30 JAN 2009: Ask Senator McCaskill to support bike/ped in stimulus bill

It's important to let legislators know where cyclists stand on issue that affect the ability to safely use non-motorized transportation on Missouri's streets and highways. You can be sure other groups that have their own agendas are making their opinions known!

Roads, sidewalks should always be a consideration re: transportation funding.
Cycling and walking is a way of environment friendly transportation.
People should be able to ride and walk were the live.

Dear Senator McCaskill,

I am writing to you today to request that you consider bicycling, walking and transit as part of the Transportation funding.

As a consumer of transportation, I find my options are limited in the Kansas City area. The options are even more limited for my children who are too young to drive.

This is the problem we have with transportation in Missouri. My 12 year old cannot be independent. For example, currently he has basketball games at a building that is close enough to bicycle to. However, he must cross I-70 to get there. There is not a safe place for him to do this, so I must drive him. How can I teach him independence when the transportation infrastructure does not facilitate this?

I think we have enough highways. We don't *need* new highways, we need *other* transportation opportunities and maintenance of current highways.

Please don't exclude funding for these other transportation options:

Bicycling: bike lanes on road and bike/walk paths
Pedestrians: safe place to walk to school and businesses, like side walks and paths.
Transit: Bus and Rail transit funding.

Thank you for reading my letter.

Jan

I support including bicycling and walking as part of transportation funding. As the father of three young children, it is extremely important to me that we have safe streets, where motorists are aware of other people using the shared resources that are our streets and roads. We bike and walk often, and have even chosen the location of our home based in part on being able to go places without a personal automobile. It is good for our health, the city's health and the planet's health.

Please support bicycling, walking, and transit funding in the stimulus proposal. Highway funding should strongly emphasize maintenance rather than new highway construction.

This is what I sent her:

(The subject could also be "energy", "the environment", even "economy")

Senator McCaskill,

I worked hard in 2006 to help get you elected. I was one of those who went door to door canvassing, and spent many hours phone banking for you. And I didn't start in October--I started in July with the party ID info and kept going all the way through the Election Day (they called me the "super volunteer" in the office). When we met you on a swing through, you delighted my daughter by reminiscing about how your dad used to bring you to political rallies, and you promised her she could come sit in your chair in your office if we ever visited Washington DC (and we plan to hold you to that when we get the chance).

I have in general greatly appreciated what you have brought to the U.S. Senate, with a recent example being the proposal (since adopted, more or less, by President Obama) to put a cap on executive pay for companies who come to the government, hat in hand, asking for help.

But I am dismayed to learn that you apparently do not believe people outside St. Louis and Kansas City desire greater funding for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. A recent survey by the city of Kirksville found that more hike/bike paths was the #1 priority of local citizens. And in recent years we have seen the development of local bicycling groups that are involved in lending bikes, selling used ones, helping people repair their own, and going out on visibility rides in the community.

Please consider putting more in the stimulus plan for bike/ped infrastructure. Like any infrastructure plan, it creates jobs, yet it is also very efficient and delivers a lot of bang for the buck, while encouraging a healthy lifestyle that reduces health care costs while conserving energy.

Sincerely yours,

Alan Thomas

Brent,

Is there an organization that gives a REAL grade to politicians on their position in regards to active transportation.

I'm talking like a A,B,C,D or F like the NRA does with gun rights?

Most biking organizations, pednet included, likes to give out awards as a reward but also as an incentive. We are reluctant to call a spade a spade sometimes even with local politicians.

I think what we need is an organization with a "your with us or against us" mentality that calls it like it sees them.

Claire McCaskill F
Kit Bond C

I cant believe I am giving Kit a "C" because he is responsible for some HUGE changes occurring in Columbia right now.

Dear Senator McCaskill,

I am writing today to encourage you and your fellow Senators to strongly consider supporting, maintaining, and adding to the walking/ cycling
trails in Missouri. I am the Mother of 5 children ranging from 12 to 21, and along with my husband we all love to ride our bicycles. It is great exersize and it also helps save our resources.
We ride to the store, work, and school.
The problem is that we are often limited or in danger because many of the road dont offer enough shoulder to ride safely. We have also enjoyed the trails that have been built, but again they are few and far between. Missouri would boom in bicycle traffic if we had a quality bike trail
network. The Katy Trail is a great example of this. Rural people dont ride bicycles is often true, but the reason for that remains that rural areas simply dont offer safe bicycle riding.
Many of us trasport our bikes to areas that offer safer riding areas. It would be great if Missouri could follow the example set by places like Florida and Wisconsin both States having excellent riding programs with in thier State.
I am incuding links to web site that show what these State have done.
Wi - http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/trails/tbike.html

Fl- http://www.visitflorida.com/articles/cycling-state-parks

Thank you for your time and consideration

Lori L Sternberg

I am writing today to encourage you and your fellow Senators to strongly consider supporting, maintaining, and adding to the walking/ cycling
trails in Missouri.
As a retired Firefighter I stay in shape and de stress by riding my bicycle. Many of the roads in my area simply don't offer much room for me to ride. Narrow and/or poorly maintained shoulders make it unsafe for me and motorists to be on the same road.
My kids and wife often ride with me and the majority of roads that I will ride when alone, I won't take them on because of the safety factor.

If the State would take the lead in developing trails I am sure many people would volunteer labor and skills to help build and maintain.
Often aquiring lands is the biggest hurdle.
I would offer an adodt a bike trail plan.
Missouri could secure the land and help with initial construstion then allow people to adopt these trails. Using more of the old rail road beds could be an option, or offering some type of incentive to for farmers to allow a trail through their land like a lease type deal. those are just a couple ideas. I dont know what the legal issues are so I offer you these ideas understanding it is much more complex than this. But I believe any thing worth having is worth working for.
I know in the City of St Joseph there are many City maintained trails, but there are also many trails maintain by clubs and volunteers. Adopting highways have helped keep our roads clean, adopting bike/ walk trails could help us develop
and network of bike/ walk trails to connect all corners of this great State that I call home.
My family and I would be first on the list for such a program. I ride with 20 to 25 other people and we have all talked about how a program like this could benefit Missouri. I decided to try to put it into action.
I would be willing to work in any capacity to assit with this process.
Tourism would boom, natural resources would be saved, and people would be healthier.
That is a win - win - win situation.

Thank you for your time and consideration

Edward P Sternberg FF ret.