I was so happy to speak at the Committee for Persons With Disabilities today. These were the points I wanted to really emphasize at the meeting today:
1. Transportation is a right every individual has. Transportation should be inclusive to everybody! Protected bike paths can include a whole segment of the population that have difficulty getting around the city.
2. Many people cannot get a drivers license because of their differing abilities. Here is the full list of reasons why an individual cannot get a driver’s license. Look at the Texas Medical Advisory Board Guide for Determining Driver Limitation:
https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/medical-advisory-board/pdf/MABDriverLimitationGuide.pdf
Many people who cannot get a drivers license are still able to ride a bike. They have every right to get around safely!
3. The money is there. There are lots of federal fund programs the city could apply for. Recently Joe Biden announced a $5 billion fund to make streets safer, which includes bike paths! https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10821261/Biden-drops-5billion-bike-paths-speed-cameras-road-deaths-rising.html
Also, I want to point out that a protected bike path is a one time investment that will always help the marginalized unlike other programs that require monthly subsidies. It is an investment worthy of making as it has a lot of returns on investment as countless studies have shown over and over again.
Here are the Google Slides of my presentation:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1FccA-2JQAedmCKkIhYGNBuUq3nHsXOJTvwN3W1sk5L4/edit?usp=sharing
It has pictures of what protected bike paths look like and even Google Maps screenshot of how long it would take to get to two different points in a city with a car vs. bike vs. bus vs. walking!