Blumenauer: Don’t Let American Streets Remain Unsafe Routes to School
Right now the House is debating the GOP leadership’s oil drilling-with-a-side-of-highways bill, which may or may not survive the House floor.
A lot of folks are upset about this proposal, which would eliminate dedicated federal funding for transit, biking, and walking, open up some of the country’s environmental treasures to oil drilling and delay infrastructure insolvency for all of two years.
Leave it to Oregon’s Earl Blumenauer to really let ’em have it. The Hill reports that Blumenauer delivered an impassioned speech late this morning, accompanied by this sign that really hits home.
Some highlights below:
This is a wildly popular program, costing a fraction of a percent of the transportation budget, and it’s had a huge impact nationally on our children because it deals with real consequences for them.
Doesn’t it make sense to do something about the congestion, the injury, the death and the obesity?
So why are my Republican friends advancing a transportation bill attacking Safe Routes to School, stripping it out, making it an unsafe route to school? Well, it’s a fitting metaphor for perhaps the worst transportation bill in history.
Well said, sir.
Read More:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
