Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Streetsblog

Georgia DOT: Only People on Bikes Go Joyriding

It's always fun to hear the explanations from transportation agencies about why they are shortchanging bike projects.

false

Money always makes a convenient excuse, though it's rather specious being that a whole urban network of urban bike facilities often pales in comparison to the cost of, say, a few miles of interstate highway construction.

Well, here's a new one we like from the Georgia Department of Transportation. GDOT is withholding money for the Coastal Georgia Greenway because, according to a spokesman, it is "purely recreational in nature" and, so, can't be funded with transportation dollars.

Gosh, guess you got us there. Except... maybe. Wait, no. No one would ever use a greenway to, say, commute. And likewise, no one would ever use roads to go on a joyride.

Or would they? According to Josh Bennett at Network blog Sustainable Savannah it is not only possible, it is already happening -- and frequently, even:

In other parts of the country, where similar facilities have been built, they are used by commuters and are never “purely recreational.”

If trips that are “purely recreational” are not appropriate uses, then a lot of traffic should be banned from roads and bridges that would be funded by [the transportation tax fund]. Recreational vehicles would be prohibited from using transportation facilities, right? After all, their purpose is “purely recreational.” It’s right there in the name of the thing. Passenger cars carrying families on vacation or even local folks heading to a picnic in Forsyth Park or a day on Tybee should be excluded, too. Again, these trips are “purely recreational” in nature. Savannah will lose millions of visitors and the local tourism industry will evaporate overnight, but at least we can be confident that [transportation tax] funding won’t be wasted to facilitate “purely recreational” trips.

Oh well, it's not like there are any unsustainable traffic problems in any Georgia metropolitan areas anyway. That 23-lane highway GDOT is planning for Atlanta is sure to put a final end to the region's notorious gridlock. And if not, 30 or 35 lanes ought to do the trick.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Vancouver gets in on the "parklet" trend, reports The Dirt. The state of New Jersey's complete streets mandate remains partially unrealized three years after implementation, according to an analysis by New Jersey Future. And Boston's new Hubway bike sharing program is getting rave reviews one month in, says Mobilizing the Region.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

OPINION: Can Regional Governance Break New York Out of Its Constant State of Transit Emergency?

The New York region needs to fundamentally change the way it governs its transit system, our contributor writes.

December 20, 2024

Friday’s Headlines: ‘So, How Was Your Day?’ Edition

You didn't come here to find out about yesterday's crime news. Instead, here's the livable streets news!

December 20, 2024

Albany Should Use ‘Underutilized’ Transit Fund For LIRR, Metro-North Discounts: Report

An "underutilized" pot of state transportation funds could help lure more New York City residents onto the LIRR and Metro-North, according to a new report.

December 19, 2024

See It: The McGuinness Road Diet Works — But Only Where the City Installed It

The road diet works, exposing the need to extend it all the way.

December 19, 2024

Thursday’s Headlines: Snow and Tell Edition

The Sanitation Department is even better prepared for winter. Plus other news.

December 19, 2024
See all posts