I recently discovered that I have friends in high places. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, loves cyclists. On March 15, Secretary LaHood made a bold and unprecedented proclamation: The car is no longer king of the road.
Specifically, the Department of Transportation (DOT) declared that walking and biking must be considered as equals with cars and trucks in all matters related to transportation. Whoa... or should I say saddle up? Call me crazy, but I think he is trying to start a revolution. LaHood himself called it a major policy revision.
Whether or not the DOT has focused solely on motorized modes of transportation in the past, the prevailing belief in the U.S. is that roads are for cars, and it should stay that way. Secretary LaHood intends to change that, as roads become "fully integrated active transportation networks" because "walking and biking foster safer, more livable family-friendly communities."
As a part of President Obama's initiative for creating more sustainable communities, the DOT, in partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agency, is integrating the principles of "livability" into its policies. And for LaHood, livability has a lot to do with being less reliant on your car.
LaHood states, "Livability means being able to take your kids to school, go to work, see a doctor, drop by the grocery store or post office, go out to dinner and a movie ... all without having to get in your car."
LaHood and I are on the same page. I moved back to Bozeman three years ago because I consider it one of our nation's most livable, and bikeable, cities. In Bozeman I can create a three-mile radius from my house, and within that sphere I can hit most of my major destinations on bike: my kids' school, my workplace, the grocery store, our friends' houses.
Yet as a bike commuter in Bozeman, I am ever aware that I am a member of a very small club. Why is it that so few in our town choose to go by bike?
Considering that nearly 50 percent of trips Americans make are less than three miles, why not ride your bike? The benefits are enormous. Biking alleviates congestion, increases fitness, improves air quality, reduces heart disease, strengthens the immune system, increases civility, reduces carbon emissions, fights childhood obesity, saves money, and reduces our dependence on foreign oil. The bicycle is a simple answer to some of our nation's biggest problems.
Even after a decade of explosive growth, Bozeman still ranks high in quality of life. By all measures, we've got a lot going for us: good schools, clean air and a bounty of recreational opportunities. Yet with each new family, we add two more vehicles to our roads. At some point, do too many cars threaten the kind of traditional community design that nourishes the livability we enjoyed in the 1990s?
With some population projections putting Bozeman at 90,000 in 15 years, we need to think about what these numbers mean in terms of transportation, congestion and quality of life. The city of Bozeman's Web site declares, "Bozeman: the Most Livable Place." At what point will this sentiment become merely wishful thinking?
Working with federal and local governments to get the right infrastructure in place will be a big part of the solution, such as the recent adoption of a "Complete Streets" policy by our City Commission. Aligned with LaHood's federal mandate, the city will gradually make adjustments to our streets to accommodate all users more safely.
Yet creating safe bikeways won't do it alone. Each of us needs to rethink the way we get places and work toward lessening our dependence on the car. Even one trip a week by bike will keep you fitter, make our air cleaner and help us retain that small-town quality of life we all live here for.
Bevin Barber-Campbell lives with her family in Bozeman. She bikes our streets (almost) every day.
http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/opinions/guest_columnists/article_2216d222-9e4e-11df-a2e7-001cc4c002e0.html
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