Mary Peters is the Secretary of Transportation in the United States of America. She said the following on PBS’s NewsHour:
Well, there’s about probably some 10 percent to 20 percent of the current spending that is going to projects that really are not transportation, directly transportation-related. Some of that money is being spent on things, as I said earlier, like bike paths or trails.
I was under the impression that bikes were a form of transportation. When I ride my bicycle to work, I definitely feel like I’m being transported. However, Mary Peters has a degree from the University of Phoenix (you may have seen the commercials for their online degree programs) and is the Secretary of Transportation, so I will believe her.
That’s three real posts in a row, people.
Yes, I am very proud of you and have read all three. Now what?
i wonder how she feels about constructing sidewalks…
I’m not sure what you’d need sidewalks for, unless you’re walking carrying an oil lantern.
[...] I recently posted about the Secretary of Transportation and her opinion of bicycling as a form of transportation. I received the following response today: Thank you for your e-mail about the importance of bicycling and walking as a form of transportation. I share your interest in a safe, efficient mullimodal transportation system. Your e-mail discussed comments I made during a recent interview regarding the importance of effectively prioritizing major transportation spending decisions. These comments were in no way intended as an indictment of bicycle and pedestrian investments broadly. Rather, they were part of a much larger critique of the processes by which investment decisions are increasingly being made at the Federal level. Too often, political influence and power arc guiding transportation spending priorities, instead of merit, competition, data, and analysis. The U.S. Department of Transportation believes that bicyclists and pedestrians are legitimate and welcome users of our Nation’s transportation system. They are a healthy part of the solution to congestion in our urban areas. We also believe that States, metropolitan planning organizations, and transit agencies are in the best position to understand the unique needs of their own communities, which is why we have continued to strongly support broad eligibility under the Federal-aid program for a diverse mix of transportation investments, including bicycle and pedestrian transportation facilities. Programs that improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians arc also eligible for Federal safety dollars. Although the number of bicyclist and pedestrian injuries and fatalities has dropped by 10 percent since 1994, fatalities have increased in the last 2 years, and this is not acceptable. [...]