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IT’S ABOUT PRIORITIES: BIKE TRAILS OR HIGHWAYS?
By Michael B. Brodkorb | August 10, 2007
Congressman Jim Oberstar, who is chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, did a great job of leading the charge and getting the 35-W bride repair relief package passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislative process worked and every Minnesotan should be proud of how Minnesota's congressional delegation responded to this tragedy.
But I'm curious what people think of this article from the Bemidji Pioneer. I've pulled the below section from the article:
"Oberstar wrote the legislation in 1991 that first allowed Highway Trust Funds to flow to states for bike trails. Until then, the 50 states combined for the past 20 years had spent only $40 million on bike trails.
The 1991 law required each state to have a bicycle coordinator, funded from the Highway Trust Fund, to have a state bicycling plan, and would be given the authority to use abandoned railway grade beds as bicycle, pedestrian and in-line skating trails.
In the next six years, $1.3 billion was invested in bicycling facilities nationwide, Oberstar, an avid biker, said." Source: Bemidji Pioneer, August 9, 2007
What do you think? Should we be focused on bike trails or highways? In my opinion, it's all about priorities. In the aftermath of the 35-W bridge collapse, I think the public will be closely monitoring state spending and watching how politicians spend the taxpayers' money. What should come first? More bike trails or highways?
Topics: Uncategorized |
August 10th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
How about this gem of a bridge rising as our interstate bridge fell?
http://www.midtowngreenway.org/greenway/Hiawatha_bridge_virtual_tour.htm
August 10th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
The bike trails are just a symptom of the overall problem with federal transportation spending. Project funding is allocated on a 90% seniority and 10% political basis. There is absolutely no discussion of need, safety, or congestion reduction in the earmarking process.
I’d like to think people would be disgusted by this process, but every year when Oberstar brings another $200 million in transportation pork back to the 8th District (which has little-to-no need) the residents cheer and send him back to Washington with 65%. This problem won’t be solved until we start throwing these career politician bums out.
August 10th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
The blood is clearly on Oberstar’s hands!!!
August 10th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
As much as I don’t like Oberstar or raising taxes, I give him credit for his seemingly staunch disapproval of earmarks and support for strictly need-based allocation in his gas tax increase proposal.
August 10th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
First, I’m against any tax increase. Now, if they want to raise taxes to fix the infrastructure there are many other ways of doing. Gas is already expensive enough and any increase would be regressive - almost everyone, including the poor, buys gas. How about a tax on something that would have a clear and somewhat painfull impact on the rich liberals, say trial lawyers. They stand to make a killing on the bridge collapse. How about a special tax on all fees that trial lawyers earn - say 50%? If they get a $30 million dollar fee in a class action suit (that they only really benefit from) they could give half of it to the state. There are a lot of intellegent people who contribute to this blog and I’m certain someone can come up with a few good ideas.
August 10th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
For most of my life the 8th district was promised a 4 lane highway connecting Grand Rapids with Virginia. It has not been done but you can ride your bike from just outside Bovey all the way to Virginia. Don’t raise my taxes, use what you take from me wisely. Let’s see if Jim can get the 35W bridge built as fast as the Northridge-Oakland bridge after the earthquake. When opened up to bids and insentives a bridge that was supposed to take 2 years and 2 month, took 2 months and 2 days. I’m sure Jim will allow full government intervention and it will take the full 18 months. Thanks for nothing. The people in the 8th district who vote for this guy are deaf, dumb and blind.
August 10th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Oberstar has been a useless hack for many years now. Let’s see he is a biker and we have spent much of our money on bike trails, can we say yet another corrupt DFL’er!
August 10th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
I love riding my bike for exercise, but I’m sorry, transportation money should be spend on roads and bridges, not bike trails.
August 11th, 2007 at 12:18 am
What transportation projects Republicans vote for?….
From the House Journal for the 12th of April, 2006:
Olson moved to amend H. F. No. 2959, the second engrossment, as amended, as follows:
Page 32, delete lines 15 to 17 and insert:
“(a) For design, environmental studies, and preliminary engineering in the Central Corridor Transitway, if the study and analysis requirements of paragraphs (b) and (c) are met. Journal of the House - 89th Day - Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - Top of Page 6648
(b) The Metropolitan Council must approve a study and analysis of transit options, including personal rapid transit (PRT), express bus transit, and light rail transit. A published report of a recent study done of any Central Corridor Transitway transit mode may satisfy this study and analysis requirement for the listed transit option. The study and analysis must:
(1) determine the effectiveness and viability of each transit option;
(2) specifically address whether the Central Corridor Transitway would be a cost-effective and viable site for the PRT option; and
(3) contain an unbiased analysis that is not performed by any party or organization that has a conflict of interest.
