New DOT Policy Puts more Importance on Cycling

A new Department of Transportation memo is stirring up the cycling community. According to an article on the Huffington Post, "the government is going to give bicycling – and walking, too – the same importance as automobiles in transportation planning and the selection of projects for federal money."The new policy toward cycling is also being cited as "an extension of Obama's livability initiative" which places emphasis on alternative forms of transportation like buses, trains, walking, etc.

The policy, located here, is not so much an act of law as it is a Jerry-Maguire-style mission statement. It encourages agencies to go above "minimum design standards" and lists all the reasons why cycling (and pedestrian travel) is great. It kind of comes off like a high-school persuasion essay.

The policy does little more than state the obvious, but it a small step in the right direction. Kudos to whoever leads this movement. But, as stated near the bottom of the memo, "success will ultimately depend on transportation agencies across the country embracing and implementing this policy." If the DOT doesn't have the power to direct the actions of other transportation agencies, just what the hell do they do?

The details of DOT power are slipped secretly into the appendix. The DOT federally mandates a few details of the transportation and metropolitan planning process such as "non-motorists have to be involved" and all projects have to include "multimodal and inter-modal" facilities. Basically, all new plans have to have multi-use paths in conjunction with streets and highways. The real DOT power lies with the Secretary of Transportation who "has the authority to withhold approval for projects that would negatively impact pedestrians and cyclists under certain circumstances." For some reason, I am imagining the DOT Secretary as Zeus with a giant lightning bolt, ready to strike down all indecent proposals. Awesome.

What does this new policy mean for me? It means very little. Big bike-friendly cities are already improving their cycling infrastructure by adding paths, bridges and locking facilities. The next ten years will be no different. The policy does, however, have implications for long term plans in smaller, fast-growing towns and cities around the country. Perhaps Ithaca will be in the mix.