Revisit (correction) on AAA's stance on Bike/Ped funding.

I was reviewing this blog and the features of Blogger in detail today and realized that a number of comments by AAA staff regarding the Wednesday, September 22, 2010 post titled "AAA Pushes to Cut Bike & Ped Funding. Speak Up Now!" were ID'd as Spam by Blogger without my knowledge until Jan, 3rd 2011.

In the interest of fairness to those at AAA and others who took the time to express their views on this topic, I felt it was only proper to revisit this issue now.  The post with all its comments can be seen by following the above link.

Our apologies go out to those that took the time to express their concerns in the comments section of this blog, only to have them not show up.  Again, those of us at WalkBikeJersey were totally unaware that these comments were treated as spam by Blogger until just a few moments before this posting.

AAA National wants Feds to end bike/ped transport funding

The following message comes to WalkBikeJersey via the National Center for Biking and Walking's Centerlines biweekly newsletter. It is comes to us originally from the Florida Bicycle Associations blog. I must confess to publishing it here without their permission (permission was granted) but I am sure that they will agree with me that spreading the word on this issue is what is important here. I thank the FBA and the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy for bringing this issue to the national spotlight with this video.



And now for the message from the Florida Bicycle Association:

AAA wants trail and bicycle/pedestrian funding cut from transportation funding. Please sign RTC’s petition today!

Our friends at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy are fighting the good fight for trails and bicycle/pedestrian programs, and they need your help! AAA is advocating for the elimination of the Transportation Enhancements (TE) program from the transportation trust fund. Trails and bike/ped get less than 2 cents of every dollar in the fund, but AAA wants that money to go to highways and roads, turning back the clock on 20 years of progress toward a balanced transportation system.

It started with AAA Mid-Atlantic in Delaware. Since then AAA National (Heathrow, FL) has indicated they support Mid-Atlantic’s position. Incidentally, other AAA locations have trails. Take a peek at this video taken last week of AAA Mid-Atlantic headquarters that shows the trail just steps from the AAA building. Go figure! Our friends at YouTube support trails too.

RTC has launched a petition to ask AAA to reconsider their position. More than 30,000 people have signed so far, and supporters-and AAA members-are flooding their regional AAA chapters asking one simple question: Will AAA support critical, established walking and bicycling programs-and the funding source that allows them to thrive-now and into the future?

So far, AAA has yet to provide a satisfactory answer.

With AAA National headquarters right here in Florida (and with the TE-funded Seminole-Wekiva Trail in their front yard), let’s add as many Florida voices as possible to the petition. Let AAA know that we value safe, accessible places to walk and bike, and that modern transportation is about more than just highways!

AAA Pushes to Cut Bike & Ped Funding. Speak Up Now!

The below message comes from the good people at the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy via our friends at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. You should also know that the impetus behind this push to cut bike/ped planning is coming from the AAA Mid-Atlantic Offices which has an unfortunate history of opposing spending on bike/ped projects.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) wants Congress to cut long-standing programs that support trails, biking and walking in order to divert those funds to the highway system. (Read the background.)

These programs have played a major role in the development of more than 19,000 miles of rail-trail across the country, most likely including your favorite local trail. These trails and other walking and bicycling facilities allow individuals across the country to enjoy the outdoors and safely and easily travel without a car for many short trips—while saving money and gas, and getting exercise in the process.

AAA has forgotten that bicyclists and trail lovers drive, support AAA, pay gas taxes and want balanced transportation systems that provide the choice to get around in a variety of ways.

Help us help them remember! Sign the Petition

Petition sponsored by the Rails to Trails Conservancy