BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

draft of plan here: http://www.spcregion.org/trans_ppp_tipdraft.shtml

From appendix 6 it looks like there is: $1.6M in each of the four years for Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) which includes bike related stuff (pg 10) $487K in 2015 for Design, fabricate and install a city-wide bicycle wayfinding and destination sign system in City of Pittsburgh (pg 149) $2.1M in 2018 for pedestrian/cyclist safety enhancements on Oakland/Squirrel Hill section of Forbes Ave Corridor (pg 158)

I certainly encourage anyone interested in transportation, roadway improvements, etc to review the draft TIP, comment as they see fit, and perhaps attend one of the ten public meetings that are scheduled (each in a separate county). As Stu indicated, these are transportation improvements. They include highway, bridge, transit and other projects. The caveat is that these are projects FOR WHICH FUNDING IS ALREADY IDENTIFIED. These are the projects which will be moving forward over the next 204 years. There are ped/bike projects here, but they are not terribly visible. Most ped/bike opportunities are included within the scope of the larger highway and bridge projects (and some transit projects). Even that is complex. Projects in the earliest stages of design (preliminary engineering) are the easiest to influence, in terms of incorporation of ped/bike accommodation. Once a project has gone through final design, or starts on right of way acquisition or utility work, the design is set, and the cost of retrofitting the project to include new elements is prohibitive. This list of projects will be amended in October, or thereabouts, to include the list of projects funded at the regional and state levels under the "Transportation Alternatives" or TAP Program. Please review the draft TIP. Comment freely on the any individual projects, or the slate of projects as a whole. But, know that your ability to influence design is increasingly limited as a project moves through the design phase and into the project implementation stage. Here's a link to the Public Input Form: http://www.spcregion.org/trans_tip_projform.asp An email to comments@spcregion.org is also an option.

Semi-related: Apparently Toomey is trying to defund the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). Rails to trails has set up a link here: http://rtc.li/takeactionTAP

Man, this is such BS. I just sent an email complaining to this idiot the other week because he frequently cherry picks crap he supports for government funding and then rails (no pun intended) against crap he doesn't like. Like for example, he wants to force the state department to move their entire embassy in Israel to another city as another political and inflammatory ass-kissing move, which I'm going to guess would cost hundreds of millions of dollars (if not billions?) and here he is complaining about this crap, which I'm going to guess doesn't cost much of anything

There has to be policy research that shows the cost effective nature of funding bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure right? Even from a stupid tea party stance of fund nothing (except what they want), poor people for example would be eligible for less benefits (less expenses), would be healthier (less medicaid/charity care costs) and it would be easier for them to have reliable transportation. Heck, I am a poor person. (in a western sense) All of those are true for me anyways.

Belated update from Toomey: (July, 11th) (the short of it is he withdrew the amendment) "Dear Pierce, Thank you for contacting me about the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). I appreciate hearing from you. If done in a sensible manner, infrastructure investments can be important for economic growth and development. A number of Americans have expressed concern about the state of our infrastructure, and I have been proud to support fiscally responsible infrastructure legislation in the past, including the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (P.L. 113-121) which authorizes federal spending on vital inland waterway and coastal navigation projects. As you may know, the Senate Finance Committee, of which I am a member, recently considered the Preserving America's Transit and Highways (PATH) Act, which will fund continued transportation infrastructure investment. In Pennsylvania and nationwide, the demand for new roads and bridges, and the desperate need for repairs is obvious and acute. At the same time, the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), which is supported by the federal gas tax, is expected to run out of funds shortly unless this bill becomes law. I take very seriously the responsibility to ensure the solvency of the HTF while being mindful of the financial burden already placed on taxpayers by the federal government. During the Senate Finance Committee mark-up of the PATH Act, I filed an amendment that would have diverted federal funds from the TAP program to ensure the availability of HTF dollars for our national infrastructure priorities, such as road construction and bridge repair. I understand your concerns about this amendment, and you may be interested to know that I decided not to pursue a vote on it. As such, the PATH Act will continue to fund the TAP program. Further, with my support, the Senate Finance Committee passed this bipartisan legislation on July 10, 2014, and it is now pending before the full Senate for further consideration. Please be assured that I value your input about the TAP program. I will be certain to keep your views in mind as the Senate continues its work on responsibly funding our aging and vital transportation infrastructure. Thank you for your correspondence. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of assistance. Sincerely, Signature Pat Toomey U.S. Senator, Pennsylvania"

I received the same response from senator Toomey.

The current status is still not so great -- good write-up by Jon Schmitz http://blogs.post-gazette.com/news/the-roundabout/41946-u-s-transportation-system-on-unsustainable-course

Ugh, this where the stupid policy of "not raising taxes" or even keeping them in line with inflation really hits the road, pun intended.