(c) The Metropolitan Council must give serious unbiased and objective consideration to implementing PRT, and must ensure that consultants or other persons with expertise in PRT systems, and associated national or international organizations such as the Advanced Transit Association, are consulted and utilized at each phase of the study and analysis. ”
Page 32, line 18, before ” This ” insert ” (d) ”
A roll call was requested and properly seconded.
The question was taken on the Olson amendment and the roll was called. There were 26 yeas and 107 nays as follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative were:
Anderson, B.
Bradley
Buesgens
Demmer
Eastlund
Emmer
Erickson
Hackbarth
Heidgerken
Holberg
Hosch (DFL)
Knoblach
Krinkie
Marquart (DFL)
Nelson, P.
Nornes
Olson
Ozment
Smith
Soderstrom
Sykora
Urdahl
Vandeveer
Wardlow
Westrom
Wilkin
August 11th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Big K Fat Ass: Maybe if you would get out and use a bike trail once in awhile, your brain would have less fat on it and you could think clearer. Your attitudes and cheapness are helping to turn this state into crap. Move to a red state and get the hell out of MN…and take these fuzz chested trolls on this website with you!
August 11th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Is there a point in that somewhere Avidor?
August 11th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Oh.. and fuck you MNBluestate gal. Assholes like you are destroying the state.
August 11th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
[...] President Bush made things more difficult for Oberstar when he said that the Transportation committees had to do a much better job of prioritizing spending. Michael Brodkorb added to Oberstar’s burden with this post that highlighted Oberstar’s diverting $1.3 billion from the highway trust fund into bike trails. [...]
August 11th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
[...] President Bush made things more difficult for Oberstar when he said that the Transportation committees had to do a much better job of prioritizing spending. Michael Brodkorb added to Oberstar’s burden with this post that highlighted Oberstar’s diverting $1.3 billion from the highway trust fund into bike trails. [...]
August 11th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Bike’s work, Chestnut, PRT doesn’t.
But maybe you or Michael Brodkorb can explain why Phil Krinkie, Ray Vandeveer and Michele Bachmann support convicted felon Dean Zimmermann’s $600 million PRT plan?
August 11th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
This is why you are the best in the business! Now as far as Oberstar, where did I put my tar and feathers? Get that rail over there and bring it along!
http://www.grizzlygroundswell.com
August 11th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Does anyone here care that the Republican leadership is leaning toward a gas tax increase in Minnesota? Pawlenty and Seifert both have said that something can be worked out. These are Republicans caving into the Democrats and no one here cares? This is moving forward and doing so fast. If people don’t speak out against it and continue bitching and moaning about the idiot Democrats they will get what they want. It seems their distractions are working out well - keep you focused on this old BS and sneak their tax increase in when you aren’t looking.
August 11th, 2007 at 10:54 pm
At the state level, I personally like the gas tax. While people will say it is a regressive tax, out of all taxes, it is really the fairest in some ways. This tax is dedicated 100% to highways in the state (no transit). If you do not like paying the tax, don’t buy gas. Take a bike, walk, take transit, whatever other means of transportation you want. The heavier the car, the lower the gas mileage the more gas tax you pay. The heavier the vehicle the higher wear and tear on the roads.
As for Obestar, he needs to get his priorities straight. He talks about the need for investment, but then puts pork into the highway bill by dedicating funds for a 4-lane highway that MnDOT doesn’t even want to build as the traffic volume does not warrant it. To get the funds, MnDOT has to divert money from other projects in the state.
Now, reducing other taxes to make up for increasing the gas tax, I would be more than in favor for.
At the national level though, the gas tax should be used to pay for roads and bridges, period.
August 11th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
I guess all that works fine for people who live in the metro area. I live in Madison and work in Willmar. I drive 130 miles round trip everyday and have no other options - mass transit does not exist out here. Nobody else in town works in
Willmar. It costs me ~15 dollars a day in gas now. I’m sure we will all get hit with a gas tax and it will be some where between 5 - 10 cents a gallon. Once again outstate will get the same tax but no where near the same benefit or transportation options.
August 12th, 2007 at 2:34 am
Doesn’t it occur to any of you that funding alternative modes of transportation like bike trails and light rail take cars off the road, therefore reducing our need to build and expand more highways?
