Bike advocates get busy

We're asking all ABC members to contact the ARC today to ask them to raise the floor for bicycle funding (zero dollars for bicycle infrastructure is unacceptable) in the proposed 1% sales tax for transportation projects. Two of our wonderful ABC members shared the messages they sent to the Atlanta Regional Commission today to inspire your own comments. Please click "read more" to check them out, then email today - it's the deadline!

From Dan:
---
To whom it may concern:

I'm writing to express my concern over the proposed "Draft Criteria for Atlanta 10-County Special Tax District." My wife and I are both daily cyclists, and are both very concerned that the draft criteria underemphasizes the critical congestion reduction, health, economic, and community benefits of using non-motorized transportation, including bicycles and walking.

That the target range for non-motorized is 0-5% of investment is deeply disturbing: this seems to actually contemplate that zero special tax revenue could be spent this way. That Roadway Capital is so heavily overemphasized, at 20-50% of investment, is a continuation of decades old policies that have
resulted in sprawl, congestion, detrimental health impacts, and automotive dependence. What's more, much of the other categories are also implicitly or explicitly dedicated to automobiles, ranging from traffic operations and signals, to roadway maintenance, to highway concerns.

Cities and regions all over the country, including many that are peers to Atlanta and the metro area, are moving away from this overemphasis on automobile infrastructure and toward enhancing and supporting improving non-motorized and human-powered transportation. Even US DOT Secretary
LaHood recently declared “This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of nonmotorized.” To target 0-5% of investment toward non-motorized transportation, and 50% or more plus toward automobiles, is a step way in the wrong direction that would place us with a much less progressive peer group.

I normally heavily support well designed tax increases which improve public infrastructure, but with these as target investments, I would strongly oppose it. Thank you for your consideration, and I truly hope that a far greater investment in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure will be a part of any special tax district revenue allocation.

Sincerely,
___________________________

From Erik:
--

Hello,

I recently learned that the new Transportation Investment Act included funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects at a range of 0-5%. Bicycle commuting is a very cost effective way to move people, and once established requires very little maintenance. Please consider making a small, but guaranteed investment in bicycle infrastructure."

"If you build it (safe bicycle infrastructure), they ( bicycle commuters) will come. An excerpt from the attached study -

"The analysis performed here affirms the results of Nelson and Allen. Higher levels of bicycle infrastructure are positively and significantly correlated with higher rates of bicycle commuting. "

Please see that study attached:

http://nexus.umn.edu/Courses/pa8202/Dill.pdf

Thank you,

Erik B."