Advocacy – National « Charlotte Area Bicycle Alliance (CABA)

ACTION ALERT ! Congressional bike-ped funding slash !

September 14, 2011

No time to lose, folks

Contact our NC Senators right now.

CLICK: I bike I vote today and fill in your zip code !

This year, around $700 million of Federal transportation funds, which in reality is less than 2 percent of total transportation dollars, will be spent on bicycling and walking. Given the unsettling situation inside the Beltway, that figure might be a big fat zero within a matter of days, not weeks.

Some Members of Congress want to force us backwards to a 1950s highway-only mindset: as if oil embargoes, suburban sprawl, congestion, smog, the obesity epidemic, strained family budgets and climate change never happened. We expect Senator Coburn (R-OK) will ask Congress to eliminate the federal Transportation Enhancements program. Without this record of past funds, there is no way the bicycling movement would be where it is today.

We’re talking a track record of 20 years for bike lanes, mountain biking and other off-road trails, bike racks on buses, bike education, etc. etc. This isn’t safe or smart; it’s not good for the economy or the environment; this is bad health policy and bad transportation policy.

Bicycling projects create more jobs per dollar than highway-only projects. Cutting enhancements won’t impact the deficit. Act now. The future of the bicycle and pedestrian movement is just a few clicks away.

- Martin Zimmerman / CABA Exec. Director and CABA Board of Directors

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BICYCLING IS NOT AN “ALTERNATIVE MODE”

August 14, 2011

Words to the wise

cartoon by Kevin Siers, Charlotte Observer. Click on cartoon to read text

Check out this excerpt from a memo sent by the TriMet transportation agency to its regional partners in ( you guessed it) Portland Oregon, and we quote:

” Avoid calling walking bicycling, and transit “alternative modes”. They are used by almost everyone to promote health, save money, avoid congestion, and reduce oil dependence. INSTEAD SIMPLY SAY “walking, bicycling and transit.”

Sounds obvious doesn’t it ? Well, in auto addicted cities of the Southeast, that is not always the case. (Thanks to John Cock of Alta Design for sending this along).

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NEWS FLASH ! FED’S DELAY AGAIN ON OZONE STANDARDS

August 14, 2011

A real bummer

Dateline: August 12, Press Release from Sierra Club – “Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency filed a federal appeals court motion stating that the agency plans to finalize its update of the smog or ozone pollution standard “shortly.” …The Sierra Club is troubled by the EPA’s motion today to delay a much needed and long overdue update of smog standards. Smog – or ozone pollution – is an acidic air pollutant that when inhaled is like getting a ‘sunburn on your lungs…..Once updated, protections against smog will save thousands of lives and prevent tens of thousands of asthma attacks. The longer the delay, the greater the risk for the millions of Americans who suffer from respiratory illnesses – we urge the Obama Administration to move swiftly on this critical protection to save lives and clean our air.” Thanks much to Bill Gupton of the local Sierra Club chapter for bringing this to CABA’s attention.

CLICK: www.sierraclub.org/asthma for details.

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NEWS FLASH! BIKE SHARING IN D.C.

May 4, 2011

CABA returns from fact-finding trip

Is Charlotte ready for bike share ?

Martin Zimmerman, CABA Exec. Director, has just returned from meetings with public officials and on-site inspections of the successful launch of Capital/Bike Share in our nation’s capital. 1100 bikes at 140 locations throughout the city and in neighboring Arlington, Virginia. The program began last September and now has 6500 annual members (a $75 annual fee). Martin has prepared a Power Point of his trip to show to Charlotte audiences.

And its really cheap !

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League of American Bicyclists – SUMMIT IN D.C.

March 25, 2011

N.C. cycle delegation mounts Capitol Hill

800 total delegates ! The most ever !!

Last year we had 17 delegates from all over N.C. This year: 20 ! Talk about an adrenalin rush ! This year Ray LaHood, US Secretary of Transportation, spoke along with Janette Sadik-Khan, NY City’s bicycle czar. Since 2007, the Big Apple has completed more than 250 miles of bike lanes and 20 miles of cycle track.

Charlotte’s delegates this year included Bart Stetler (Queen City Bikes), and Jim Grover (Pres./Tarheel Trailblazers). For the Streetsblog wrap up article, CLICK: League of American Bicyclists Summit. Each year on the final day of the Summit NC delegates lobby on Capitol Hill at all the NC Congressional offices. This year’s theme was to advocate that no money be cut from bicycle and pedestrian programs.

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RECKLESS HOMICIDE IN S.C.

March 7, 2011

Charges rendered against driver

Cyclist’s death. Ten years in prison. Last month, the man who drove into a pack of 15 cyclists was charged with reckless homicide, which brings a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a mandatory five-year revocation of his driver’s licensae. After months of working with Charleston attorney Peter Wilborn of mybikelaw , a verdict was finally reached. Peter works in tandem with Charlotte attorney and CABA member Ann Groninger. He was guest speaker at the CABA annual picnic a few years ago.

The victim died after months in a coma. He was 38 years old. The group ride was a regular Friday night social that departed from Outspokin’ Bicycles in Augusta. at 6:40 p.m. NOTE: This news item borrowed in part from the League of American Bicyclists website.

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Posted by martinzimmerman8