Another side of AAA

Last month, we told you about Rails to Trails talking AAA to task after the president of AAA Mid-Atlantic spoke against using federal Highway Trust Fund money for bike and pedestrian facilities. He advocated for using the Highway Trust Fund for highways only (as opposed to how it's been used since 1991) and paying for bike and ped facilities with general revenues only.

In contrast, the current issue of American Bicyclist (the member magazine of the League of American Bicyclists) features a story about steps the automobile association has taken to encourage road-sharing and bicyclist safety. According to the article:

• More than half of AAA's 51 regional clubs offer bike safety outreach programs
• The programs have traditionally focused on children, but clubs are increasingly working on bicycling programs for all ages
• AAA Oregon/Idaho extends its roadside assistance program to bicycles. (The service is not available through the AAA club in Wisconsin yet; however, Better World Club - which is not affiliated with AAA - does offer this service nationally.)
  
• AAA worked with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2009 to promote a "share the road" message nationally and to distribute a four-part video series on bicycle safety

You can read more about it in the American Bicyclist. If you're not a subscriber, you can view the September/October issue online beginning in November.