AASHTO weighs in on roads vs. bike paths

AASHTO weighs in on roads vs. bike paths    The American Association of State Transportation and Highway Officials last week issued a report siding with the Obama administration's goals of using alternative transportation policies to create livable communities, while urging continued support for highway investment because it is the mode upon which most Americans rely on for mobility.
   'But what's missing from the national dialogue on livability is what can be accomplished through road-related improvements,' said AASHTO Executive Director John Horsley, in a statement.

Horsley

   According to the report, state departments of transportation have already implemented many of the administration's 'livability' initiatives during the past 20 years. States have administered the distribution of $9.2 billion in federal Transportation Enhancement Program funds since 1992 for projects such as bike trails, walking paths, transit and preservation of historic bridges and train stations. And states spent $13.7 billion of their own money on transit in 2007 compared to federal funding of $10.7 billion.
   The report's underlying message to the federal Department of Transportation and Congress is that roads are integral to livable communities by connecting affordable housing, jobs, schools and parks.

LaHood

   The Department of Transportation under Secretary Ray LaHood has made livability — easier commutes by non-road modes, transit-oriented development and reduced pollution from transportation sources — a key focus as it begins to draft priorities for the next multi-year transportation spending authorization plan.
   The AASHTO report gently raises the need for continued investment on highway projects while paying tribute to quality of life issues. The approach stands in marked contrast to the strong indictment of the Obama administration's transportation agenda by AASHTO President Larry L. 'Butch' Brown.

Brown

   Brown, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, last month sharply criticized LaHood's positionthat the nation's highway system is a finished product and only requires ongoing maintenance. He said freight-related infrastructure of national importance, such as highways and ports, is getting short-changed in favor of grants for livable community projects.
   'AASHTO supports the objective of providing more transportation choices for families to include travel by walking, biking and transit. Enhancing community livability, however, cannot be restricted to this alone. For most Americans, driving is also a legitimate transportation choice, especially if it provides a more convenient way to get to a destination or is the only viable way to get there,' the report said. ' Eric Kulisch