Now if you want to do a cost benefit analysis of these alternative transportation methods thats fair. Some may be worth the cost of taking that much traffic off the roads, while some may not. But I think its foolish to dismiss everything as being a complete waste…they do provide benefits. Just a question of if the benefits are worth the cost.
August 12th, 2007 at 3:09 am
Conservative in Minneapolis, im right there with ya. I am 100% for a state gas tax but federally, hell no. I think state’s should take the lion share of doing their own transportation and that at the federal level, they should only deal with interstates.
I read a Strib article about Oberstar working on expanding bike trails I think 2-4 weeks prior to the bridge collapsing. The only news we hear currently is news about him working for infrastructure, not bike trails. The bike trails have rightly taken a back seat to our highways. This post is complete bullshit.
August 12th, 2007 at 6:56 am
Avidor, I see no evidence that anything has been done on that PRT website, not even a newsletter, since 2005. I see no proof at all that any republicans are still supporting it.
Conservative in Mpls. The gas tax will hit everybody in many ways, not just in the gas they personally use. Your garbage collection fees will go up because they will pass the increase cost of fuel onto you. The cost of your groceries will go up because of the cost to ship the goods. Just about every good and service will go up because of increased costs. So it’s not so easy to say just walk, bike, or take mass transit to work.
Barack, more bike trails extra is BS. For example, they are wanting to build a light rail from the Eden Prairie area to downtown Minneapolis. We already have a great bus service in place and I can get to and from downtown Minneapolis in half an hour. And this is during rush hour. The light rail they propose will take longer because of repeated stops. The proposed routes will also take me through a really crappy, high crime, part of town, and drop me off a lot farther from work. Now why would I want to get on that proposed light rail line?
And not that many people are going to bike to work, at least not to downtown Minneapolis from here. You forget that if you live a long way from work and your workplace doesn’t have a place for you to change and clean up. I’m really sure that my coworkers aren’t going to want me stinking like a race horse at work. We won’t even talk about the helmet hair. Oh, and just what do I do with my brief case and the other stuff I cart to work with me? I’m the designated baker for birthdays. I can just see trying to bike over 11 miles to work with a birthday cake. And you forget, during the winter, only the truly psychotic are going to bike to work. So again, you’re going to need those roads.
August 12th, 2007 at 7:20 am
Barack,
How many people commute from Bovey to Virginia by bicycle everyday?
Now, how many people/vehicles traveled over the 35W bridge on a daily basis?
Bike paths are a luxury. A very few people will use them for their commute on nice sunny days, and fewer still when the weather is bad. They are not going to replace any significant amount of traffic along our highways.
I have biked to work on a few occasions. It can be fun. However, it takes significantly longer both to and from work, leaving less time to devote to more productive activities.
We need to spend wisely and building bike paths that only a few use or only use for recreation is a foolish investment of our transportation dollars.
August 12th, 2007 at 10:34 am
[...] Michael’s post about Jim Oberstar is a perfect example of why Moulitsas’ statement rings hollow: “Oberstar wrote the legislation in 1991 that first allowed Highway Trust Funds to flow to states for bike trails. Until then, the 50 states combined for the past 20 years had spent only $40 million on bike trails. [...]
August 12th, 2007 at 11:05 am
Chestnut: You are not what MN represents–you are some defected cult member who keeps mouthing off for a state you think you want…be careful for what you ask for, you ingrate. You all sound like a bunch of hicks.
August 12th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Hey Chestnut: I’m giving you a new name: HICKorynut.
August 12th, 2007 at 11:20 am
[...] Michael’s post about Jim Oberstar is a perfect example of why Moulitsas’ statement rings hollow: “Oberstar wrote the legislation in 1991 that first allowed Highway Trust Funds to flow to states for bike trails. Until then, the 50 states combined for the past 20 years had spent only $40 million on bike trails. [...]
August 12th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Elton: You sound like a scab. Work here and pay no taxes here, yet thinking you know what’s best for this state. Our state is not a hick state like WI because of infrastructure investment, cheapo. I here Madison is a better town now, though, because of DEM influence. You people are so slow to come around to what works and what doesn’t. And if I hear one more Queen Bachmann supporters say more highways instead of transit–get out of your caves and go see the world. Mass transit is awesome. It’s FOR THE PEOPLE–maybe that’s what really pisses you off.
August 12th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
Ingrate for what? DFL whores like bluestate gal steeling the bread off my families table? I represent everything Minn. stands for. Minnesota does not stand for theft and the most immoral of behavior… in other words, not the DFL platform.
