State biking leader says governor’s gas tax may be good news for local transit projects
Leaders of a statewide bicycling and pedestrian advocacy group are breathing easier this legislative session, following a long battle in 2016 over a bill pushed by two area lawmakers that could have affected state funding for bicycle projects.
They are not putting the kickstand down on issues relating to state politics, however.
BikeWalk Tennessee president Anthony Siracusa voiced support for Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposed gas tax increase while speaking to a group of Chattanooga cyclists on Thursday night, specifically praising a portion of the proposal that would allow municipalities to hold referendums on local tax increases for transit projects in their communities.
“It’s a very important part of this legislation,” Siracusa told the group gathered at the Daily Ration in North Chattanooga. “Improving transit in our cities has a direct relationship to growing the number of people who walk and bike and, most importantly, it allows us to assist people with their personal mobility, which then helps them with their social mobility.
“If you can’t get to a job, how are you going to keep a job?
This is fundamental stuff. We need more resources to make this happen.”
Siracusa led a grassroots movement against a bill introduced by Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah and Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, in last year’s session that sought to ensure gas tax revenue was spent only on road projects.
BikeWalk leaders said the bill would significantly impede bike and pedestrian projects across the state.
Carter pulled the legislation in April. He said in a phone interview Thursday that he is not bringing it back this year and that Haslam’s proposal “takes care of all that.”
“It doesn’t eliminate any hiking or biking trails or greenways,” Carter said. “It just moves them to a different part of the budget.”
Carter added that he is now working with the Tennessee Department of Transportation to provide safety for cyclists as a $23 million TDOT project to widen East Brainerd Road and add bike lanes gets underway.
“There are injuries to bikers that a person in a car or truck would not consider,” Carter said. “As our community becomes more bike-oriented, we need to start focusing on bike safety. We don’t want to put land mines in the road for bikers.”