Bike the vote

Bike riders and fans of alternative transportation out West are rallying behind Senator Barack Obama's position on their issue:

“As president, Barack Obama will re-evaluate the transportation funding process to ensure that smart growth considerations are taken into account. Obama will build upon his efforts in the Senate to ensure that more Metropolitan Planning Organizations create policies to incentivize greater bicycle and pedestrian usage of roads and sidewalks, and he will also re-commit federal resources to public mass transportation projects across the country. Building more livable and sustainable communities will not only reduce the amount of time individuals spent commuting, but will also have significant benefits to air quality, public health and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

While their numbers are not huge, it is significant that they recognized Senator Obama's commitment to making funding for bikes paths and alternative forms of commuting a priority for his administration's transportation program, especially after Bush's Transportation Secretary said last summer that bikes and their infrastructure should not be part of federal transportation funding.