This is a shameless attempt to save the the most advanced civilization in
history from imminent self destruction by eliminating carbon emission,
dependence on foreign sources of fuel,obesity, hypertension and diabetes.
Cycling accomplishes all those things at once and helps us develop a better
understanding of ourselves, each other and our relationship to the cosmos.

Oh, horse puckey!
I like to ride bikes, have been doing it all my life.
The rest of that crap is just a fringe benefit,
and the blogosphere gives me a chance to share my interior
monologue with virtual rather than imaginary friends.

Sunday, April 10, 2022

Pedal on into the future.

      The advocacy season here in Michigan coincides with winter. That's when cyclists are not on the streets and the people who work on them are stymied by the 8 feet of average snowfall. The offices buzz with activity and planning exercises. Our local officials have been hard at work with the 30 year plan to improve our non-motorized infrastructure. The impressive and most useful part of the development is the the interactive map they produced. 
 It is an overwhelming accomplishment which allows the viewer to look at existing bike lanes and paths
       and what is scheduled for the future. 
Hopefully people in the public will make use of it to plan utilitarian trips in the city and recreational cycling in the outlying areas. 
      The document and map were created by KATS(Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study) which is the area's MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organiztion) and the gatekeeper to the federal funds spent in the area. Every metro area has an MPO to watch over the funds coming from Washington and advocates of active transportation should contact and get involved with them to affect what is going on in your area. 
      It makes cyclists feel warm and fuzzy that somebody is finally paying attention, but it is not a simple process. The area MPO must identify the projects in the area and go through a standard application process,
            then filter the funds through the labyrinth of federal bureaucracy
       This means it takes awhile before things get done,  the important thing is,  they are listening,  and taking action.   There is hope though, the recent infrastructure bill may accelerate things since the funding in our area has been increased by 56%. The money has just been trickled out and has to find it's way through the maze but hopefuly will speed things up in the next few years.  In the meantime, pedal on into the future. 
Posted by Marc at 9:22 AM

2 comments:

  1. amidnightriderApril 11, 2022 at 6:47 AM

    It does take time for the wheels of infrastructure of move forward. It makes the reward that much better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MarcApril 11, 2022 at 8:00 AM

      And the benefits last much longer than the wait.

      Delete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)