People like me built Minnesota. Deadbeats like you are destroying it… You damn ingrate.
In fact, it seems MNBlustategal1, that you’re so damn stupid as not to realize there’s a town in Minnesota called Madison. My guess is you’re unaware of anything outside of the 94 loop. … In fact, a commute from Madison, Wisconsin to WILMAR, MINNESOTA would be about 340 miles.
But even Elton were talking about Madison, Wisconsin, that town is taking a severe dive as liberal whores like you destroy it.
Liberalism is the politics of losers, deadbeats, liars, cowards and thieves. … and you.
Mass Transit is shit. That’s why 90 percent of us don’t use it.
August 12th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Acutally Madison MINNESOTA has always been a Dem area. We are losing population every year, have some of the lowest pay in the state, our state representative Aaron Peterson votes with the big city DFL all the time for his own political advancement, and towns like Madison slowly die. My wife works at the local nursing home and is a member of the Teamsters. This is the lowest paying nursing home in the region with the worst benefits (none of the others are union…). You city folk need to get over your elite attitude. You live in an ever growing slum due to the DFL.
August 12th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
By the way, I’m very well travelled. We are becoming a slum here in MN because of dumb bastard Neocons like Elton and Chestnut. “Liberalism is the politics of losers, deadbeats, liars, cowards and thieves. … and you.” And this kind of rhetoric is destroying your party, Mr. Shallowest thinker. “You live in an ever growing slum due to the DFL.” Oh, you are so slow to come around — it started in the Reagan era and continues with the Bush Nightmare. “You city folk need to get over your elite attitude. You live in an ever growing slum due to the DFL.” That statement alone shows how narrow minded and ignorant you are — the DFL built this state–why in the hell do you think a so called “fly over state” could become what it is in the Midwest? From Republican values? We would probably still have dirt roads (oh, but more of them) if it was up to the GOP…get over yourself, HICKorynut. You do not represent a true Minnesotan. You assume I’m a deadbeat or on welfare…I’ve met plenty like you with these attitudes and angry, shallow opinions. Therefore, another reason you are not a true Minnesotan. You sir, are no Minnesotan. Now shut up and go learn some manners. I’m getting ready to leave on another trip, so save yourself from insulting me (a true Minnesotan)some more. Pfffttt…
August 12th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Elton’s right. Madison is a very nice town, with a rapidly dwindling population. Most everyone who grows up in that part of the state moves to North or South Dakota… towns like Brookings, Souix Falls and Fargo where there are jobs and opportunity, without having to navigate the cesspool that is Minneapolis.
The whole area — Yellow Medicine, Chippewa, Lac Qui Parle Counties — is historically liberal, largely because of the supposed connection between farming and the old Democrat party. A connection long gone. But it’s hard to teach old dogs new tricks.
The rotting urban core, and severely deteriorated rural economy is all owed to loyalty to the DFL Party of welfare, abortion and appeasement.
August 12th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
“the Reagan era and continues with the Bush Nightmare”
Yep, it’s easy to despise the President’s who have delivered the strongest economies and lowest unemployement periods this country has ever seen.
You dumb cow. Do you really pine for the days of Jimmy Carter and Lindon Johnson… where opportunity was non-existent, and where national direction was no where to be found.
The DFL has done shit for building this state. Show me a deteriorated city, I’ll show you the corrupt DFL leadership. Show me high-unemployment, I’ll show you the DFL and its union thugs who made it uneconomical to do business here.
Minnesotans built this state, not your worthless party of leaches, whores and deadbeats.
While you’re on your trip MNBluestatecow, tear up your return ticket. Stay out.
August 12th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
HICKorynut: You wouldn’t have anything if we didn’t pave the way for you. You really are an ignorant ingrate. FDR, LBJ and JFK leveled the playing field enough that even morons like you could buy computers and spew Neocon crap. I agree this state is looking more and more like a red state. Who to blame? Well let’s look at our history. Neocons took over at the national and state level in the early 90’s. Precisely when our state took a dive. I’ll tell you what - I will vacation in blue states and you vacation in red and then compare notes. I hope you enjoy Mississippi. Maybe you’ll luck out and see a lynching.
August 12th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
MNBluegirl, I have to agree with several others. People like you are the problem. By the way, are you aware that JFK was closer to todays republicans than he is to today’s democrats? Even JFK would cut taxes to raise revenues.
FDR was nothing but socialist policies, and we can see what a total mess those policies are if we take a good look a the Social Security system.
LBJ go us neck deep in the Vietnam war, a war I don’t think we should have been in. We won’t even talk about he screwing up the Social Security system even more.
