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Cascade and McGinn Strengthen Nationwide Partnerships
 by Chris Rule, Organizer
Cascade staff met with incoming Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn in December along with a cohort of partners working to make local communities and the nation as a whole more bike-friendly. We were joined by Tim Blumenthal of Bikes Belong, who flew in from Denver and Will Handsfield of Transportation for America in Washington, D.C. Bill LaBorde of the Transportation Choices Coalition aided us in giving an update on local transportation priorities, and REI Vice President Brad Brown provided a perspective on the economic benefits of the bike industry.
One development is the formation of Cycling Cities, a coalition of the largest U.S. cities and major bastions of bicycling like Portland and Seattle, where the short distances people travel make biking an attractive option when the proper facilities are in place. Participating city governments are pushing for a greater focus on transportation that works within urban environments, rather than the traditional focus merely on highways. Blumenthal pointed out that nationwide, half the trips people make are three miles or less. In cities, the vast majority of regular trips are within a 15-minute bike ride.
Mayor McGinn pointed out that for the 19% Seattle households that do not have access to a car, a bicycle is a low-cost choice that makes a great deal of sense. While they may be the most visible, it’s not just the big cities that want more bicycle facilities. Hiller mentioned that a growing majority of public works directors throughout Washington state are asking for more funding for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
McGinn also addressed the problem of gaining public support for bicycling. As a part of his transition into the mayor’s office, he is looking for projects that can provide early accomplishments and build momentum. As for the naysayers, he asked us to remember a statement he made at Cascade’s office during his campaign endorsement interview: “The ‘frontlash’ is always worse than the backlash.” He noted that in many instances, an initial uproar over adding bicycle lanes or with any project dissipates after citizens don’t mind or even enjoy the results.
In the other Washington, Blumenthal sees opportunities to promote the health, environmental and economic benefits of bicycling. Three major bills on their way through Congress may include more emphasis on bicycling. Chairman Jim Oberstar of the House Transportation Committee, an avid bicyclist, is determined to stress bicycling-related programs, such as Safe Routes to School, as part of a broader reform in 2010. Second, the CLEAN-TEA section of the climate bill dedicates a percentage of revenue to promoting green transportation. As the most energy-efficient mode, bicycling should compete favorably for this funding.
Finally, Sen. Patty Murray may play a key role as chair of an appropriations subcommittee for transportation, a possible jobs bill to stimulate the economy. In any case, our national partners would like to see this transit focus continued, along with a better funding split between highways and other modes of transportation including bicycling. In addition, attendees agreed that the Puget Sound region should be a strong contender in the TIGER grant program focused on the greatest needs. LaBorde stressed that the time-worn earmark process in Congress, prone to pet projects rather than the most crucial ones, is in desperate need of reform. “Project prioritization with teeth,” as he put it, would create broad criteria for assessing the value of transportation projects, as Cascade is attempting to do in Olympia.
In the local, state and federal arenas, Cascade is finding new partners. These coalitions of businesses, advocacy organizations and intergovernmental relationships are promising. With their assistance, along with the hard work of Cascade members, we will advance a pro-bike agenda for 2010.
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