Lawyer Ray Thomas, of the Portland-based Swanson, Thomas and Coon law firm has announced a new initiative. He plans to form a legal team to scrutinize the Bicycle Bill to make sure that a “fair share” of state highway construction funds are going toward bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
The bill (ORS 366.514), which was championed and made into law by the late Don Stathos in 1971, says that:
“in any given fiscal year, the amounts expended to provide walkways and bikeways must be a minimum of 1% of the state highway fund received by the Department, a city or county.”
Thomas wants to keep an eye on this 1%. I asked him why and he said:
“My motivation on the 1% is just to make it so we have a statewide group of bike activists who are watching for development projects and watching documents that are accessible to the public to make sure that bike/ped gets it fair share…I am hearing positive things about it from a number of quarters including the BTA and rural activists.”
I’ve often wondered about this 1% myself so it’s great to know that Ray Thomas is watching our backs.