I know that this is a beautiful fall day and all of us should be outside enjoying it, but if you have a few spare moments after all that riding and before you settle in for a dose of Sunday night television, take a couple of minutes to have a look at the Rails to Trails Conservancy's report, Active Transportation in America: A Case for Increased Federal Investment in Bicycling and Walking.
This 44-page report released last month is an incredibly accessible (i.e., made simple for politicians and others with no time for reports) look at the benefits of walking and bicycling to America. It's a summation of everything cyclists already know: more bicycles means fewer cars, money invested in cycling infrastructure pays greater benefits than money invested in automotive infrastructure, active transportation is a tool in the battle against obesity, etc.
The beauty of this report is that it backs up these premises with facts, not so much that the reader faces death by statistics, but enough for the average person to say, "Hey, maybe there is something to this."
Have a look, print out a copy and show it to your friendly local municipal councillor, MPP or MP. They need your guidance.
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