August 12th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
MNBluestategal,
I think you would be much happier if you moved to a Socialist utopia like Cuba or something. You are one smug little witch to come on here and tell people they don’t represent our state. You are the worst kind of poison in politics. You’re probably married to that Nitro jackass who posts on MNPublius.
August 12th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Duhh…you still don’t friggin get it, do you? Look at the BIG PICTURE, you Jason Lewis wannabees. I hereby ban all these Neocon bloggers from all public programs since you despise them so much and TAKE IT ALL FOR GRANTED. Do not use the public libraries, public restrooms, public parks and beaches, the post office, public transit, police, firefighters, public schools, etc. And do not breath the air we DEMS kept clean for you and do not eat the food we DEMS kept safe for you. INGRATES–ALL OF YOU…Honeydog–look at the rate JFK cut compared to your hero presidents–geez. I’m tired of fighting with you types–hardly can wait until 2008. I see Romney won the straw poll in Iowa and McCain came in dead last–boo hoo for TPaw VP, eh?
August 12th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Eh, public=social in case you wanted to spin that, too.
August 12th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
Oh great and wonderful “Truth Teller” you are my hero keeping the air clean for me. Oh please tell me how you did that and how you keep my foods safe. Since you are so powerful I expect you will soon lowering the price of gas in Minnesota. (I mean hey, if you can do all that other stuff you must be the one setting the gas prices too). Please lower the price of milk too, for the children, instead of pooring the corn at the feet of the ethanol gods. While you are at it make it so that ethanol is self supporting and doesn’t need to be subsidized to enrich a few elite DFL’s in rural Minnesota. My you are so wonderful.
August 12th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
Ms. Blue, I lived in the metro for 25 years. I left because of idiots like you. People like you are destroying the city and the people that live there by making them dependent on goverment instead of dependent on themselves. Moving out here was the best move I ever made for my family. I have been able to raise my son as man instead of a she-man like so many of your liberal schools insist on. Some day even you will be looking for men like him to save your ass when the inevitable end comes. And, being a man he will do that dispite all of the evil you have let loose. What will he expect in turn? A thank you and some good manners from you - I know it is probably too much to expect but maybe you will grow up some by then. Remember it is never to late to change.
August 12th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
mnbluefool, the rate of the tax cuts are irrelevant. The point is they did it. Also consider, JFK didn’t have several decades of money grabs to have to reverse.
Now lets look at the laughable list you told us not to use.
public libraries: haven’t been in one in years, I buy the books I read, and I read at least one book at week.
public restrooms: I have’t seen one of these in years. Most restrooms I see are in buildings owned by a company. Even though they may be open to the public, if the building its in is owned by a business or an individual, then it isn’t public. Public would mean owned by thea government entity
public parks and beaches: I don’t swim and I don’t have kiddies to take to a park. By the way, if my taxes pay for these things, they aren’t because of democrats.
the post office: This isn’t a governmental agency. They are also pretty inefficient.
public transit: If MY tax dollars pay for it, it’s again not because of democrats. It’s also the shoving of millions of dollars of transportation money that has screwed up the roads and bridges. So can you dems keep your greedy paws off the transporation money and keep the damn buses off the roads.
police, firefighters: again, something MY tax dollars pays for. Not that I’ve ever needed the services of the police or of the fire department. Can I quit paying taxes for these two so perhaps all you dems in the high crime rate areas will darwin yourselves out of existence!
public schools: Gladly, considering how bad the dems have screwed up the schools. And while I’m at it, can I quit paying taxes for these too?Why should I have to pay for everybody else’s crotch gargoyles to get second rate educations!
do not eat the food we DEMS kept safe for you: Oh BS. The USDA keeps the food safe, and we all pay for this service. And a good portion of the services to keep the food safe are paid for by companies, as a fee for services and not a tax. The rest of us pay higher prices at the cash register because of it.
August 12th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
“FDR, LBJ and JFK leveled the playing field enough that even morons like you could buy computers”
None of these people even knew what a computer was, much less anticipated that I would buy one. Moreover, they leveled the playing field for nobody. FDR created the infrastructure that enslaved generations, including millions of minorities, on government dependence… LBJ, extended that dependency and nearly completely destroyed the middle class doing it. Carter tried to finish the job… thank God we only had 4 years of that jackass.
If Minnesota is starting to look more like a Red state, then THANK GOD!!!!! In Red states, people have opportunities, government is held accountable, and unemployement is low. BRING IT ON!
