[Vision2020] Ped/Bike transportation options

[Joe Campbell]

Dan,

I didn't mean to suggest that your forms of recreation were somehow inferior to my own. I don't believe that and I didn't mean to suggest it.

I do not ride my bike as a form of recreation. You've seen my beer gut so it shouldn't be too hard to believe. I ride my bike as a form of travel to work. The plea is not that you should pay for trails so that I can have more fun. The point is we all should invest in alternative forms of travel and that, as a community, it would be a worthwhile investment. Better, safer places to walk or ride bikes and buses would encourage more people to do so, especially if they knew that they weren't asked to foot the bill themselves. Less traffic, less polution, increased safty, more exercise. I don't see the downside with this proposal. 

Again it is just a proposal and I'm open to hearing why it is a bad one if indeed it is. If I were comparing recreation activities, I'd ask you to help me pay for a new softball bat but that is not what I am asking. I'm suggesting that it is in the community's best interest to help me and others get to work more safely than I do now. Encouraging alternative forms of travel by making trails and safer walkways is a community good. If not, why not?

--
Joe Campbell

---- Dan Carscallen <areaman at moscow.com> wrote: 

=============
(forgive me if this is a repeat, I seem to be having those "lost post"
issues . . .)

Joe says:
"It is worth pointing out that riding bikes is good for individual heath
and good for the environment. The same is not true of ORV trails."

I don't wanna go down the "good/bad for the environment" road.  The
impact is negligible at best.  Don't pick on my recreation and I won't
pick on yours.  I take responsibility for my actions.  I recreate (is
that even a word?) responsibly.  I won't lump you with your bad apples
if you don't lump me with mine.  Besides, where do a lot of those trails
that people are hiking and biking on come from?  ORV dollars.  You're
welcome.

As far as individual health, I can honestly say I've gotten some pretty
good workouts on my dirt bike.  Yes, it would have been much harder to
go those 70 miles on a pedal bike, but . . .

Then Joe says: 
"We don't want to penalize people for choosing these options"

I don't think of it as a "penalty".  I think of it as taking
responsibility.  Yes, stepping up and donating to the trail foundation
is one way, but it would be nice to have an "account", so to speak, like
the ORV trail dollars work (in my limited understanding).  Then there'd
be another funding source to help buy more right-of-way to make more
bike/non-motorized/multi-use trails throughout Moscow and Latah County.

Hey, I'm just thinkin' out loud.

DC


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