Definitely foe. The Wisconsin Road Builders Association changed its name to the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association (WTBA) a few years back, probably to expand its membership. Continued and increased highway and bridge building remains its paramount mission, to be sure. As such, it is no friend of the environment, nor the bicycling community.
Matt Logan said that "... in order for the BFW to be true to its core beliefs, groups like the WTBA need to be fought head-on, and NOW." Since we can't turn the clock backwards, there is no time like the present to begin doing that. WTBA has been significantly active in public policy debates about transportation and land use going back to before 2000. While employed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), my duties from 1985 to 2000 included administration and coordination of the DNR's environmental review program for transportation projects, which included all transportation planning and construction projects in the state. During that time, the WTBA demonstrated little to no interest in protecting and preserving the environment, and no interest whatsoever in expansion of bicycling projects. There is a long but imperfect state rationale for use gas tax, motor vehicle license and title fees, and drivers license fees from the public exclusively for highways and bridge projects. The WTBA was always a big player in the DOT planning process, and an even bigger player in the state's political process, where funding levels for road and bridge construction projects are set. Other highway expansion advocating organizations include the American Automobile Association (AAA), the Transportation Development Association (DA), the bridge builders, the cement pouring and asphalt industries, road graders, county highway departments, sand and gravel operations, as well as other state agencies including the Department of Tourism and the Department of Commerce, and even some prodigy planning agencies (SEW comes to first to mind). A couple years ago, I decided not to renew my membership in BFW. I was sick of the BFW hiding from the really important issues in this state, ones which I know are important to address correctly if we are to sustain safe and healthful bicycling everywhere, not just in Wisconsin: global warming, land use, air pollution, natural resource protection and less motorized travel and fuel burning. So when I saw the organization that claims to represent bicycling in the state continue to not take strong positions on these and other issues that affect bicycling in the state (which appears to be still the case based on recent messages), I decided they were not earning my support. I would very much like to rejoin the BFW and will do that if the BFW take the broader perspective described above. I am therefore, as a long time bicycle rider in Madison and unabashed environmentalist, urging those who can to vote in the coming BFW election to choose those candidates who have demonstrated the greatest intentions to support the organization going in the broader direction, as opposed to maintaining the status quo. Mike Neuman Save the planet for another day - Neil Young _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