I don’t have to vacation in a blue state. I lived in one for a few years. High taxes, high unemployment, high violent crime, awful roads, no services, bad government agencies, huge bureaucracies, shit education.
Take your blue states and shove them up your ass.
By the way “Lie teller” … Democrats controled both houses in Minnesota until 1998, when Republicans earned the House. If this state took a dive in the early 1990s, thank the assholes in the DFL… who continue to destroy education and every other facet of “public” life.
August 12th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Two observations:
1) I drive 130 miles round trip everyday and have no other options
Move?
2) People who think liberal politics are destroying Minnesota should probably consider the fact that in every imaginable measure, from public health to crime to unwanted pregnancies and beyond, the traditionally “red” states are always at the bottom of the barrel.
August 12th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
by the way, “truth” who created the environmental protection agency? … RICHARD NIXON!
Nobody is more stupid, lazy or dishonest than a Democrat.
August 12th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
jeffk, you have no idea what you’re talking about.
In Red states, crime isn’t half the problem, and it is of foremost concern. But you’re right, Red states don’t dole out public welfare benefits and kill the children that result from liberal’s recreational sex.
August 12th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
And I’ll add, since nobody seems interested in talking about the original topic, which was bike trails: it takes evil filthy government to create both roads and bike trails. There’s demand for both. Not to mention that every person that bikes is a car off the road, alleviating traffic and pollution and improving their health to boot (this makes things cheaper for the rest of us, and republicans can understand the beauty of that, right?) So all of that being the case, sounds like roads and bike trails are both pretty useful.
August 12th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Well, here’s the tip of the ice berg:
Poverty by state
Teen pregnancy (note: pregnancy, not babies) by state.
August 12th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
jeffk, I already addressed the bikes off the road BS.
Not that many people are going to bike to work, at least not to downtown Minneapolis from way out the suburbs. You forget that if you live a long way from work and your workplace doesn’t have a place for you to change and clean up. I’m really sure that my coworkers aren’t going to want me stinking like a race horse at work. We won’t even talk about the helmet hair. Oh, and just what do I do with my brief case and the other stuff I cart to work with me? I’m the designated baker for birthdays. I can just see trying to bike over 11 miles to work with a birthday cake. And you forget, during the winter, only the truly psychotic are going to bike to work. So again, you’re going to need those roads. We won’t even mention the idea of biking in thunderstorms, snow, and -26 degree weather.
And as a side note, just what kind of fee are bikers paying for their paths and lanes? NOTHING. Perhaps we need to put an odometer on bikes and charge them per mile pedaled for the upkeep of their trails and lanes.
August 12th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Well, lots of people bike to work who DO live in the city, or near it. So roads for you, bike paths for us. Besides that may business DO have showers, even if yours does not. My neighbor bikes every day 10 miles to 3M.
just what kind of fee are bikers paying for their paths and lanes?
Uh, taxes? Do you know how freaking cheap it is to build a bike path versus a freeway? What do you pay, gas tax? People who don’t even own cars pay taxes for roads. We’re not polluting, so let’s call it even.
August 12th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
LOL linking to the Daily KOS a liberal state. I think I’ll find the stats somewhere else, someplace reputable.
August 12th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
I pay taxes too jeff, but income taxes go to other things, not the roads. People who buy cars and trucks pay for gas tax, license tabs, and the vehicle sales tax, which all go to roads, bridges, mass transit, and bike paths! So I again ask, what specific tax to bikers pay that the rest of us don’t? And it must be a tax that goes solely for the transportation.
August 12th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
“Besides that may business DO have showers, even if yours does not. My neighbor bikes every day 10 miles to 3M.”
More businesses don’t have showers than do. So again, how would I get unstinky? How would I carry all the crap I must transport back and forth each day on a bike?
August 12th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Well, I need to leave and I don’t have time to do your research for you. I think it’s fairly well established that teen pregnancy rates are notably higher in “red” states, and 30 seconds on Google should make that obvious to you. I just pulled that out as one of many examples of how quantitative analysis of quality of life don’t generally support the dream of turning Minnesota into Texas.
August 12th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
jeff, I’m quite capable of doing my own research, and I wouldn’t trust anything you came up with, lol, you’re obviously way biased. And I doubt you could tell me, a mathematics and statistic major, a darn thing about quantitative analysis. LOL
August 12th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
jeffk, there’s a difference between recreational bike trails (e.g. the bullshit Oberstar funds up North) and people who commute via bicycle. There are many who do the former, and almost nobody who does the later… so bike trails take almost zero traffic off of any road.
