Support Bicycle Lanes!

Dear Cyclists,

We want to thank all of you who went to one of the Bicycle Master Plan Public Meetings last week. As any who went discovered, we are getting a really good start towards Chattanooga becoming much more bicycle friendly. The plan is
quite comprehensive and is a long range plan. However there are several things which can be done now with minimal expense or disruption. We feel that it is really important that this happens.

A lot of time, effort, and money have been spent on this Master Plan and it is wonderful. But it is only a plan. It must be implemented to be of any value. We've been promised a north-south corridor through town for several years now. The design for that is complete. The Mayor is in support of it. But nothing has been done. It was removed from the list of things to be done once. Mayor Corker returned it to the list to be implemented. But now it is in question again.

Bike lanes could be put on Broad, Carter, Bailey and McCallie right now with very minimal effort or expense. But some are trying to stop it because someday, they are to become two-way streets with parallel parking in both directions. That is sometime in the future. We could have our bike lanes NOW.

Please help us in letting the Councilmen and the Mayor know that we want something now. If we don't see something actually done, we won't believe anything they say. The City Council still believes that there isn't enough interest in bike facilities to be bothered with it. They think it is just a few hard-core cyclists that make a lot of noise. Let's let them know that there are all kinds of cyclists that care. It's time Chattanooga moved into the 21st century. Our quality of life is important to us. It is a fact the leading cause of our increased air pollution is automobile traffic therefore more bike traffic equals better air quality.

At http://www.chattanooga.gov/council/members/index.htm you will find a list of City Council members and their phone numbers and/or email addresses. Below is a list of members with email addresses. Following is a sample message you might send to them. You can simply copy and paste the addresses into the 'send to' box and send a message to all
of them at once.

hakeem_yusuf@mail.chattanooga.gov
franklin_j@mail.chattanooga.gov
lively_john@mail.chattanooga.gov
taylor_j@mail.chattanooga.gov
pierce_l@mail.chattanooga.gov
robinson_s@mail.chattanooga.gov
page_d@mail.chattanooga.gov
benson_j@mail.chattanooga.gov
littlefield_r@mail.chattanooga.gov

Or you can print it out and mail it to:
Chattanooga City Council
1000 Lindsay St.
Room 103
Chattanooga, TN 37402

Thank you again for your support.

Daisy Blanton
Chattanooga Bicycle Club
&
Joe Thomas
Chattanooga Bicycle Task Force
&
Chris Gilligan
Chattanooga Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, Executive Staff
(member at large)

CHATTANOOGA

BICYCLE TASK FORCE

8 March 2002

Dear Councilman,

I am writing to respectively request support for the Bicycle Master Plan and the two initial projects it will recommend. For our City to continue to grow and prosper we must develop it in such ways as to attract and keep businesses and people. Thanks to many of your efforts, we have an ideal foundation that allows us to nurture and grow this community in the ways, which have already proven effective in so many other communities of our size. I strongly believe that the Bicycle Master Plan is an essential component of the formula that has proven effective elsewhere.

Please understand that this Master Plan is a guide to help minimize traffic and provide alternatives for transportation….this is not just about recreational biking.

Given the recent flurry of media reports in regard to Bob Colby’s efforts with the Air Pollution Control Bureau and the recent air quality studies they have conducted. I strongly believe that the Bicycle Master Plan and the initial projects it suggests are a perfect way for our City to be proactive to the air quality issues and the livability issues so prevalent in the media….as opposed to reactive to the problems (like Atlanta, Birmingham, etc.). The least expensive way to improve air quality standards is to initiate alternative transportation measures (ride sharing, mass transit use, bicycle/pedestrian). Many Cities nationally are being dictated (by the federal government) to instill these measures. This plan and the initial projects (North/South Corridor, East/West corridor) will empower our Mayor and others like yourself to exhibit your commitment to our community’s health and future.

I believe with all of my heart that this City is one of the finest places on this earth to live, much of that is in Thanks to our fore fathers efforts and your personal continued commitment. Thank you for your time. I look forward to your support in making Chattanooga a community dedicated to a better quality of life through options such as cycling for a means of transportation as well as recreation.

Sincerely,

Daisy Blanton

Chattanooga Bicycle Club