I urge all pedestrian/bicycle/transit advocates and supporters of human-centric urbanism to voice your concerns before the Wisconsin Transportation Finance & Policy Commission this Thursday - details below.
As most of you know, fuel taxes, drivers' licenses, and vehicle registration fees do not cover the full costs of state and federal highways. The situation for counties and municipalities is far worse. About 3/4ths of the costs of local roads and streets are covered by property taxes, not motorists. Throw in motor-vehicle-related policing and EMS, and the subsidization of motoring grows even larger. The overwhelming portion of our public transportation network - whether measured in dollars or acres or tons of pavement and steel - was designed and built, and is now administered, to make life as convenient as possible for persons who wish to frequently move large amounts of private property over long distances at high speeds. Governments' relentless, single-minded focus on ease-of-motoring catalyzed a wholesale assault against opportunities to access our communities via modest and thrifty means: walking, rolling wheelchairs, pushing baby strollers, pulling Radio Fliers, pedaling bicycles, and sharing transit. The problem is obvious - if not easy to swallow. WE CANNOT AFFORD THIS! A transportation system which overwhelmingly favors the automobile over all other modes of access is unsustainable economically, environmentally, and socially. It is detrimental for the health of our bodies as well as the health of our republic. Democracy does not look like public spaces filled with human beings speeding by one-another, each shut off from the world inside his own motorized suit of armor. Hans Noeldner Pedestrian/Bicycle/Transit/Sustainability Advocate 608-444-6190 Transportation Commission to hold public listening session in Madison on January 12 January 6, 2012 http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/opencms/export/nr/modules/news/news_3113.html_7 86229440.html Event at Sequoya Branch Library is first of four planned statewide listening sessions Citizens interested in Wisconsin's transportation future are invited to attend a public listening session hosted by the state's Transportation Finance and Policy Commission on Thursday, January 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Sequoya Branch Library, 4340 Tokay Boulevard, Madison. "We hope interested citizens will use the listening session to provide the Commission with input on Wisconsin's transportation future, especially as it pertains to prioritizing and funding our long-range transportation needs," said Wisconsin Department of Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb who serves as Commission chair. The Wisconsin Legislature established the Commission as part of the 2011-13 biennial budget to examine issues related to the future of transportation finance in Wisconsin. The Commission is required to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature no later than March 1, 2013. Along with Secretary Gottlieb, Commission members include: John Antaramian of Kenosha; Tom Carlsen of Verona; Dave Cieslewicz of Madison; Robert Cook of Madison; Barbara Fleisner of Wausau; William Hanson of Dodgeville; Martin Hanson of Eau Claire; Robb Kahl of Madison; Craig Thompson of Madison; and Tom Vandenberg of Green Bay. The January 12 Madison meeting represents the first of four planned public listening sessions the Commission is holding around the state over the next several months. Other listening sessions are planned for March 22 in Milwaukee, April 26 in Appleton and May 31 in Eau Claire. Prior to each public listening session, the Commission will hold its regular meeting in that community. On January 12, the Commission will meet from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 364 of the Hill Farms State Transportation Building, 4802 Sheboygan Avenue, Madison. People unable to attend a listening session are invited to send comments to the Commission via e-mail at: [email protected] More information about the Commission, its members, public listening session and meeting schedule and locations can be found on the WisDOT web site at: www.dot.wisconsin.gov/about/tfp/index.htm. For more information, contact: Peg Schmitt, WisDOT Office of Public Affairs (608) 266-7744, [email protected]
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