give them the means to do so through safe and well-designed alternatives.