Congress continues to give the Auto/Oil Industry a reach-around

[Jaybar]

Transportation Bill Defunds Cycling and Other Pedestrian Support

[In 2010] Republicans regained control of the House after a massive mid-term election shellacking of the Democrats. With the Republicans firmly in control of the House, Representative John Mica (R-FL) assumed the Chair of the House Transportation Committee, and transportation policy was once again poised for a new era of change.

the new Transportation bill—its official title is “The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act”—is far worse than what anybody had expected. Here are some details:

• Completely reverses 20 years of bicycle and pedestrian-friendly federal transportation policy.
• Completely eliminates the dedicated funding for the Transportation Enhancements program that funds the cycling and walking projects.
• Allows states to build bridges without safe access for cyclists and pedestrians, as previously required.
• Completely eliminates Bicycle and Pedestrian and Safe Routes to Schools coordinators in state DOTs.
• Repeals the Safe Routes to Schools program.
• Eliminates language that ensures that rumble strips “do not adversely affect the safety or mobility of bicyclists, pedestrians or the disabled.”

• Permanently removes environmental regulatory barriers to American oil production and infrastructure development, and links infrastructure to oil production by funding motor vehicle transportation infrastructure with oil production revenues.
• Lifts current offshore drilling bans and requires leasing of new offshore areas.
• Promotes shale oil extraction research and development.
• Approves the Keystone XL pipeline rejected by President Obama in January.
• Opens the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration.

So basically, tl:dr, Congress is continuing its self-destructive infatuation with the auto and oil industry at the expense of pedestrians and cyclists. Instead of putting money into alternative fuels and transportation, they are continuing to restrict people's transportation dependency to cars and freeways.

If America has an obesity problem, then why are we removing/defunding healthy alternatives to driving? The cost/benefit to increasing pedestrian/cycling traffic and therefore lower health costs far outweighs wider freeways (so you only spend 45min on the highway instead of 55min) and oil fracking.

http://www.good.is/post/why-is-our-t...-in-the-1950s/:

But the political posturing serves another purpose too—“cutting spending” is the latest angle for politicians looking for a way to sell the policies of their clients (cycling and walking received 1.6% of transportation funds in 2011). But regardless of the year, and regardless of whether it is marketed as “patriotism,” “energy independence,” or “cutting spending,” the policy always remains the same: keep subsidizing Big Oil, and keep up the pressure to cut environmental protections and open more areas to oil production.

[Jaybar]

A bit more in depth article here without the political commentary - http://www.metroplanning.org/news-events/blog-post/6323

• Eliminates the Mass Transit Account.  Currently, 2.86 cents per gallon of federal motor fuel taxes goes into the Mass Transit Account, a policy that began under President Reagan.  Retroactive to October 1 2012 that revenue would be transferred to the Highway Account.  The Mass Transit Account would be replaced by the Alternative Transportation Account, and funded from the General Fund.  That $40 billion has to be matched by saving elsewhere in the federal budget, since it is a General Fund expenditure. This move puts future transit funding at risk.
  
• The highway program would focus on “Interstate Highways and the National Highway System,” which would cut local flexibility… Federal transportation objectives would focus on long-distance travel instead of urban networks of roads and highways where we know congestion occurs.
  
• Funds would no longer be set aside for bike and pedestrian projects, though states would be permitted to use funds on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure if they choose. 

[BaneTheBrawler]

I hear Antarctica is nice this time of year.

[Indalecia]

Not to sound cynical, but really: who the fuck is surprised?

[Correction]

they are continuing to restrict people's dependencies on cars and freeways.

I think you phrased this wrong. They are restricting people's ability to safely get around in any other way except cars and interstate highways.

[Kuya]

What are the chances this will pass the senate?

[Jaybar]

Seeing as it is being portrayed as a "job creation" bill, I'm guessing it has a fair chance of passing with bi-partisan agreement. Ironically, the same amount of money spent on highways could produce more jobs if spent on mass transit. However, there appears to be some recent backlash to this bill, so it is possible that it will not pass (yet).

[madpersian]

Anyone who has enjoyed sidewalks or bike paths being built with federal funding should be against this. I mean it keeps peoples kids safe in areas that previously used to just have roads with no sidewalks. My area has tons of kids and has just been getting sidewalks and nearby bike paths through this sort of funding.

It's like the republican congress just wants to get the message across that they hate people. This is a bill I could see some Captain America villain trying to pass.

[Kerberoz]

I hear Antarctica is nice this time of year.

Buy now before it becomes beachfront resort property.

[Churchill]

If this passes, the read between the lines should be: War with Iran imminent.

[Ragnus]

This bill is pretty sickening. I really hope it doesn't pass

[kuronosan]

America: Don't exercise or care about politics, let the rich assholes ruin everything.

Starting to see what George Carlin meant by faux democracy.

[greenhills]

as a person that likes to bike in a city that is sometimes scary to bike commute in, this saddens me. here's to hoping a lot of cities continue with the trend of trying to be more bike friendly with their local dollars.

[Stumblingdrunk]

as a person that likes to bike in a city that is sometimes scary to bike commute in, this saddens me. here's to hoping a lot of cities continue with the trend of trying to be more bike friendly with their local dollars.

I would love to see more bike friendly roads as well, but local money is incredibly tight pretty much everywhere. Without federal money these projects will suffer greatly.