I had the opportunity to sign on early for the “Build It” campaign that the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and allies have created to get the Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030 adopted and funded.
Here’s why I think this is not just important, but vital, for Portland’s future:
- Cycling provides healthy mobility, and will make our community healthier and cut health care costs.
- Cycling helps shape livable communities and will support “20 minute neighborhoods”.
- Cycling provides low cost mobility and provides more affordable transportation options to individuals and will require fewer public resources than other ways of providing equivalent mobility.
- Cycling will help us meet our climate action goals.
In short, this is a very affordable investment that will pay multiple benefits for Portland’s future.
I encourage all our readers to sign on to the campaign and support the Plan. Here’s how you can do it.
Start by taking your picture with the “Build It” logo (PDF).
Then there are three ways you add your photo to the campaign. Pick whichever is easiest or most expressive for you.
- e-mail the photo to buildit@bta4bikes.org
- tweet the photo to @MayorSamAdams with your message and the #BUILDIT hash tag
- On Facebook, becomes friends with the campaign here and add your photo and message to the wall
There’s more you can do, from attending the rally to testifying at City Council next Thursday (and after, in the budget process). To learn about these opportunities check out the ‘act’ page on the campaign site.
Do it now.
3 responses to “Why You Should Help Build It (and How)”
Well, uh, hmmm……
I think the bike plan is great. I drive for a living, so I ride my bike the rest of the time. I own no stinkin car.
This plan will fail if they don’t require bicyclists to pass a driving/bike riding test. Also bicyclists should financially support the plan by paying a tax, yearly license or registration. It will make it a safe plan and will “help” to fund some of it. Currently most bikers and drivers either forget the rules when they are sharing the road or don’t know them to begin with. The drivers should be tested on bike lanes,etc. also. Currently drivers of gas powered vehicles are the only ones paying for roads, bike lanes and signage. It’s not fair.
Currently drivers of gas powered vehicles are the only ones paying for roads, bike lanes and signage.
Jay –
Setting aside for a moment the discussion of what would be an appropriate level of direct contribution from cyclists, and what an appropriate level of spending would be, it is simply untrue that drivers of gas-powered vehicles are the _only_ contributors to the funds used for bicycle infrastructure.
If you don’t own a car, but pay property taxes or income taxes, some of your money inevitably winds up in road infrastructure, and especially in services which benefit the users (all modes) of that infrastructure.
That’s not to say that the contributions are necessarily proportional or balanced, but just pointing out that many people contribute in various ways to the funding of our infrastructure.