Comments on: What Bike Helmet Advocates Don’t Tell You http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2008/06/09/what-bike-helmet-advocates-dont-tell-you/ Promoting non-motorized transportation in the Motor City Tue, 15 May 2012 22:43:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Mandatory Bicycle Helmets Laws | m-bike.org http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2008/06/09/what-bike-helmet-advocates-dont-tell-you/comment-page-1/#comment-1024 Mandatory Bicycle Helmets Laws | m-bike.org Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:15:59 +0000 http://www.m-bike.org/blog/?p=195#comment-1024 [...] that the second paragraph reiterates a point we’ve made before.  We’d make bicycling much safer in Michigan if we devoted more time promoting safe bicycle [...] [...] that the second paragraph reiterates a point we’ve made before.  We’d make bicycling much safer in Michigan if we devoted more time promoting safe bicycle [...]

]]> By: Bicycling safety in Oakland County: It’s not about the money | m-bike.org http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2008/06/09/what-bike-helmet-advocates-dont-tell-you/comment-page-1/#comment-520 Bicycling safety in Oakland County: It’s not about the money | m-bike.org Fri, 27 Jun 2008 05:30:43 +0000 http://www.m-bike.org/blog/?p=195#comment-520 [...] a prior post, we noted that many road agencies and municipalities in Metro Detroit are the major roadblock to [...] [...] a prior post, we noted that many road agencies and municipalities in Metro Detroit are the major roadblock to [...]

]]> By: Todd Scott http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2008/06/09/what-bike-helmet-advocates-dont-tell-you/comment-page-1/#comment-519 Todd Scott Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:21:51 +0000 http://www.m-bike.org/blog/?p=195#comment-519 Thanks for responding Craig, however money is not the primary roadblock for the Road Commission providing safe bicycling opportunities in Oakland County. That primary roadblock is a policy of not supporting AASHTO on-road bicycle facilities. Instead, Road Commission policy only supports bicycle facilities on sidewalks (a.k.a. safety paths) which are not recommended by AASHTO, MDOT, and others. As for money, there are significant sources of funding available specifically for bicycling facilities, including but not limited to Transportation Enhancements, CMAQ, private grant sources (e.g. Bikes Belong), and Act 51 funds. As you may know, Act 51 requires Road Commissions to spend not less than 1% of that funding on non-motorized facilities. In the past, the Road Commission of Oakland County used a loophole in the law to count the paving of gravel roads as a bicycle facility. We have since changed state law and removed that loophole, so that may free up Act 51 monies to pay for safe, AASHTO on-road facilities -- once we get your bicycle policy changed. Thanks for responding Craig, however money is not the primary roadblock for the Road Commission providing safe bicycling opportunities in Oakland County. That primary roadblock is a policy of not supporting AASHTO on-road bicycle facilities. Instead, Road Commission policy only supports bicycle facilities on sidewalks (a.k.a. safety paths) which are not recommended by AASHTO, MDOT, and others.

As for money, there are significant sources of funding available specifically for bicycling facilities, including but not limited to Transportation Enhancements, CMAQ, private grant sources (e.g. Bikes Belong), and Act 51 funds. As you may know, Act 51 requires Road Commissions to spend not less than 1% of that funding on non-motorized facilities. In the past, the Road Commission of Oakland County used a loophole in the law to count the paving of gravel roads as a bicycle facility. We have since changed state law and removed that loophole, so that may free up Act 51 monies to pay for safe, AASHTO on-road facilities — once we get your bicycle policy changed.

]]> By: Craig Bryson http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2008/06/09/what-bike-helmet-advocates-dont-tell-you/comment-page-1/#comment-513 Craig Bryson Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:34:10 +0000 http://www.m-bike.org/blog/?p=195#comment-513 The Road Commission for Oakland County has no objection to bikers. We simply have no money available to make costly improvements to roads to allow bikers. We cannot affort to simply maintain smooth pavement on the roads or even begin to address the massive congestion that clogs our roads everyday. It would be very difficult to justify spending scarce resources on bike facilities when we can't maintain the exisiting roads. If you are proposing additional funding just for bike facilities, we're more than willing to listen. Craig Bryson Public Information Officer Road Commission for Oakland County The Road Commission for Oakland County has no objection to bikers. We simply have no money available to make costly improvements to roads to allow bikers. We cannot affort to simply maintain smooth pavement on the roads or even begin to address the massive congestion that clogs our roads everyday. It would be very difficult to justify spending scarce resources on bike facilities when we can’t maintain the exisiting roads. If you are proposing additional funding just for bike facilities, we’re more than willing to listen.

Craig Bryson
Public Information Officer
Road Commission for Oakland County

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