Marty Weirick E-mail 9/24/97: Proposed Bike Ban

I have some good news.

Over the past week I told you of a plan to introduce legislation to
effectively "ban" bicycles from Interstates nationwide. According to
two sources, this amendment will not be added to the current highway
legislation. Neither source commented on whether the "ban" will be
dropped forever, or just deferred for a few months. I suspect we have
not heard the last from Rep. Shuster on the subject of kicking
bicycles off of roads.

Here are quotes from John Forester, author of "Effective Cycling"
quoting his contact at CALtrans (the California state transportation
department) and from Allen Greenberg, Government Relations Director
for the League of American Bicyclists.

FORESTER:

"..... I sent a copy to Rick Blunden, California's CALTRANS bicycle
program director...... His reply to me is copied below.

> From: Rick Blunden<rblunden@trmx3.dot.ca.gov
>
> John - Our Sacramento legislative representative for federal
> legislation informed me this morning that Shuster's amendment will
> not be added to the current BESTEA bill and that the current ISTEA
> law will most likely be extended for six months......"

GREENBURG:

".....
T&I Committee Chairman Bud Shuster (R-PA) had proposed including a
ban on all interstate bike travel (at least some bicycling is
currently
allowed on interstates in about 18 states) as part of the amendments
to BESTEA, but Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN), the committee's Ranking
Member and a strong bicycling proponent, objected. ......"

Regards,
Marty Weirick

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