The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“THREE SISTERS SCENIC BIKEWAY” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the in the Senate section section on pages S13874-S13875 on Dec. 23, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THREE SISTERS SCENIC BIKEWAY
Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, too many of our communities are hemorrhaging jobs. That is especially true in rural areas, where industries have suffered and companies have had to let lots of people go. In Oregon, for example, changes in forest policy have hit rural communities particularly hard in recent years. I am constantly working to find solutions that will help those communities not just survive but thrive.
It is indisputable that many rural communities and small towns in Oregon contain some of the most beautiful scenery in America. When I look at their future, I see that the scenic beauty and solitude of beautiful places like Sisters, OR, which sits in the shadow of the Cascade Mountains, can be a big engine to drive the economy. Investments in amenities like parks and scenic bikeways can be valuable for communities because they aren't fleeting. They build infrastructure that lasts for generations. The beauty of nature, especially out in the countryside, attracts tourists--particularly bicyclists.
The League of American Bicyclists estimates that biking contributes
$133 billion per year to our national economy, provides 1.1 million jobs, and generates $17.7 billion in Federal, State, and local taxes. They estimate that another $46.9 billion is spent on meals, transportation, lodging, gifts, and entertainment during bike trips and tours.
Savvy entrepreneurs in Oregon have come together to capitalize on the benefits that being a destination for bicyclists can bring to a community. Cycle Oregon--called ``the best bike ride in America''--
attracted 2,200 people from 44 States and 11 foreign countries to its 2008 ride, which took hardy bicyclists through some of Oregon's most beautiful sites. But it is not just Oregon entrepreneurs who have figured this out. It is a nationwide phenomenon. Bloomington, Indiana's
``Hilly 100 ride,'' for example, draws 5,000 riders and over $1 million in lodging and food sales. And in Iowa, the week-long Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa has become so popular that last year, they had to turn people away after more than 9,000 applied to cycle across the State.
It is often through outdoor events like bike races that you will find a CEO or company leader visiting Central Oregon on a vacation and having the brainstorm that it would make a great place to locate a new enterprise. Many high-tech companies, for example, are locating in places with unique, scenic beauty to set them apart from their competition in the big cities and to give them an added bonus to attract the talent they need to succeed.
I thought there must be a way to tap the full recreation potential of central Oregon and create a model that could be replicated in other parts of the country. So, 2 years ago I asked recreation leaders in Deschutes County to look at how recreation could add value to its recreation assets, creating the strongest possible engine for economic development.
Since then, the Sisters area has decided that much of its economy is tied to broadening the set of recreation experiences they can offer to visitors. They have developed many miles of new, spectacular mountain bike trails in the cascade foothills of Peterson Ridge as part of that effort. They see the development of a better cycling route to Bend as a vital addition to the menu of recreation opportunities in the area.
Community and business leaders from across Deschutes County have worked for the past two years on ideas like those developed in Sisters. They came together recently to formally launch an effort to create the Three Sisters Scenic Bikeway--a scenic bike route connecting each of the cities in that county, via cycling-friendly routes that take you past spectacular scenery.
Government officials are pitching in too. The Oregon Department of Transportation and the U.S. Forest Service are working together to implement the committee's vision of a paved bike path connecting Bend to Sunriver. The Forest Service is about halfway through their decision making process on a paved path from Sunriver out to Lava Lands Visitors Center, and ODOT is pursuing a variety of funding options to get the work done while crews are still working on the major reconstruction of Highway 97 nearby.
As we rebuild our country's infrastructure and seek new ways to create jobs, we would do well to follow the lesson of Deschutes County and The Three Sisters Scenic Bikeway. It was an idea that was first proposed by concerned members of the community. It answers local needs and they have a lot of confidence it will work. And as representatives of those communities, my colleagues and I have the ability to help water the seeds of those ideas when government can help out.
This kind of collaborative effort by local groups can be the kind of national model other struggling rural communities should consider as they work to rebuild their infrastructure and economies. Cities across America are realizing that investing in outdoor recreation options like bikeways is an affordable way to significantly improve their quality of life and, in the process, improve their competitiveness to attract new businesses and jobs.
It is time to remember that our infrastructure can't just be focused on ways to bring more cars onto our already stressed roads. Fixing highways and bridges is critically important, but for better health, relaxation, and the economic benefits they can bring, bikeways can also be part of the solution to fix our infrastructure and help revive struggling communities back home.
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