Comments on: ***Commentary*** Hawai’i Pedal Power; A Fit City Is A Bike Friendly City http://www.bigislandchronicle.com/?p=4659 Blog with aloha for news and commentary Thu, 09 Sep 2010 07:07:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: John Schubert http://www.bigislandchronicle.com/?p=4659&cpage=1#comment-2322 John Schubert Tue, 12 May 2009 23:10:19 +0000 http://www.bigislandchronicle.com/?p=4659#comment-2322 Tiffany, thank you for some first-class journalism. One additional point: The League's "Bicycle Friendly Communities" program keeps its scoring system a secret. But one thing that is no secret is that Andy Clarke, who runs the program as his personal pet project, loves Big Government and anti-car measures. Clark favors communities that spend a lot of money on bicycle bureaucrats. He praises expensive construction projects that inconvenience motorists to set aside special space (whether safe or not) for bicyclists. I favor public policy that is win-win. Even in "success story" communities like Portland, 90 percent of the public isn't on a bike. Being too greedy in public policy matters is a great way to suffer political backlash. I was once vice president of the League, and I am deeply ashamed by its current cavalier attitude towards safety and we-win-you-lose posture in public policy. John Schubert Limeport.org Tiffany, thank you for some first-class journalism. One additional point: The League’s “Bicycle Friendly Communities” program keeps its scoring system a secret. But one thing that is no secret is that Andy Clarke, who runs the program as his personal pet project, loves Big Government and anti-car measures. Clark favors communities that spend a lot of money on bicycle bureaucrats. He praises expensive construction projects that inconvenience motorists to set aside special space (whether safe or not) for bicyclists.

I favor public policy that is win-win. Even in “success story” communities like Portland, 90 percent of the public isn’t on a bike. Being too greedy in public policy matters is a great way to suffer political backlash.

I was once vice president of the League, and I am deeply ashamed by its current cavalier attitude towards safety and we-win-you-lose posture in public policy.

John Schubert
Limeport.org

]]> By: Keri http://www.bigislandchronicle.com/?p=4659&cpage=1#comment-2308 Keri Tue, 12 May 2009 12:52:23 +0000 http://www.bigislandchronicle.com/?p=4659#comment-2308 Tiffany, thanks for the link! You're on the right track, attitude is everything! The best thing we can do as cyclists is make friends and join forces with all citizens to make our communities safer and more civil in the public space we call roads. Here's another post that might interest you: <a href="http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2009/03/17/strategy-for-a-cyclist-friendly-community/" rel="nofollow">Strategy for a Cyclist-Friendly Community</a> Don't take the BFC ratings to heart. I just spent a week in Dallas, TX — a city the League staff says is the worst city for cycling in America. It has no bike lanes. But it was very easy to ride in, with an abundance of quiet, pleasant bike routes. The motorists were uniformly courteous and respectful. I had more exceptionally courteous encounters than I have in any city and I had zero negative encounters. I know that reform website comes off quite grumpy, but in Fred's defense, he has created a good alternative program in Ohio called "Cyclist Friendly Community." He has also worked tirelessly to reform laws in Ohio to release cyclists from many discriminatory mandates. He's a league instructor, too. Tailwinds! Tiffany, thanks for the link! You’re on the right track, attitude is everything! The best thing we can do as cyclists is make friends and join forces with all citizens to make our communities safer and more civil in the public space we call roads.

Here’s another post that might interest you:
Strategy for a Cyclist-Friendly Community

Don’t take the BFC ratings to heart. I just spent a week in Dallas, TX — a city the League staff says is the worst city for cycling in America. It has no bike lanes. But it was very easy to ride in, with an abundance of quiet, pleasant bike routes. The motorists were uniformly courteous and respectful. I had more exceptionally courteous encounters than I have in any city and I had zero negative encounters.

I know that reform website comes off quite grumpy, but in Fred’s defense, he has created a good alternative program in Ohio called “Cyclist Friendly Community.” He has also worked tirelessly to reform laws in Ohio to release cyclists from many discriminatory mandates. He’s a league instructor, too.

Tailwinds!

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