BTW — nobody asked you to do their research for them… they also didn’t ask you to to cite bullshit research from a bullshit site.
Again, liberals are the most ignorant, lazy and dishonest people on the planet. You can tell they’re lying because their lips are moving.
August 12th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
MNBlue has to be a comedy bit or the result of a partial birth abortion that lived. Nobody can truly be that stupid!
August 12th, 2007 at 9:13 pm
Jeffk, Move? To Willmar? Might as well move to the cities. I drive 130 miles because the business that I worked at was shut down as a direct result of 9/11. My son is in high school and I care more about him being able to finish his schooling out here then I do about paying taxes so you guys can ride a few bikes to work. The cities suck, period. If you frigging liberals would just let me live my life all would be well but you have to keep trying to shove your shit down my throat. I’m tired of it. You need to get a life and live yours and stop trying to tell me how I should live mine. What a jerk. Chestnut says it all, but to add one more thought you can also tell when they are lying because their fingers are moving on the keyboard.
August 13th, 2007 at 6:33 am
[...] Similarly, if anyone helped get the wrongdoer’s policies enacted, they’re guilty, too. They simply won’t entertain any alternative theories for what went wrong. For instance, they won’t consider the notion that federal highway trust fund dollars shouldn’t be used for bike trails. Likewise, they won’t accept the possibility that we shouldn’t be mandating that a minimum of 40 cents of each MVST dollar should be spent on LRT: “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to dedicate revenue from a tax on the sale of new and used motor vehicles over a five-year period, so that after June 30, 2011, all of the revenue is dedicated at least 40 percent for public transit assistance and not more than 60 percent for highway purposes?” [...]
August 13th, 2007 at 6:34 am
[...] Similarly, if anyone helped get the wrongdoer’s policies enacted, they’re guilty, too. They simply won’t entertain any alternative theories for what went wrong. For instance, they won’t consider the notion that federal highway trust fund dollars shouldn’t be used for bike trails. Likewise, they won’t accept the possibility that we shouldn’t be mandating that a minimum of 40 cents of each MVST dollar should be spent on LRT: “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to dedicate revenue from a tax on the sale of new and used motor vehicles over a five-year period, so that after June 30, 2011, all of the revenue is dedicated at least 40 percent for public transit assistance and not more than 60 percent for highway purposes?” [...]
August 13th, 2007 at 8:11 am
Jeff K
I live a block off a parkway in Minneapolis. This morning, instead of riding on the new (2 years old) bike path, a woman on a bicycle chose to take the side street parallel to the parkway.
She blew through four stop sings in a matter of less than 5 minutes.
Another bicyclist riding the opposite direction ran at least one stop sign. Again, in the street and not on the new bike path.
Many bicyclists choose to ride on the parkway itself; never mind that there s a bike path less than 50 feet away, and that the parkways are more narrow than the average street.
If it were “roads for you and bike paths for us” as you claim, that would be fine. But the vast majority of these Lance Armstrong wanna-be bicyclists display a blatant and arrogant disregard for traffic laws. They’re pathetic.
Why develop new bike paths when the existing ones aren’t fully utilized as it is?
August 13th, 2007 at 9:52 am
I’d love to see the stats on percent commuter miles traveled on bike in Minnesota. If it is higher than .1% I’ll be shocked. There is no way any rational person thinks bike paths relieve commuter congestion. It’s inconceivable and defies all logic.
I like bike trails and my family does a lot of recreational cycling but paying for something that is 99.9% recreational with transportation funds is wrong. Take the money from county rec funds. Saying it is for commuting is a lie.
Twenty years ago I commuted on bike most every day from Richfield to Eden Prairie for three summers and you know what? I used existing streets! It never even occurred to me to demand a $25 million dollar bike trail. Being dirt poor at the time I’m sure the taxes to pay for it wouldn’t have affected me at all. Hell, the reason I started commuting on bike that first summer was because I couldn’t afford to fix my car! I was conservative then too so demanding the government spend other people’s money to make my life easier just wasn’t a concept I embraced, then or now.
I am currently working with my local township board to get walking-bike trails put in to connect the different neighborhood developments together and to the schools. Currently there is no way for anyone to go anywhere without a car because you have to go on the highway and we’re talking about easy walking distances! Now THAT is a good trail application and the Township is going to pay for it! No money taken from bridges. Imagine that!
August 13th, 2007 at 11:39 am
Newton: You are basing your claim that bike paths aren’t being utilized by a majority of bikers based on one piece of anecdotal evidence: you seeing two bikers blow through stop signs this morning. Classic conservative logic.
