At any given moment, there is an unnoticed 50% of us who are not #FreeToMove: NO drivers license, NO car, NO money. Over the last 100 years, we’ve made it safer to cross the ocean than to cross the street. Absent a car, we are not #FreeToMove

Want a broad-based action that employs people, stimulates the economy, enhances health, reduces pollution, provides benefits in every county? Let’s restore American’s freedom of movement by building a nationwide network of safe sidewalks/lanes/trails for walking & biking.

We are missing an important piece of infrastructure.
Here's the case for a #FreedomNetwork, a safe and secure low/no cost network for walking and biking available to everyone. Whatever priority this is a critical asset - #economy #jobs #equality #access #safety #health #climate

Let’s create a #FreedomNetwork exclusively for walking & vehicles that don’t require a driver’s license, providing no/low cost mobility, connecting people to routine destinations like schools, shopping, health, and recreation.

A network of trails, roads &sidewalks #freetomove

You’re stuck if:

NO LICENSE:
20% younger than 16
18% functionally disabled
8% license revoked
undocumented
NO CAR:
8% of households w/o car
40% w/ 1 car, when in use, others left stranded
NO MONEY:
$10,000 yr/car (AAA)
30% household budget is transport for poorest 1/5th

W/out a license, car, or money, even the 50% of trips that are less than 3 miles are dangerous and often impossible to navigate.

Infrastructure/jobs; More jobs & miles

Active transport infrastructure creates 10-27 jobs per $1million spent, as compared to highways (8 jobs). Instead of building new or polishing existing roads (see 2008 stimulus), we should invest this new Network https://urbantransitions.global/en/publication/the-economic-case-for-greening-the-global-recovery-through-cities/

Adds another no/low cost option for job access:

Losing an employee can cost an employer $10k to $30k
80% of employees cite the cost of commute for leaving
2/3rds of employees would take another job to ease the commute

https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/t4ma/pages/141/attachments/original/1448041703/T4A-T4MA-111915.pdf?1448041703

GREEN.

If we look at the complete GHG per person km/mile ( @ITF_Forum), priority #1 is building public transit, #2 is building a freedom network so that everyone can travel by foot/bike safely (turning SOVs into ebikes, >e-grid) #3 electrify fleet vehicles, #4 electrify cars

SAFETY. While traffic fatality rates overall have declined in the last 30 years, pedestrian & cyclist deaths (20% of fatalities) are at their highest level. Deaths by SUVs has almost doubled since 2009 as those vehicles proliferate. Europe: safe infrastructure + safety regs

Health

Air pollution represents the largest environmental health risk factor in US linked to cardiovascular problems, respiratory illness, diabetes and even birth defects.

Over ⅔ of adult Americans are overweight or obese (40%), rates in children have tripled since 1974.

Returning US obesity rates to 2000 levels would result in a health cost savings of $88 billion annually. One year’s savings alone would finance the building of between 1.8 and 18 million miles of bicycle/trail miles. One mile of cycling generates health benefits of $1.

EQUITY
19% of Black households don’t have access to a car.
Black pedestrians killed at 2x rate of Whites. Black cyclists killed at 1.75x Whites.
Blacks are 54% less likely to be active. Obesity higher in Black & Hispanic populations, live w/ poorer air quality

I love these two gifs/videos

https://media.giphy.com/media/LgM4hmSkW6jhC/giphy.gif

Economy.

Outdoor recreation contributed $427 billion, 2.2%, of GDP in 2017. “Real gross output, compensation, and employment all grew faster in outdoor recreation than for the economy as a whole.” Many of these jobs would be local.
https://media.giphy.com/media/fDfwxSelx0lwgeArd3/giphy.gif

Resilience
We must become multimodal: freedom network + shared/public transport + private cars
Every person, young & old, rural, suburban or urban, needs an alt network for a safe, secure, low/zero-cost way to get around sometimes without a car. Missing now: a Freedom Network

No one thing can be the entire solution, and in transportation, the local context and needs are defining. But a Freedom Network is surely an important foundational piece required.

POLICY
Change highway funding criteria from LOS to access
Include ebikes in EV credits
Require secure bike parking for new developments
Allow for mixed use; strive for neighborhood economies
What's on your list?

HOW?
Endorse the vision
Enable the policy
Create a coalition
Talk about it.

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