On Tue, 18 May 2004 12:50:08 -0500 "Marjorie Ward, Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 19th, is Wisconsin Bike to Work Week > Advocacy Day.
Here are some points from citizens in the Detroit area that you can use if you call your governmental representatives today. (Don't just complain -- DEMAND ACTION!) Mike Neuman --------------------- Mike's Plan: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ClimateArchive/message/229 ------------------------------------------------------ U.S. speeds to energy disaster Published May 18, 2004 http://www.freep.com/voices/letters/efuel18_20040518.htm If big autos and longer commutes are necessities for life in our region, we're either in big trouble for our future or an excessively wealthy place where people have lots of time and money ("Who's at fault for gas prices? Partly, it's us," May 11). How lucky and nice it must be to live in or near places such as New York City, Chicago, Toronto, even Ann Arbor or Hamtramck -- places where alternatives to auto transportation are the norm and people walk and can live a lifetime with very limited auto dependence. Back in the good old days of our region -- pre-1955 expressway construction and before the elimination of city streetcars and inter-urban trolleys -- most families survived with one auto, not one for every family member. Our waste of energy for transportation cannot continue unchecked. A restructuring of housing and living patterns is necessary for the future health of our economy, for our physical health and for the preservation of costly infrastructure. The waste of money for road and sewer maintenance to accommodate sprawl is out of control. (Paul Martinsky, Detroit) --------------------------------------------------- Lessons unlearned One can only hope that current gasoline prices will bring us and our nation to our senses in regard to fuel efficiency and conservation. Many of us remember a similar situation in the 1970s. Three decades later, many of the vehicles on our roads get the same or less gas mileage than many of those we drove in the '70s. This is beyond belief. Other countries live with gasoline prices a great deal higher than ours. They have made adjustments: mass transit systems, higher-mileage vehicles, diesel fuel made from recycled vegetable oil, and a willingness to live with the actuality of a dwindling finite resource. As a country, we continue to feel exempt from the realities of living on this planet. The automotive companies have, for the most part, worked vigorously to oppose the very small increases in fuel efficiency we have achieved over the last 30 years. Ford and GM are just beginning to roll out hybrid vehicles, while Toyota and Honda have had such vehicles on the road for five years. Auto companies continue to build muscle cars as if it were 1960. Our nation has not been vigilant or responsible toward ourselves or our environment. We refused to listen 30 years ago. Let's not make the same mistake again. (Willowbei Eversole, Huntington Woods) ----------------------------------------------------- Too fast, too fuelish Along with America's love affair with vehicles totally incommensurate with the average person's need, our disdain for traffic laws rates very high as a fuel-wasting factor. Anyone who tries to follow reasonable driving practices, as well as existing laws, can vouch for the general ignoring of traffic laws by a large percentage of drivers. Speeding, jack-rabbit starts, accelerating on exit ramps and tailgating, with its constant braking and accelerating, are all examples of dangerous driving habits that also use excessive amounts of fuel. These factors, coupled with our lack of traffic law enforcement, use up enormous amounts. Slowing down, or merely observing speed limits, would save everyone money as well as many lives. (Ron Rafferty, Port Sanilac) ---------------------------------------------------- Missing energy policy While I found the content of your May 11 article on gas prices substantially true, I found it laughable that never a mention was made that our government has not had a viable energy policy that would have helped Americans choose more realistic transportation options. Since the oil embargo of the 1970s, our government has failed to pursue any energy conservation or alternate energy policies that would impact Americans' choices for their transportation needs. What we are left with are gigantic SUVs, monster trucks and unrealistically long commutes from ever further sprawl. An argument can be made that our government has failed us by allowing us to believe these choices are sustainable, when they are not. Who is going to afford to commute to far-reaching country estate homes in giant SUVs when gas is $5 a gallon and mass transit options are nonexistent? While everyday Americans have made bad choices, our government has been encouraging us. (Richard A. Wilson, St. Clair Shores) On Tue, 18 May 2004 12:50:08 -0500 "Marjorie Ward, Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 19th, is Wisconsin Bike to Work Week > Advocacy Day. > > This year we would like to ask all of Bike Fed's members to contact > their > elected officials on this day. Let them know that you bicycle and > that you > support programs that improve bicycling in your community including > investments > in trails, lanes, and bike-friendly roads, programs that teach > children and > adults how to bicycle safely, programs that help train law > enforcement > officials in bicycle issues, and programs that promote bicycling as > part of a > healthy lifestyle. Let them know that bicycling is an > environmentally friendly > form of transportation and that bicycling is important to you and to > your > community. Besides being a fun way to improve the health of our > citizens, > bicycling also positively affects the economy of Wisconsin through > manufacturing, retail, and tourism. > > To find out who is your U.S Representative, visit > http://www.house.gov/. > > Our U.S. Senators can be reached at Senator Herb Kohl (202) 224-5653 > and > Senator Russ Fiengold (202) 224-5323. > > To find your State Representative and Senator visit > http://www.legis.state.wi.us/waml/. > > Want to do more? Call your mayor/city manager and your county > executive/administrator! > > It only takes a few minutes to make the call. Limit yourself to > just a few > sentences that express your views. If you have a brief local story > about how > important bicycling is to the community, tell it. When you call you > will > probably be asked to leave a message with a staff person�they are > usually > really glad to hear from constituents, especially ones with great > news like we > have. > > Scared to make the call? Don�t know what to say? Can�t figure out > who > represents you? Call the Bike Fed at 608-251-4456 or email > [EMAIL PROTECTED] help you through the process. > > Let�s flood those offices with calls and let our elected officials > know how > important bicycling is in Wisconsin! Call your state and federal > elected > officials and tell them, "I bike to work (or shopping or recreation > or school) > and I vote!" Let the people who hold the purse strings know why > bicycling and > bicycling facilities are important. > > And don�t forget to register for Bike to Work Week at > http://www.bfw.org/new_bfw/btww/registrationForm.php�by registering > you > help the > Bike Fed show the impact of bicycling in Wisconsin! > > Marjorie S. Ward > Executive Director > Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin > 106 E. Doty Street, Suite 400 > P.O. Box 1224 > Madison, WI 53701-1224 > Phone: 608-251-4456 > Fax: 608-251-4594 > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Web: www.bfw.org ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
