BIKE: 15 Percent Bicycle-Pedestrian Set-Aside is on the table

[Robert Farr]

The public turned out at Monday's 17 November CAMPO public hearing in a big
way.

Cyclists outnumbered the large contingent from San Marcos who turned out for
reasons of their own, but the cyclists and pedestrians were on hand tell
CAMPO "HANDS OFF" the 15% of TEA 21 funds that CAMPO currently sets aside
(based on a commitment made in 1998) specifically for Bicycle and Pedestrian
improvements, but which now is currently being considered for "other"
priorities brought about by the near certainty of Austin's non-attainment of
air quality standards in the next year or two.

CAMPO needs that 15% because it is already over committed to major highway
projects and now needs some housekeeping money. CAMPO invested in those
highway priorities months ago, lest the Federal piggy bank be witheld after
non-attainment status becomes a reality.

The CAMPO chair reported, to his apparent dismay, that over 60 persons had
signed up to speak during public comment. Most of those speakers were
cyclists in support of the set-aside. The Texas Bicycle Coalition (TBC) was
represented as well as Austin Cycling Association (ACA) who showed up with a
contingent of speakers working from a prepared presentation. Many freelance
cycling enthusiasts from all parts of the city showed up and spoke as well
-- some elequently. (I spoke, but not so elequently)

Several CAMPO board members seemed keenly aware that the bicycle community
was at the gate and went out of their way to express support for the 15%
set-aside. Among them, Sonleitner and Barrentios.

But the ACA Political Action Committee believes that the CAMPO board is
nevertheless preparing revoke that 15% set aside and spend it on whatever
they choose. CAMPO intends to vote on this issue on December 8th. Two weeks
of public comment remains (as of Monday the 17th of November). Time is
running out. Make your position heard now!

Visit the ACA Web site <http://www.austincycling.org> and use the form
provided to let your representatives on the CAMPO board know what sort of
priorities CAMPO ought to consider.

Now, do it now.
-- 
Robert Farr
Webmaster Austin Cycling Association
www.austincycling.org
bobfarr

How's that, MBJ?

> From: Michael Bluejay <bikes>
> Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2003 19:13:42 -0600
> To: Bob Farr <bobfarr>
> Cc: forum
> Subject: Re: BIKE: 15 Percent Bicycle-Pedestrian Set-Aside is on the table
> 
> 
> Neither this nor the ACA website (which refers to the CAMPO meeting
> "last night") gives me a clear picture of what happened at the CAMPO
> meeting.  Sometimes we hear of upcoming meetings on this list but we
> rarely hear the outcome.  What was the outcome?  Did they vote on
> anything, or did they simply delay the decision until Dec. 3?  And on
> the one hand the ACA site says, in bold print no less, that we don't
> have enough votes to maintain the bike funding and so they'll be
> working with TBC to figure out the next steps, but then we're
> encouraged to send comments in to CAMPO even though it's supposedly for
> naught because "we don't have enough votes".
> 
> What happened at the meeting, and where are we really at?
> 
> -MBJ-