Biking and politics

Today let’s muse on the gubenatorial candidates and how they fit the “I bike to work!” agenda. Typically grass roots movements don’t care who is in office. We’re fighting to change how everyone looks at an issue no matter their affiliation. If there is an obvious civic will politicians of any persuasion will follow. Everyone likes a winner…

Cycling is usually a lone activity, so the thought that it is a lefty issue shouldn’t be taken for granted. After all riding a bike is really a conservative activity. It conserves energy, conserves our roadways and conserves time as cyclers are excercising while getting somewhere. Sadly that’s not today’s version of being conservative, which in today’s ‘Fox Skews’ world seems to mean being greedy and selfish. Let us review!

The Patrick Administration has been slow to grasp bike culture. Judging from what MassDot SAYS they are learning. What they DO makes dotriderblog wary. Are we seeing actual change or lip service? The project on Mass Ave is a great example. The planning began years ago and the stated goal was to improve driveability. A huge political effort ensued to include better bicycle and pedestrian accomodation. While MassDot finally relented and redesigned the project to include bicycle and pedestrian access, autocentricity still permeates the job. There are still the ‘Lights timed for 30 mph’ signs at each intersection which is ludicrous from a bicycling perspective. So, we see changes but its like watching the Titanic making a turn…

Jill Stein doesn’t appear to grasp the bicycling agenda outside of identifying it as being a green activity. It’s popular in Cambridge so it must be good. My interaction with her was disapointing and as someone who identifies as Green, Ms. Stein doesn’t get my vote this time.

Tim Cahill? It’s hard for dotriderblog to imagine that he might even be able to ride a bike let alone understand today’s biking issues. We’re not sure he would want to do anything but make it so more cars could go faster. Can’t see him doing much, although he might keep a lot of the Patrick administration if a miracle does strike. Dotriderblog has his own bias against his ilk which we would describe as ‘Reagan Democrat.’ Dot has two precincts that voted for Scott Brown and we imagine they might side with Tim. Not dotriderblog though…

Charlie Baker is trying to catch the Scott Brown buzz. While Scott Brown rides a bike, he got elected driving his pick up. Besides, anyone who reads this blog regularly knows  dotriderblog  doesn’t automatically identify folks who ride for exercise as commited to the urban cycling agenda. Baker wants to make government smaller and cut taxes so we wouldn’t expect much more than lip service here…

Reflecting on the above, perhaps we’ll take election day off and go for a nice long recreational ride instead of voting. However with a close race shaping up it might be one of those rare times when my vote might feel like it really counts. Given the progress seen in the Patrick administration, dotriderblog will be casting his vote early and often for Deval Patrick!

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