BIKE: Questions to ask candidates

[Roger Baker]

The reality is that CAMPO, not the city, spends 15% of just one 
category of discretionary federal funds, the STP 4C funds, on bike and 
ped stuff. It might only represent 1 or 2% of total transpo spending in 
this area.

So this 15% is not really even a city issue because the policy is 
entirely up to CAMPO, although Austin does have a few votes on CAMPO, 
(which is heavily dominated by suburban sprawl interests friendly to 
the road lobby). The 15% policy was adopted a few years ago when the 
funds were easier to get and before the road lobby got so rapacious.

Arguably far more important than this is whether Austin city council 
candidates have the courage to support alternative D of Envision 
Central Texas, (which a large majority of Austin area people supported 
in a vote a year or so ago). This is a inexpensive, efficient, 
non-congestion encouraging compact city alternative that TxDOT and 
CAMPO and the road lobby hate.

Meanwhile CAMPO, with Mayor Wynn's key support, favored the sprawl 
alternative that gave us  the toll roads last summer. Essentially TxDOT 
and CAMPO pressured Austin into supporting Envision Central Texas 
alternative A, which is growth as usual served by toll roads, built 
using deficit funding.

As I have pointed out before on this list, the new CAMPO 2030 plan to 
go along with CAMPO's sprawl land use forecasts would cause Austin's 
current congestion level to nearly triple, even assuming we had the $22 
billion to implement it, which we don't.

Don't expect the Statesman or even the Chronicle to explain these 
issues to you plainly before the expected CAMPO vote or the council 
elections. The only good local transpo reporter is Ben Wear and he's on 
the Statesman's leash. These issues are complex and I spend a lot of 
time studying this stuff to try to inform you.

Whether city council candidates have the courage to stand up to the 
road lobby and promote alternative D of Envision Central Texas rather 
than CAMPO's congested sprawl vision is key, IMO.

Begging for a bike lane here or there while ignoring the big issue of 
whether TxDOT will get away with planning Austin's future to benefit 
the special interests is to focus in the wrong direction, IMO.

If you only beg for crumbs you will get crumbs. I encourage those who 
are politically active to focus on the big picture a lot more, using 
implementation of citizen-supported, bike-friendly Envision Central 
Texas alternative D as a key demand.

-- Roger





On Mar 31, 2005, at 2:32 PM, Michael Bluejay wrote:

>
> On Mar 31, 2005, at 2:02 PM, 
> forum-bicycleaustin.info-request wrote:
>
>> Rather than the general question about the Bike/Ped program and the 
>> specific
>> question about Shoal Creek (what's done is done), I would recommend 
>> asking
>> about their commitment for funding bike/ped projects.  Something to 
>> the
>> effect of:
>>
>> In recent years, the City Council has supported allocating 15% of
>> transportation funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects, do you 
>> favor
>> continuing to commit at least 15% of transportation funds for bicycle 
>> and
>> pedestrian projects?
>
>
> I don't keep up with City budgeting, but I can't believe that the city 
> spends 15% of transportation funding on bikes.
>
> So (1) who knows how much they actually spend (Mike? Patrick?).  And 
> (2) Don't you all have other questions I should ask the council 
> candidates?
>
> Thanks,
>
> -MBJ-