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An update to Amy’s post, which is here.
Despite reports that the city is flush with cash, and that the biggest budgetary problem currently facing city council is how to spend all that money, more than one bicycling program has been slashed from the mayor’s proposed budget.
Completely de-funded is the Platinum Bike Master Plan, an ongoing program designed to keep Portland bike-friendly through the coming years. It was fully funded last year, but this year, all $100,000 requested for it by the Portland Department of Transportation has been denied.
That’s sent the Bicycle Transportation Alliance into a tizzy, calling on its members to bombard Mayor Potter’s office to ask him to reconsider. (Jeremy Van Keuren, who handles constituent services for Potter, says the calls and emails started at 6am this morning and haven’t stopped.)
The news gets worse: Of $300,000 requested by PDOT specifically for bicycle safety, only $150,000 has been approved. Likewise, of $300,000 requested for pedestrian safety improvements, PDOT will only get half.
Van Keuren says the decision to slash the budgets was the result of a “balancing act” of priorities.
But automobiles are also getting hosed. Of $1 million requested by PDOT and Commissioner Sam Adams’ office for auto safety improvements, less than half—$460,000—was okayed by the mayor.
Help me out with the math. PDOT wanted 100K + 300K for a total of 400K for bikes but is getting only 150K. That's about 37%. PDOT wanted 1 MIL for cars but is getting 460K, or 46%. Were there other PDOT requests that were also cut by over half? And was this out of the "one time" moneypot?
Seeing how the autos pay far more in taxes (gas, registration, etc) they should be the ones up in arms. The cyclists should just shut up and be happy that they are even allowed to use the roadway.
So what did they fund?
Ha, no. The couplet isn't included in these figures. The full budget won't be released until May 4, but you can click here for budget decisions by bureau. It doesn't, sadly, compare what was requested to what was granted.
BTW, "Bikers Are Freeloaders," the more bicyclists, the fewer cars are on the road clogging up arterials, driving up demand for more money for freeways, and eroding street surfaces. In exchange, it's probably not out of the question to expect the city to take steps to ensure we don't killed in the process.
It's the couplet, I tell you! THe couplet! The beast that promises to eat all city general funds, bicycles, autos and pedestrians be damned!
A HAHAHAHA
And the key thing is that a small amount of money spent on good planning (and $100,000, in the grand scheme of things, is tiny!) can mean big savings down the road.
For the $100,000 to get put back, the other commissioners have to at least support that amendment, if not propose it, when the budget goes before the council. So if you want it back in for the Bicycle Master Plan update, email one of the commissioners and ask them to support it when the time comes:
Dan Salztman - dsaltzman [at] ci.portland.or.us
Erik Sten - erik [at] ci.portland.or.us
Randy Leonard - rleonard [at] ci.portland.or.us
At least they get some money. Portland State is going to raise tuition by 18% and will have to condemn a few buildings.
http://www.sepdx.wordpress.com
tomorrow at the capitol! I'm going to Salem for the 3pm Ways and Means committee. We must bitch. Loudly.
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Yeah, fuck bikes. It's not like the city's bike friendliness is one of its major selling points or anything.