The Board of Directors of Adventure Cycling recently voted to oppose the shipment of mega-loads of  oil industry equipment along highway 12 in Idaho and Montana.  Highway 12 is a scenic by-way and is a main route used by cyclo-tourists traveling across the U.S.  So Adventure cycling has a clear reason for opposing these shipments.  Adventure cycling is only one of the many, many groups and individuals who oppose the shipment of equipment along this pristine corridor.

Of course there are many folks who are in favor of allowing these shipments arguing that these shipments will not only create jobs in this region but will also allow greater capacity for oil production here in North America - specifically the Kearle oil tar sands project in Alberta Canada - thus improving our national fuel security.

1200 planned mega-loads are scheduled to make the trip from Lewiston, ID through Montana and up into Canada.  These loads are reportedly going to be 210 feet long, 24 feet wide and 30 feet high.

I have several objections to these loads being moved through this corridor but I will not get into them here, yet.  I did want to point out this letter-to-the-editor which appeared in the Missoulian last week. It conveys what many of us as cyclists are subject to while out on the roads and it also makes oh so clear the ignorance that many drivers suffer from and it is something that makes many cyclist targets and puts us at risk while out on the roads that are meant to be shared by multiple users. 

Obviously the author is ignorant of the laws of the road.  Bike paths? There are some but they are rare. I definitely use them when possible but most are not designed for cyclists that are moving to quickly to ride them at the slow speeds they were designed for so we are compelled to stay on the roads. 

I love the most ignorant of all statements that motors make when they feel the need to verbally attack cyclists. "I pay taxes for these roads". Right and cyclists don't?  Most cyclists own cars (some like me own cars that are too big and use too much gas - for which I pay taxes.  Many of us ride rather pricey bikes owing to the fact that our incomes are high enough to allow such a luxury.  We pay taxes on that income and based on cyclist demographics we likely pay more than the bonehead that is screaming at us.

Real people do pay taxes - as the author points out.  And us cyclists, I consider us real people as well. we are bike mechanics, doctors, lawyers, professors, bakers, road maintenance workers, construction workers, truck drivers, students, farmers and neighbors.

If this person was so worried about jobs he would ask why the oil equipment is being fabricated in South Korea and not being fabricated by very capable hands here in Montana, Idaho or even Canada.

Adventure Cycling estimates that 1100 cyclo-tourists visited their office in 2010 and the Montana Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research estimated that in 2008 non-resident tourists spent $3.5 million in Montana which generated over a quarter of a million dollars in state and local tax revenue.

Before someone spouts off about staying off the road or paying their fair share of taxes of getting a job they should educate themselves a bit and not sound so ignorant - just saying.