In the one of my blogs from awhile back, I mentioned AAA and their lack of support for trails:
Trails Network Blog: Obesity rate directly related to trail access?
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| bikers enjoying the Rio Grande trail between Aspen & Glenwood Springs |
Well today, I had to decide whether to renew my membership to AAA. It was a tough decision. On the one hand, I’ve gotten lots of use out of my membership; since I travel all over the country on bike trips, I often need maps, lodging information, rental car discounts, tour books, etc.
On the other hand, I knew that the president of AAA had made some remarks that were not very supportive of our national trail system and the funding to support those trails.
I decided to call AAA and speak with someone about this issue. And I’m glad I did. I found out that AAA is actually supportive of multi-modal transportation. And Colorado AAA, in particular, is very supportive of bicyclists and trails.
So I decided to renew my membership. I’m not saying this to convince any of you to join AAA, but just to let you know what I found out when I contacted them. If anything, I’m trying to convince you to become an active advocate for our system of trails in the United States. If you hear of someone bashing trails or bemoaning the funding for trails, confront them. But get the facts first. I’m glad I did.
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Sounds like a cop out to me. What ever happened to the good old fashioned boycott? If AAA can't support trails, then don't support AAA.
Hi there – I'm the social media manager for AAA Colorado. Thanks for taking the time to look into our local stance on this issue.
Just to clarify, the person whose comments on bike trails started the controversy was the president of the AAA Mid-Atlantic club, not the president of AAA Colorado, or the national president. Each club is independently operated within its own region.
While there are definitely some initiatives that all AAA clubs lobby on jointly, this isn't one of them. AAA Colorado has never taken a stance against bike trails, public transport or anything else that would adversely affect cyclists. For the last few years our political advocacy efforts have been limited to traffic safety, and we actively promote safety for cyclists, child passengers, and pedestrians as well as car drivers.
Thanks for your continued membership. It's very much appreciated and I hope we can continue to serve your interests.
After talking to representatives at AAA, I am satisfied that they are indeed "on our side" and are trail/cycling advocates.
It is my hope that they will continue supporting multi-modal transportation including multi-use trails. I also hope to see future articles in AAA publications about the link between trails, trains, roads, cars, bikes, etc.
Hi there – I'm the social media manager for AAA Colorado. Thanks for taking the time to look into our local stance on this issue.
Just to clarify, the person whose comments on bike trails started the controversy was the president of the AAA Mid-Atlantic club, not the president of AAA Colorado, or the national president. Each club is independently operated within its own region.
While there are definitely some initiatives that all AAA clubs lobby on jointly, this isn't one of them. AAA Colorado has never taken a stance against bike trails, public transport or anything else that would adversely affect cyclists. For the last few years our political advocacy efforts have been limited to traffic safety, and we actively promote safety for cyclists, child passengers, and pedestrians as well as car drivers.
Thanks for your continued membership. It's very much appreciated and I hope we can continue to serve your interests.
Sounds like a cop out to me. What ever happened to the good old fashioned boycott? If AAA can't support trails, then don't support AAA.