The Breakfast Flakes: Federal Bike Trail Support Makes Paul’s Head Spin

If there's one thing that gets The Flakes fired up, it's taxpayer money being spent on recreational activities.  So you can imagine how Paul reacted when he got a hold of an email sent out to generate federal support for bike trails in Billings.  Play the audio below to hear Paul just about explode on the air.

Here is the entire email that got Paul so mad, sent from Darlene Tussing to the Billings Area Cycling Network, rallying support for the funding.

Dear Montana Friend of Cycling, Walking, Trails and Transit:

Federal support for cycling, walking, trails, and transit is under the most severe threat in 20 years. Congress is scheduled to act next week on legislation that would eliminate or severely curtail investment in bike, pedestrian, trail, and transit programs. We need to let our Congressional delegation know how much Montanans care about these programs – and we need to do it in the next six days!

Click below to sign on to an urgent letter—included below -- to Senators Baucus and Tester and Representative Rehberg. Please sign this letter ASAP and by no later than 10 am on Monday, February 13.

http://www.adventurecycling.org/montanaactionalert/

Share this widely with your Montana friends and neighbors. We would like to get as many Montanans as possible to sign and state their strong support for biking, walking, transit and trails.

Again, here is the link – please sign by February 13 and share this widely.

http://www.adventurecycling.org/montanaactionalert/
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The Honorable Max Baucus

The Honorable Jon Tester

The Honorable Denny Rehberg

United States Congress

Washington, DC

Dear Senator Baucus, Senator Tester, and Representative Rehberg,

As Montanans, we are writing to urge your strong support for federal funding for biking, walking, and transit programs in the next long-range transportation bill.   We are alarmed by recent actions in Congressional committees to eliminate dedicated funding for biking, walking and transit or to make it optional on a state-by-state basis for biking and walking.  If these actions are affirmed in final long-term transportation legislation, they will undercut the enormous progress being made to enable more Americans to travel by bike, foot or transit.  They will also severely curtail or eliminate the opportunity for Montana communities to directly access federal funds to invest in (and leverage local resources for) bike, walk, and transit projects.

This is especially cause for concern in Montana, where more people than ever are using these transportation modes for work or other purposes. Transit systems are experiencing record demand. Montanans are riding and walking in growing numbers year around (and in a new report, Montana has been found to be one of the highest per capita walking and biking states in the nation). It does not make sense for the Congress to eliminate the most cost-effective transportation investment available (and at only 1.5% of transport spending, one of the smallest investments) at a time when Montanans in cities large and small are seeking more affordable and healthier transportation options.   Moreover, new research from AASHTO shows that recent bike and pedestrian improvement projects create substantially more jobs per million-dollars spent than other kinds of highway investment.

We urge you to support federal transportation legislation with the strongest possible funding and policy support for biking, walking and transit programs. We also urge you to ensure that Montana communities have continued direct access to these programs to invest in complete transportation systems.