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Jason
Granny Gear
Posts:23
Registered Users
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| 03/13/2008 11:23 PM |
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Another request to the KyMBA family to spring into action. 'Tis the season for this stuff. Please consider calling Kentucky Senate to support the Family Safe Roads / Complete Streets Bill #SB145
To quote Barry Zalph from Bicycling Louisville:
"The bill is stuck in the A&R [Appropriations and Revenue] Committee with worries about cost. I do not know how to break through to the committee members about this, but here's my analysis:
Across the entire KYTC 6-year highway plan, adding sidewalks and bicycling facilities (paved shoulders or bike lanes or wide curb lanes or ... depending on the circumstances) wherever appropriate might add 1% to the total plan budget. In a few projects, adding bicycle & pedestrian accommodations might increase project cost by 10%; in many cases, it will cost no more; in some cases, KYTC will correctly decide that additional facilities are not needed or warranted. On average across the state, I am guessing that the average additional cost is 1%. This means that we can keep KYTC within its current budget and accommodate all road users by building 1% fewer projects (on average) in a given year. Postponing projects totaling 1% of the road-building budget each year in order to accommodate the 30% of Kentuckians who don't drive seems to me a good choice."
"As you know, SB 145 does not force KYTC to add bicycle and pedestrian accommodations under any circumstances.KYTC could comply with SB 145 on a project-by-project basis merely by stating that the bicycle/pedestrian facilities would add unacceptably to the project budget. You and I would consider it a cop-out, but it would not get the Cabinet into legal trouble.
What can you do to help?
You can call 1-800-372-7181 and leave a message for all the Senators, especially those on the Appropriations and Revenue Commission, and Katie Stine. The message taker can do that for you and it will make a difference.
State that
1) On average these facilities add 1% more to road construction, and
2) It is not mandatory, it just reminds the transportation department to consider Complete Streets and write a paper why on they are not building them for a particular project.
Maybe email a personal story if you want to give it twice the kick.
Find your Senator here: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/whoswho/sendist.htm |
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