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| You need you some panniers, Alex Patton! |
This is hardly about whatever deficiencies riding a bicycle (besides not having the benefit of having about three tons of metal between you and another vehicle) in the city may present to citizens. This is about stopping all efforts to promote more efficient roadways and other city planning projects that would benefit pedestrians and cyclists:
In Alachua County, 90 percent of the money raised from the 5-cent gas tax goes toward paying for roads. The other 10 percent goes toward bicycle paths.Patton said bicycle usage outside the downtown area doesn’t warrant that level of contribution.
Of course not! What could possibly be the benefit of safer bike pathways on roads outside of the city limits? No one with a "three ton Chevy Avalanche" needs a bike path, and those who do are just poor and so who cares?
Alex Patton, who rode the bicycle against the above-mentioned truck, apparently lost the race because he was attempting to pick up cartons of eggs and ice cream, some dry cleaning, and a 2x4 as part of the errands to accomplish during the race. This is without any sort of carrying component to the bike other than a backpack. A 2x4? Seriously?
I've reported over the years about the various changes we've made to our family's bicycles in order to carry out the day-to-day activities we do with just one car; when DJ was a toddler we had in him a child trailer which eventually became a grocery trailer; a child carrier on the back of the bike; a ride-along bike trailer when DJ was learning how to bicycle; and finally, DJ is now old enough to ride his own bike and I have attached a cargo trailer on our extra beater bike. As any seasoned commuter cyclist who spends a good portion of time riding to and from their destinations knows, you need the right tools to do the right job. Like anyone who owns a big ol' truck, you have tools in case you break down (in fact, my blogger buddy, Jillian, just posted about the tool kit a commuter cyclist needs on the road).
This was obviously an exercise in futility if you require a cyclist to make these kinds of trips with nothing more than a backpack; anyone who only had a bike and needed one 2x4 would ask a friend with a car for help (like asking the driver of the truck, for instance), or making the trip on the bus. It's possible to carry a 2x4 on a bike, but there is little reason for someone to do it when there are other options. I'm sure there's an argument to be made about this if the person in question is poor and cannot afford the bus or has no friends with cars, but it seems like any argument for or against bicycles is going to somehow entail some kind of inconvenience.
Be prepared to hear the "bikes are inefficient" line over and over again anytime the question of taxes for city planning and bike pathways that in any way improve the bike-ability of Gainesville or Alachua County is raised. Critics will most likely even point to this Gainesville Sun article as an example.
Sounds like you need to write a nice letter to the editor of the paper, maybe referencing the Carmegeddon race in Los Angeles:
ReplyDeletehttp://travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2011/07/cyclists-faster-than-jetblue-plane/177402/1
Also, your local bicycle advocacy group can set up a 'try me' event, like they did in my city, including bikes with panniers, baskets, cargo bikes, bike trailers, and bakfiets. Maybe a local college (or co-op) would let you hold it in a parking lot or something. If it is a fun happy event, not something dripping of politics, you might introduce some new riders and supporters to the fold.
Here's the link to the Flock of Cycles flickr site (sponsor and organizer of the Try a Bike Jamboree): http://www.flickr.com/groups/1609157@N21/
This is ridiculous, especially because bikes are MORE efficient. Well, maybe not for riding 100 miles to pick up a used loom that takes up a whole room.
ReplyDeleteI lived 5 years commuting on a bike in areas where there are 100 inches of snow a year. I asked for help riding exactly 3 times. You might have to rearrange your errands, but it's really very rare that you can't manage.
Other events at the competition included: accelerating from 0 to 60 mph, emitting carbon monoxide, and having a horn that plays "Dixie."
ReplyDeleteJill, the try it event sounds like a great idea - there is a booth for the bicycle and pedestrian advisory board for the city (to which I used to belong) at a yearly event (can't remember which).
ReplyDeleteMerrie, thank you for your input - you put it a lot of better than I could, esp. with your experience biking in extreme weather conditions. It's true that you arrange your life for the circumstances; that was an issue that was ignored in this pointless "race."
Jill, Pittsburgh and Gainesville should become bicycle sister-cities :)
ReplyDeleteAnon, I wish I could give you +100 for that comment :)
ReplyDeleteAs the cyclist, I think you may have misunderstood the point.
ReplyDeleteYes, the race was absurd, but so has been the reaction to the race.
The race was done in response to another contrived race done by the Mayor of Gainesville. We are repeatedly presented with the message that bicycling is an viable alternative to the automobile.
The truth is that for very few is the bicycle an actual, viable alternative. I would consider myself an avid bicyclist, but commuting or conducting business on a bike is completely out of the question for me, my wife, my clients, or most of my friends.
I would not disparage those who are able to commute or replace their auto. In fact, I give them a big high five.
What remains are some honest questions about transportation funding.
How much do automobile owners and drivers want to subsidize cyclists?
Gas tax? Automobile owners pay. Proportionate Fair Share paid by developers? Based on traffic counts.
We have a massive backload of road improvements in Alachua County that a gas tax was meant to be used for. Instead, it is being used for other purposes.
If we agree that cycling is a viable alternative for people in the urban core with commutes 1-2 miles – why are we narrowing roads such as millhopper to add bike lanes? Still, how many tax dollars for few recreational users?
Finally, how can we as cyclists pay our fair share? What is our fair share? It seems we are dis-proportionally receiving benefits for our contributions.
I did have a great time doing the race, and I have been surprised by the public reaction to it.
I think the debate about transportation funding is healthy.
Thank you for posting a comment Alex. I drive and ride a bike so I am aware of both sides of the debate. Roads are still getting paved and fixed, and there are improvements being made to roads so that cyclists don't have to ride on sidewalks in order to get to their destinations.
ReplyDeleteI think you are confusing the gas tax with state and federal funds that provide the majority of help to subsidize our road construction and repair; the fact is, Florida as well as many other states around the country, are facing huge funding deficits so this is the main reason why there is a backlog of road repairs.
If you can provide any numbers for bike lanes versus road repair or construction that shows the former being disproportionately funded out of this gas tax I will consider your argument more carefully; I am too lazy to look these numbers up, myself, and so my opinion on this issue is that both drivers and cyclists are equally being served by the state, city, and county.
Mr. Patton, I got a chuckle out of your bike race, and I understand the point you were making. I think the city's annual bike/car race overstates the usefulnes of bikes to get around toiwn, and you guys called him on it.
ReplyDeleteBut let me ask you this -- don't you think that most of the people who ride bikes in Gainesville also drive cars? If you agree, then at least some of the gas tax money used for bike lanes, is paid by people who will use the bike lanes and other improvments.
And if someone has to rely only on a bike to get around, chances are they're poor and not paying much in taxes, except sales tax.
Also, is it actually written down somewhere that "road improvements" funded by the gas tax are SUPPOSED to only benefit cars? Or is that just a position you're taking? I think of "roads" as including structures needed for all types of ground traffic -- sidewalks, curbs, street signs, bike lanes, even drainage ditches.
Maybe I'm wrong, but that's how I see it -- I wouldn't want th city to repave a road and leave a broken sidewalk as-is just because nobody drives a car on a sidewalk. Or they shouldn't. LOL.