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LA cyclists are joining LA City Council President Eric Garcetti on a bike ride in support of Obama.
Cyclists will gather at the Eco-Village on February 2 at 11:00 am for a leisurely ride through Silver Lake and ending in Elysian Valley with snacks and the opportunity to help with some campaign phone banking.
Cyclists in search of Leadership have to search hard to find Presidential hopefuls who support cycling and walking as transportation solutions and who have gone on record in support of funding that supports the full spectrum of alternative transportation.
Of the Democratic hopefuls, Obama is credited with the following platform position:
“As president, Barack Obama will re-evaluate the transportation funding process to ensure that smart growth considerations are taken into account. Obama will build upon his efforts in the Senate to ensure that more Metropolitan Planning Organizations create policies to incentivize greater bicycle and pedestrian usage of roads and sidewalks, and he will also re-commit federal resources to public mass transportation projects across the country. Building more livable and sustainable communities will not only reduce the amount of time individuals spent commuting, but will also have significant benefits to air quality, public health and reducing greenhouse gas emissions."
As for the Republican hopefuls, Mike Huckabee gets credit for being the candidate who still rides to the grocery store (no word on how many Secret Service cyclists ride sag support) but it remains to be seen if his cycling activities will translate into a “routine accommodations” stance on funding for alternative modes of transportation.
Regardless of where you fall on the issues and on the candidates, please keep in mind that the most significant action we can take is to get on a bike and ride to the polls!
See you on the Streets!
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It would be great for everyone to check out where all the candidates are on this issue. The Smart Growth America blog has done a great job of this. For my own candidate (Hillary), we have:
“Increased public transit usage is one of the best strategies for addressing the energy and environmental costs of transportation…As President, Hillary will increase federal funding for public transit, including buses, light rail and subways, by $1.5 billion per year. She will also link [Ed. not "take into account," like Obama] federal public transit funds to local land use policies that encourage residential developments that maximize public transit usage and discourage sprawl. She will also invest an additional $1 billion in intercity passenger rail systems. Intercity passenger rail is an environmentally efficient alternative to highway driving and short flights; it relieves congestion on roads and airports; reduces the emission of automotive pollutants; and it stimulates economic growth by linking metropolitan areas.”
"Mike Huckabee gets credit for being the candidate who still rides to the grocery store (no word on how many Secret Service cyclists ride sag support)"
The only presidential candidate that currently has secret service protection (besides Hillary for being a former first-lady) is Obama.
I love the idea of better transit. Definitely a thumbs up for me. But why are so many politicians afraid of bicycles? It's the most efficient transportation solution, it's sleek, it's sexy, it's fun, it's healthy, and it builds community.
Walk, ride and take transit! It's all so much more sexier then pushing one pedal with one foot, and where only your neck and head is visible.