Friday, September 14, 2007

Mary Peters comments make mainstream media

Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters commented last month that bicyclists are at fault for the I-35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis. Salon provides some good perspective on this story.
Peters' comments set off an eruption of blogging, e-mailing and letter-writing among bike riders and activists, incensed that no matter how many times they burn calories instead of fossil fuels with the words "One Less Car" or "We're Not Holding Up the Traffic, We Are the Traffic" plastered on their helmets, their pedal pushing is not taken seriously as a form of transportation by the honchos in Washington, D.C.
A sampling of reactions online:

2 comments:

Christopher said...

You make the claim that the Transportation Secretary blamed cyclists for the I-35 bridge collapse. Can you back that statement up? You link to statements she made about funding of bike facilities, statements that have been taken out of context, in my opinion. But blaming cyclists for the I-35 bridge disaster? Are you sure that's what she said?

Yokota Fritz said...

Hi CJ and thanks for commenting. Mary Peters appeared on Lehrer specifically to address transportation budget priorities in light of the failed bridge. She specifically called out bicycle infrastructure programs as a reason that highway and bridge maintenance don't receive more funding.