Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama recently spoke with bicycle advocates in Chicago, where he pledged to support cyclists and pedestrians. This is exciting news in a country where “transportation” is typically synonymous with “driving.”
From Bicycle Retailer and Industry News:
Barack Obama, in a private 20-minute meeting with members of the Bikes Belong board of directors, told them if he were elected president he would increase funding for cycling and pedestrian projects. And the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee also said he would support Safe Routes to Schools programs.
He also told them he seldom makes promises on what he would do if elected president, but that this was a promise he would keep. Tim Blumenthal, executive director of Bikes Belong, laid out the industry’s position on boosting funding for cycling-related projects and for Safe Routes to Schools at the meeting.
Stan Day, [bicycle component manufacturer] SRAM’s president, said that Obama “gets it.” He pointed out that Obama understands that bicycles can be part of a solution to issues as diverse as health care, obesity, energy and environmental policy. “He does his homework and he can connect the dots,” he said.
Cycling websites were abuzz with the news that Obama celebrated his primary victory with a family bike ride. Now he’s promising to improve conditions for car-free commuters if elected to US president. Perhaps the sky-high gas prices will increase the significance of Obama’s pro-cyclist stance in the election. American drivers have already dramatically decreased their driver-miles while bike purchases and mass transit ridership have soared.
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What a blast from the past. Though I grew up in the 1970s cartoons like this were part of my life. I remember the mythology around the interstate system and grew up being told you could anywhere in America by car. And in the event the Russians attacked our interstate system doubled as a transit network for our mobile nuclear missiles.
My how things change. I put 4,000 miles on my car last year, including the 2,200 for the summer vacation. Fortunately that was to Zion where we parked and then road the natural gas buses to trailheads once in the park. I do everything in my power to avoid the car – bus when the weather is crap and bike when it’s not.
Thanks for tossing these up!
Wow, that first video blew my mind. Can you imagine anyone putting a road through the Grand Canyon like that? The mythology is astounding…helps em understand how we got where we are….
I really like the idea of a heated highway.
Heck, we have the power to do it, why not!
Just put an auto fired coal unit every few miles to melt the snow as it falls.
Imagine the plow truck problems it would solve…
But seriously folks (waaaamp waaaaamp waaaaaaaaahhhhh)
Isn’t it funny that they REALLY were focused on burning so much fuel…the segment where Dad goes to his office. Television conferencing in the car, but Dad still has to go to the office. Wow, what a concept.
Thanks for putting up this gem from the past.
Anyone wearing their free masons ring?? ;>)
wow as “Mom and son drive to a mall” and “while dad drives to work” and “as father choices the route in advance”. wow sexist growing up in the 1990’s and 2000’s this all just seems crazy to me. and using an atomic reactor to plow through mountains just sounds crazy from my perspective. maybe all of this was more believable 50 years ago
“…arrrrr shudarp!”
I remember parts from the first clip in the queue for the ill fated Rocket Rods at Disneyland. Very scary stuff, a lot of it was echoed in Thunderbirds, from the same era. They also had massive engineering “solutions” to everything, and an automatic free way constructing behemoth.