The Politics of Bicycling My prime bicy- cle-riding years were between eight and 15 years old My trusty banana Stingeay, baseball mite hang- ing on the high handlebars, took me over the streets and sidewalks and down the railzoad tracks to get 10 a baseball diamond, friend’s house, of the local McDon- ald’s, During my teens I relied on a Schwinn Varsity t0 deliver me to a buddy's house, the bowling alley, to foot. ball practice, and ‘eventually to visit a gitlitiend after school every day. Back then bicycling was for kids. Now bieyeling is complicated and polit- fal. Adults who like 10 tide bikes have formed advocsey groups, organized bike sum- mits, and they lobby Congress for money! The Complete Streets movement, favored by many an activist bike rider, demands that our rordways be divvied up evenly for cars and trucks, bieyclees and pedes- trians. They want more money spent on creating what they call “livable communities,” which include bike lanes on all current roads and less vehicular traffic ~ and they want everyone to drive slower. They're serious, and they're making, progress. US. Transportation Scere tary Ray LaHood likes to ride the bike. He's even said that the federal transportation budget should be split venly between projects for motor ized vehicles (cars and tcucks of all sizes) and non-motorized vehicles (bikes, wheelchairs and pedestrians). And there's pending legislation that would require local communities to include bike lanes on roadways if they want to receive federal transportation dollars. So now bicycling has become a federal case, Tam not snti-bike or against bike lanes and bike paths, but aot at the expense of common sense ~ of fiscal sense. My wife and I have supported TART Trails with time and money, and will continue to do so in the “Lam not anti-bike or against bike lanes and bike paths, but not at the expense of common sense - or fiscal sense” Fucuce. I'm about to invest in « new set of wheels from 2 local bike shop that will cost four times the amount T spent on my first car (« nine-year old 1968 Buick Skylark convertible). I like having the freedom to ride my bike when I choose. I do not support the idea of federal transportation dollars (from the taxes we pay on gasoline) being used to dictate local planning. The whole concept of Complete Strects and “walkable communities” should be taken up in those communi- ties, notin the U.S. Capitol. Recently in Traverse City, the cycling community - driven by the national Complete Streets philosophy = became upset that the City Engineer chose not to establish bike lanes in the repaving project on 8th Street. They. say the Master Plan calls for bike lanes for all major streets, But really, do we need 2 bike lane on Eighth Street? It does have sidewalks on both sides of the street, which can be used by cyclists, If that violates some ordi- ‘nance, or if the hoards of pedestrians crowd our the eyelists, they can always pedal dowa the less crowded Webster Street or use the adjacent BIKE PATH! Blindly following a national agenda can diminish the good work done by the local cycling community. Priorities for what roads can accom- modate should start first with emer- gency vehicles ~ fire, police and snow removal ~ then consider freight, which includes the products we buy; i's ceucial that teucks full of shiay new bicycles he able to deliver their cargo to local bike stores, not to men- tion our groceries, gasoline and just about every other product we con- sume. There must also be enough room for work vehicles, such as con- struction equipment, and enough capacity for commuters, visitors and the daily flow of commerce. If motor~ ized transportation interests don't pipe up at all of the community Forums, planning tetsions, aad com- mission meetings, we may find our- selves in a year-round, single-file traffic jam watching an occasional cyclist pedal by. One thing that still holds true: The squeaky wheel gers the grease.