Queen City Bike

"The Governor will be hosting a Town Hall type meeting in Northern Kentucky on August 13th. The exact location will be announced shortly before the meeting. This would be a fantastic event for a huge group of citizens who support bicycling to, as the man says, show up and just say "BICYCLE" Actually, this is the time to address the issue of the missing Bicycle - Pedestrian Coordinator as well as other cycling related topics.

Kentucky has been without a State Bicycle – Pedestrian Coordinator since February. Prior to the current vacancy the position went unfilled for over a year. So what does that mean to you as a member of the cycling community?

The State Bicycle – Pedestrian Coordinator is a federally mandated position and is required for any state receiving Federal Highway Administration funds. Without a Bicycle – Pedestrian Coordinator bicycling and pedestrian issues are not receiving the attention and funding they are entitled to have. In fact without a Bicycle – Pedestrian Coordinator federal funding for most of Kentucky's road projects could be withheld or forced to be returned.

You would think that in and of itself would be incentive enough for the state to fill the position. History proves otherwise. When the position was first mandated the Federal Highway Administration in the early 1990’s Kentucky at first refused to appoint anyone to the position. It was not until the Fed’s issued a warning to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet that it was in imminent danger of loosing federal funding that Kentucky appointed a Bicycle – Pedestrian Coordinator.

You can help focus attention to the Bicycle – Pedestrian Coordinator issue by simply sending a letter to Kentucky's Secretary of Transportation, Joe Prather. I've attached a letter that you are free to use in full or part. Please take a few minutes to add you name and contact information to it and send it on to Secretary Prather to let him know bicycle and pedestrian issues are important to Kentucky as a whole not to just bicyclists and walkers. With fuel costs soaring and the renewed drive for clean air and less dependence on foreign oil now is not the time to leave bicycling and pedestrian issues behind.

I will be meeting with Secretary Prather on Tuesday, July 29 in Frankfort to discuss this and other bicycle related issues. I hope to here from the Secretary about all the letters of support for bicycling have come to him from Northern Kentucky."

- I received this call to action from Ralph Mitchell
Chairman, Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission
League of American Bicyclists Certified Instructor #1390
OKI Regional Council of Governments, Bicycle Plan Committee
Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals
Thunderhead Alliance Member