Tag: Senator Sherrod Brown

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Show #271 – November 7, 2015

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Guests: Senator Sherrod Brown; Keith Laughlin, Tim Blumenthal

(Note: This show was recorded on Wednesday and Thursday, November 4th and 5th, before the passage of the Surface Transportation Bill Thursday afternoon. Who knew???)

This week we dodged a HUGE bullet when amendments that would have cut funding for bicycle related initiatives including the Recreational Trails Program and the Transportation Alternatives Program were tabled and another amendment, #36, was introduced that will make it EASIER for states to commit funds to bike/ped projects.

News from a variety of sources sent up alarm bells on Tuesday and then, literally overnight – poof! We were “home free”.

I wanted to know what was going on in Congress that suddenly put the transportation bill front and center, creating such a hot topic, and so went looking for answers. I found it in three very tuned-in sources.

My first guest is the senior Senator from Ohio, Sherrod Brown (D). Senator Brown always brings his incredible insight and energy to questions and issues and this week tells us what he thinks might be the outcome of the vote on the Surface Transportation Bill** as well as how and why things might or might not change with the new Speaker of the House. He also explains how important it is that we once again make the U.S. a world class country in terms of infrastructure and transportation.

We then talk with the president of People for Bikes, Tim Blumenthal. Tim explains many of the reasons that Congress, and especially those responsible for programs that make communities more sustainable from an economic perspective, tabled those program slashing initiatives. PFB is now a strong 1.2 million voices and carries some serious clout!

Finally, my go to guy, Keith Laughlin who is president of Rails-to-Trails, gives us his inside-the-beltway understanding of the whys and wherefores of the transportation situation as well as some insight into who helped quash those amendments and what the passage of a new Surface Transportation Bill will mean going forward.

Three great guests – three intelligent and informed perspectives.

Take a listen!

(according to the U.S. Congress web site, the bill passed on November 5th!)

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Show #184 – March 1, 2014

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Guests: Keith Laughlin, Rails-to-Trails; Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Eric Barber, Copenhagen Wheel Project

The calendar says March 1st, but the thermometer says “January 1st”; what’s a poor cyclist to do? To paraphrase a famous bike racer, you can either ride or hide. If you’re riding, dress warmly; if you’re hiding, fire up the podcast machine and enjoy a brand new episode of The Outspoken Cyclist.

The 2014 LAB National Bike Summit is coming up this week in Washington, DC, and Keith Laughlin, Executive Director of Rails to Trails joins us to talk about what his organization has planned for the Summit and beyond. You might be surprised that Rails to Trails is about more than just trails these days.

Also checking in from Washington, DC is Democratic Senator from right here in Ohio, Sherrod Brown. Senator Brown brings us up to date on what’s happening with federal funding of transportation infrastructure, and also professes his undying love for a traditional northeast Ohio winter.

After the break and some news, we get the long-awaited scoop on the Copenhagen Wheel Project. Eric Barber, the Hardware Engineering Manager for the project joins us from Boston to talk about this new electric rear wheel which includes regenerative braking, learns your pedaling habits, and gathers data about your surroundings as you ride. No truth to the rumor that version 2.0 will “make you a sandwich and do your laundry.”