NOTE –I’m not an environmentalist or tree hugger. This just makes sense.
Simply put, current roads are built and designed for vehicles that use some type of fuel, gas, natural gas, electricity, etc… These roads are “mostly” funded through fuel taxes.
Cut all outside federal funding for roads designed only for use of fuel based vehicles and divert all funds to Foot / Bike paths or “Rails to Trails” programs like the privately funded program in Georgia.
1 ) This would greatly increase fitness reducing medical costs.
2 ) This would reduce emissions and greed house gasses. (I would ride a bike everywhere if I could ride away from the killer cars.)
3 ) Create recreation areas for the masses.
Comments (3)
I'm not sure what you mean by "cut all outside federal funding for roads" But if you don't maintain the roads, how are you going to move goods across the country? Or Even across the state? Should we attach a wagon to the back of your bicycle, load it up with 200 new computers and let you deliver them to New York from your home there in Georgia? They need to be there by next week. How fast can you peddle?
Almost all goods in this country are moved by truck. Trucks require roads. If you wish those goods to be delivered promptly and efficiently, those trucks need the interstate.
Maintenance and new Roads should be and are partially funded by those that use them through gas and usage taxes. If taxes were at the level they should be you would see almost all long distance freight hauled by train.
Just so you know, the food you buy that was hauled by the truck has this tax already in the price. Trucks pay a very large road usage tax as they cause so much wear on the roads, some as much as $10,000 per year. So those 200 new computers have the transportation costs (taxes) built into them. These are the taxes that fix and maintain your roads and bridges.
If only fuel taxes had to be used to install and maintain roads and bridges you would not have a 100 million dollar “bridge to nowhere” being contemplated by congress.
Afraid of a bike? I’m kind of out of shape and no I’m not good with hills. But, railroads in most cases use less than a 3% grade. This can be achieved in all but the most hill laden cities like San Francisco. Even in those cities a ski lift type system can be used to assist people up hills.
It is not safe to travel on America’s roads with a bike.
The idea is extreme, but the sentiment behind it is good.
We need to encourage bicycling for a variety of reasons related to health, environment and even national security (i.e. reducing oil imports and placing our national economy on a stronger footing).
- Aaron Dalton, http://1GreenProduct.com