transportation secretary

A Cycling President Versus A Cycling Friendly President

Posted 4/14/10 at 10:37am by jamie

Our last President was a cycling one:

President George W. Bush bike ride. He holds up bike to the press during his statement

Our current President is a cycling friendly one:

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a weekend bicyclist, might consider keeping his head down and his helmet on. A backlash is brewing over his new bicycling policy.

LaHood says the government is going to give bicycling – and walking, too – the same importance as automobiles in transportation planning and the selection of projects for federal money. The former Republican congressman quietly announced the "sea change" in transportation policy last month.

"This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized," he wrote in his government blog.

As an avid cyclist, this is the kind of news that just makes me want to start dancing (something I never do). I spend a lot of time looking at maps and figuring out routes I can go on for nice day trips with my two wheeled friend. Just last month we received word that our local bike trail has finally been granted the federal funds to complete the final section. Not only does it put some people to work finishing it, but it helps promote healthier lifestyles. Spend a day biking along the river instead of in front of the television playing Playstation. Your heart and mind will thank you for it.

Something Else For Boehner To Ignore

Posted 1/28/10 at 1:18pm by jamie

John Boehner has constantly ignored stimulus projects happening here in Ohio, even when some of them are just a few miles from his own house. Now we have a big stimulus project coming to Ohio and I can bet that he will ignore this one also:

Ohio is getting about $400 million in federal stimulus money to restore passenger train service among its major cities.

Gov. Ted Strickland said Wednesday that U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called him about the grant.

Ohio is planning a 79-mph, startup train service connecting Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati using existing tracks.

"The end point is under discussion right now, (but) the preferred end point is Cincinnati Union Terminal, and the state of Ohio and Amtrak will be working with the railroads to try to locate a terminus point because, at this time right now, there's going to be four trains a day each way, north and south," said Robert Wickens, founder of All Aboard Ohio.

This is excellent news for Ohio. I used to have to travel to Columbus on a constant basis and the 90 minute drive got really boring. Now I will be able to plop down $12 and head up there.

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