BIKE: NYTimes.com Article: The Path to a Healthier America

[CHRISTINE WILLIS]

Patrick Goetz said:  "...the highway building lobby is the second most 
powerful in
>the country (just behind ARPA)."


I'm assuming you mean AARP, which I'm a member of ... but I'm not really 
that old :o).  In reading their newsletters, I would think they would be 
willing to put some lobbying effort into bicycle and pedestrian issues.  
They don't specifically discuss these issues but they are very focused on 
health and safety.  Since a lot of older people cannot or do not drive and 
many older people have been involved in car/pedestrian accidents, safer 
pedestrian facilities are definitely needed.  I think the lobbying arm of 
AARP would be open to this.  Any ideas on how best to approach them?

>From: Patrick Goetz <pgoetz>
>To: "Byrnes, Rick" <rick.byrnes>
>CC: forum-bicycleaustin.info
>Subject: Re: BIKE: NYTimes.com Article: The Path to a Healthier America
>Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 08:39:53 -0600
>
>Byrnes, Rick wrote:
>
>>Maybe this is a digression, but in one local situation they did listen.  
>>The public health issue and exercise benefits of pedestrian/bicycle
>>facilities was one of the arguments the Austin cycling community used in
>>support of maintaining the so-called 15 percent set-aside at the local 
>>CAMPO
>>hearing last November.  I am not sure just how much of a role the argument
>>played in CAMPO's decision, but I heard that they voted to continue the
>>set-aside.
>>
>
>Yes, this is true.  CAMPO voted unanimously (with one abstention) to 
>continue the 15% set-aside.  As the NYT points out, however, less than 1% 
>of federal tranportation money is going towards supporting pedestrians and 
>cyclists.  This might have something to do with the fact that the highway 
>building lobby is the second most powerful in the country (just behind 
>ARPA).
>
>
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