Large federal budget cuts proposed; reports that bicycle & pedestrian funding may be targeted

Many major media outlets are reporting that dramatic budget cuts are will be proposed in the House in the next two to three weeks.

Sharpen up your keyboards and dialing fingers, because reports are that some House members are planning to specifically target federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian transportation--and perhaps even call for that funding to be zeroed out.

The Hill reports on the push for overall large budget cuts:

House Republicans are planning to propose upwards of $60 billion in cuts to the federal budget with the intention of reducing all spending to 2008 levels.

Republican leaders said they will have an open amendment process for the funding bill, which will allow conservatives to push for as much as $100 billion in cuts, a move backed by the Republican Study Committee, and for Democrats to express their concerns about the as-of-yet-unannounced cuts.

"The Speaker has continued to say we’re going to have an open process in this House, and the House will work its will,” Cantor said. “Our intention is to allow every member on both sides of the political aisle to come forward and offer his or her prescriptions for how we cut spending and reduce the size of government.”

Republican leaders also pledged an open amendment process for the funding bill, which will allow conservatives to push for deeper cuts and for liberals to forcefully register their opposition.

The vote will allow Republican leaders to move ahead on their efforts to reduce spending for the current fiscal year, before the full budget process begins in earnest. The majority leader has said the continuing resolution is one of “three bites at the apple” Republicans will have to demand spending cuts. The other two are a vote to raise the debt ceiling for the fiscal 2012 budget.

The idea that bicycle and pedestrian funding--rather than general overall cuts to federal transportation spending--might be specifically targeted is realistic given that a few members of the House, like House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, have repeatedly called for bicycle & pedestrian funding to be cut or eliminated.

Previous attempts to eliminate federal bicycle and pedestrian transportation funding have failed by fairly large margins--because many citizens like you have spoken up about their importance.

One reason our nation's bicycle and pedestrian transportation system is so weak now is because federal transportation funding from the 1940s through the early 1990s almost completely ignored bicycling and walking.  

The result: No bicycle and pedestrian access on, along, or across major roads and streets (where destinations and retail businesses cluster) and communities that are completely disconnected from the point of view of pedestrians and bicyclists.

We have a very strong case for funding bicycling and walking facilities.  Here are just a few of the points:

  • Cost-effective: Although 12 percent of the trips nationally are accomplished by either bicycling or walking, the federal investment in bicycling and walking infrastructure and programs is minimal—only about 1.5 percent of federal transportation spending.  
     
  • Economically important: Bicycling is a billion dollar annual business in Missouri--including retail, tourism, and other economic impact--but it could be a two billion dollar industry.
     
  • Popular: Americans will make more than 4 billion bike trips and 42 billion walk trips this year. More bicycles will be sold than cars and trucks combined. The U.S. Census reports that bike commuting increased more than 40 percent between 2001 and 2008. 
     
  • Safe: 14 percent of roadway fatalities are bicyclists or pedestrians.  Small investments in improving roadway safety not only make the road safer for bicyclists and pedestrians but also make drivers feel more comfortable and remove conflicts among road users. 
     
  • Healthy: Lack of physical fitness and obesity costs Missourians $1.9 billion annually in direct health care costs now--and $8.2 billion annually in 2018 unless we make dramatic changes soon. Making our communities safe and inviting for every day bicycling and walking is one of the most cost-effective ways of addressing this issue.

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