On a recent Sunday morning bike ride, I made a grave error in judgement. I did not accidentally turn in front of a car or pathetically forget to unclip my shoes and fall over (it has happened before). My mistake was far graver in the sense that it was nearly catastrophic for my bike and butt: I took a different route home than I had come.
Now, you are most likely thinking that such a “grave error” was neither grave or an error; however, it was both. As an active triathlete, training rides on roads have become increasingly treacherous. It is not the dogs that have come running after me or the immature teenagers who have driven too close to my bike; rather, the condition of the roads have become increasingly worse.
The effect of poor travel conditions is three-fold: first, the roads make bike riding a more injury inducing sport via the potential of wipe-outs. Second, the roads have led to an increase in the number of spare tires that must be purchased for the consistent flats I receive. Third, and probably most important, the poor roads incentivize bikers (including myself) to ride on the busier, well-kept roads than the quiet and safer side streets.
The treachery of these conditions is not something unfixable; on the contrary, the upkeep of the roadways, waterways, bridges, airports, and the like is one of the mandates and purposes of our nation’s government.
Furthermore, it should be known that this infrastructure epidemic is not a global calamity. For the past couple of years, I have had the luxury of biking in Europe; cycling in the mountains on the Southern Coast of Spain, through farms in rural Hungary, and in the Alps, I have been to some very remote locations. However, in each of those places I listed, I have never experienced the dire road conditions that are all too present in the United States. We champion the idea of our nation being a beacon of light and an example for the global population; however, one only needs to land in one of our airports to see the pathetic excuse for our infrastructure.
In February, President Donald Trump made the statement, “crumbling infrastructure will be replaced with new roads, bridges, tunnels, airports, and railways gleaming across our beautiful land.” I rarely am in agreement with Trump; however, I beseech the government, lawmakers, and private citizens alike to seriously consider the eye sore of our nation. Without infrastructure, our economy will stagnate and eventually, regress.
My seemingly narrow view of biking-quality-infrastructure should not be leveraged to write off my opinions. In recent months, we have seen numerous examples of unsuitable infrastructure conditions. First, Flint Michigan’s water infrastructure failed with catastrophic significance. Next, the American Society of Civil Engineers published a report estimating that 9.1% of our bridges are structurally deficient. Third, subways of New York City have literally been catching on fire. Finally, a highway in Atlanta caught on fire! Do any of these examples champion the premise of the United States being a leader of the world?
I don’t blame politicians and the government for our current state of affairs. Imagine the sell: everyone hates when roads close for construction and such closing can hurt the economy, but in the long run, it will work out. Good luck being reelected while pushing that political agenda! However, it is such a mindset that we must transcend or the future of our nation will become at risk. Companies like Amazon will struggle to ship packages across our nation. Children could drink contaminated water. Cities could become even more congested. The ramifications are not to be underestimated.
Donald Trump continues to pledge the raising of $1 Trillion for infrastructure via public/private deal making. One can only hope that the Trump Administration can be successful in raising said capital required for such a dire overhaul of our “beautiful land.”
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