Eric Cantor has no love for SmartBike

As reported by Adam Voiland, Eric Cantor has latched onto the $3M that DC plans to spend on SmartBike as one sign of waste in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. He's mentioned it both on his blog [Highlighting the word "Georgetown" in his post for reasons perhaps only J.D. from Heathers can know] and then mentioning it again on NPR.

To give you just an example, $3 million went to the District of Columbia. You know what they did with that money? They’re going to go build bike paths, and they’re going to increase the number of bike racks in neighborhoods like Georgetown. I don’t think that that’s a stimulative move.

First of all, Fail. He doesn't even have the facts right. It's not building trails and racks it's building SmartBike and not just in Georgetown (Is this some sort of GWU inferiority complex? He went to George Washington for undergrad) but District-wide. I mean if I can figure out what the money is actually being spent on with the paltry staff here at Washcycle HQ (and Cityryde), you'd think the Minority Whip could get some accurate facts. Again, Fail.

Second, SmartBike has the potential to save people money on transportation and health care; it should help reduce congestion and SmartBike installation and operation will employ people - unless he knows of SmartBike elves who will do the installation while we sleep. As the LAB points out:

In addition to the numerous construction jobs created, the system expansion will not only create 20 new full-time jobs, they’ll also be green jobs that contribute to a healthier, more environmentally sound Washington. Another tourist-heavy area saw a 9 to 1 return on its investment in bike related infrastructure. Similar gains may be seen in Washington, D.C. as a result of this investment, as well as increased dollars in the local economy as a result.

Third, even if it were trails and racks, how is that less stimulating than roads and parking lots or transit and bus stops? I'll answer that for you Eric, since it seems your staff is busy playing foosball all day. It isn't.

for every $1 million invested in an FHWA-approved paved bicycle or multi-use trail, the local economy gains 65 jobs.

People in DC WANT SmartBike. They want it more even maybe, than people in Culpeper wanted a Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center that you deemed worth $50 million. Why is addressing a need wasteful?

Contact him here. But be polite.

On a side note, it is odd that Cantor finds the $787B stimulus bill excessive, but the only slightly discounted $750B bank bailout under Bush worthy of his vote. And further odd that he's willing to consider a second stimulus.

Comments

[Lee Watkins]

50 million is about what DC should be spending on SmartBike expansion - seeing that it's 1/10 the size it needs to be. I think 200 to 400 meters between stations is a reasonable benchmark for a successful system.

And yes, there should be bike paths connecting them - not door zone lanes but grade separated bike tracks with separate signals - seeing that these are supposed to be used by regular people not just dedicated cyclists. And for god's sake - where is the trial pass?

Or does the capitol of the most powerful nation in the world not deserve such features already enjoyed by far lesser cities around the world? It makes us look so second-rate.

[Shawn]

Cantor's page uses the "write your repersentative" service, which requires zip+4 to contact him. Here's info so you don't have to search it out like I did.
102 N MAIN ST STE
(Range 100 - 303)
CULPEPER VA 22701-3053

[ANon]

I use this system all the time around downtown and it's great. More stations (particularly one in GTown, for example) would make it even better.

Look-Cantor is a fossil-fueled (and brained) conservative politician. He does not believe that infrastructure spending is stimulus. Tax cuts are. Further, if you look at his "base", he's appealing to people that believe that only the French ride bikes. Everything he says will reflect that viewpoint, because his ilk believes that it's the path back to power.

[anonymous]

Just sent one in. If this guy kills the BikeShare, I am going to move to culpeper and work my a** off to get him thrown out of office.

[ibc]

Nah. This is for the consumption of the mouth-breathing ignoramuses back in the district; and the rest of the racists, militia members, Christianist End-Timers, and other assorted cretins that comprise the rump of the GOP.

Don't *French* people ride bicycles?!?

[JTS]

ha ha ha ha ibc. I love when people use the term mouth-beathers to describe the GOP.

Just sent one in myself. This guy is massive fail.

[Washcycle]

I don't know. As a well-recognized mouth breather myself (and apnea suffer) I'm not sure I like it.

[MB]

Is Cantor a commenter here? Because I've got a couple of words for him.