Back in 2005, Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN) captained the creation of a federal program to help schools develop and implement safe walking and biking routes to and from school in an effort to curb alarming rates of childhood obesity, reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. Plus, it made sense from an urban planning standpoint to assist in the creation of more neighborhood schools.
But House Republicans want to eliminate the program to save tax payers $915 million over five years. The proposal was delivered to the White House on Thursday as part of a $375 billion in cuts to national spending. President Obama called for bipartisan proposals in April.
The GOP has long been an opponent of central government programs for states instead favoring local control. The proposal signed by Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio and Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia stopped short of asking for an elimination of the U.S. Department of Education, a major conservative movement dating back to President Ronald Reagan, but the fight to eliminate Safe Routes might just prove to be as contentious.
You see, Oberstar is also the chair of the House Transportation Committee, which is planning the reauthorization of the transportation bill, which is up for vote later this year. And, according to industry insiders, he won’t take kindly to an attempt to make his pet project walk the proverbial plank. If anything, some see the Republican proposal as the latest political chess move as the party attempts to prove they are more fiscally conservative than Democrats.
First of all, the proposal came outside of the normal appropriations process, and it resembled more of a list of talking points than substantial policy. It also contained a random assortment of proposed cuts, such as eliminating House bike sharing program for Congressional staff despite not having data on the exact cost of the program.
There is also bipartisan support of Safe Routes. Two weeks ago, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced SB 1156 to amend the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users to reauthorize and improve the safe routes to school program. The bill includes school bus stop safety and is co-sponsored by Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-VT).