August 13th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Actually, I get a kick out of the real asshole bikers who cluster together to stop or slow traffic in downtown every once in a while. I think that would be a great time to experience “peddle confusion”…
August 13th, 2007 at 11:42 am
The irrefutable fact, stated somewhere here, is that transportation funding should never be used to finance bike paths, which are in every sense recreational… nothing more.
August 13th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
Franklin Says:
August 13th, 2007 at 11:39 am
Newton: You are basing your claim that bike paths aren’t being utilized by a majority of bikers based on one piece of anecdotal evidence: you seeing two bikers blow through stop signs this morning. Classic conservative logic.
I found this post funny as it seems the democRats are doing just this with the bridge collapse.
Quick, raise taxes and all will be well.
August 13th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
MNbluestategal1 Says:
August 11th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Big K Fat Ass: Maybe if you would get out and use a bike trail once in awhile, your brain would have less fat on it and you could think clearer. Your attitudes and cheapness are helping to turn this state into crap. Move to a red state and get the hell out of MN…and take these fuzz chested trolls on this website with you!
Wow MNbluestategal1: Does this mean I am not on your Christmas list? Oh wait liberals like you do not believe in God and you would not want to offend any others so Christmas should probably go away.
Mn I do use the bike trials and enjoy them very much.
They are great but not as great as roads and bridges. 
I use the bike trails for fun activity not as an alternative for transportation. For that matter even if you drove the bus or train right to my front door and went right to where I wanted to go I would still not ride the bus or train! I do not care to share my day with liberals on a damn bus or train. I also do not care for what my Daughter learns from young democRats on the school bus so we drive her in as well. 
I take the long way if that helps, I burn all the gas I can and our daughter loves the great big tires on our great big SUV! I believe she will want an even bigger one than I have when the time comes. 
Funny thing is my liberal friend is you really want others to pay for what you want.
August 13th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
Bike routes, trails, lanes, and shared pathways are a illegitimate use of transportation funding. Bicycles ridden on roadways are considered legal vehicles and can be an important form of transportation. They provide health benefits for the user, don’t create pollution, contribute to greenhouse gases or require fossil fuels. The more people riding bikes, the less their will be in cars, and the less wear and tear there will be on our road infrastructure. Consider how many places you drive to that are within an easy 2-3 mile radius of where you live.
August 13th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
I’d love to see Liza:
1) Ride her bike home with groceries for her family
2) Commute to her job via bicycle — most people work more than 5 miles from their home
3) Ride her bike consistently anywhere December through April.
and finally;
4) Learn grammar and spelling.
August 13th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
Franklin, even here in Eden Prairie, the number of people who use the roads to ride their bikes instead of the bike/hike paths are huge. And I base that off a lot more than 2 people. Also, the vast majority of bikers I’ve seen totally ignore stop signs and stop lights.
August 13th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
I’m sure a lot of people use the recreational bike paths. I question if tax dollars that are collected based on motor vehicle usage should be spent on bike paths. How about a bike tax that is paid on all bike purchases and bike equipment and riding gear? Just another “special” group wanting “special” treatment because they think they are “special”. Leave me and mine alone and I’ll return the favor.
August 13th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
I’m sure a lot of people use the recreational bike paths. I question if tax dollars that are collected based on motor vehicle usage should be spent on bike paths. How about a bike tax that is paid on all bike purchases and bike equipment and riding gear? Just another “special” group wanting “special” treatment. Leave me and mine alone and I’ll return the favor.
November 3rd, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Newton-
I live 1 block from the parkway. I see the same Lance-wannabe’s and no, they don’t outnumber bikes on the pathways. I grew up here and I know. It is Minnesota law for bikes to abide traffic laws, but what about cars? i can say from personal experience that they rarely keep a 3 foot cushion from bikes on the streets. Also, I see more cars rolling through intersections and breaking laws than I have seen bikes.
Rent “who killed the electric car”…. we almost had a solution, but big oil and the automakers are having adulterous sex w/each other.
November 10th, 2007 at 10:36 am
More money for bike trails and paths obviously.
BTW, Brodkorb and the King Bunion are dicks.
November 10th, 2007 at 10:45 am
The PRT is a wedge issue that the Rethugs use to try to drown out reasonable approaches. Blatant political tactics to appeal to some moral authority, knowing full well it won’t go anywhere but realizing that it will waste time according to the rules set forth by Grover Norgequist and the other fat-asses.