Last year I cancelled a trip to USA because of the uncertainty of getting through immigration. I didn't want to spend a heap of money and be detained then have to head back to Australia for some weird reason.
It seems that Trump has now decided not to fund cycling infrastructure because it's bad for cars.
https://road.cc/content/news/trump-cancels-bike-lane-grants-hostile-motor-vehicles-316029
While this won't have an immediate impact on the available infrastructure, long term it won't be an incentive to travel there because of its improved facilities.
Is this likely to make much difference in the growth of cycling facilities, or do the Feds contribute SFA to cycling infrastructure?
by DabbaAUS
15 Comments
Not as if you would have been touring on bike paths. Should make no difference to you. And pretty sure Aussies aren’t getting hassled in immigration. Probably time to turn off mass media hysteria and just go riding 🙂
Most bike specific infrastructure is up to the individual states/ private funding anyway. It takes days/weeks to cross most states and most routes would have you on low traffic county/state roads meant for cars anyway.
would wait. not worth risking to go there now. hope someone will stop the fascists before I plan on going there again.
I don’t know mate, I woulnd’t go to the US right now. At the most fundamental level, I don’t want to feed my money I would spend there into their bad shit crazy system right now. I used to love the US, I wanted to live there since I was a child. Coast-to-Coast touring is still on my bucket list. And I know my withholding will not make any difference. It’s just how I feel. Same reason why I won’t go to Russia or Israel until they figure their shit out.
It’s getting harder to justify travelling to the USA all together
I live here and I won’t travel in my own country under this administration.
My wife and I spent some time earlier this year cycling from Key West to Canada along the East Coast Greenway.
We went through the costly process of getting extended stay tourist visa (B2), this did involve an interview where I took our trip plan, financial plan, emergency plan, proof of insurance, etc.
Im sure it made entry into the USA easier, but I dont think Id return to the US for a while.
Mainly because its gotten so expensive . You wouldnt beleive how expensive supermarkets food has gotten!
Yeah not a place I’d be rushing to in the current climate
Where in the United States? It’s not great right now. I’d just travel through Mexico. It’s cheaper, safer, and completely lovely.
America is being naughty right now and doesn’t deserve your money.
Let’s be honest, you’ll probably be fine, but there is an increasingly publicised risk of being foreign even with the right paperwork. The whole world is reporting on the arrests/abductions, and it might be false, but I’m not sure if I’d risk my freedom, bike or time.
While I’m sure America is a great ride, I’d be heading elsewhere for a few years until we get a better understanding of what’s happening.
At the risk of getting political on a cycling sub, I try really hard to not support fascist regimes in any way when I travel. I either go somewhere else or I donate what I would have spent in that country to an NGO on the ground doing good work.
Western Canada has some fantastic rail trails. They have more of a reputation for mountain biking, and if you have a bike that can handle logging roads, it opens up a lot of places to explore! There are lots of cool little places to explore on the coast and islands.
At this point, no one should be going to the US considering what the US is trying to do to especially its allies and the rest of the world and much of that falling on the people. Australians have been tied up in extended ICE detentions upon arrival.
If they don’t want you there and it’s becoming increasingly unsafe, why would you consider going there? If this was happening in any other country there would be no question. Between ICE, police, policy of foreign conflicts, the kill all cyclists culture warriors, why would you go? Just boycott and be done with them.
Not sure I’d go at the moment; I’m not sure I’d make it through immigration either and it’s just not worth the potential hassle. Will stick to Europe, SE Asia and North Africa for now.
I’ve long been planning to do a bike tour from Quebec City to New Orleans. I was going to do it last year but then other stuff happened and at the time I decided to move it to 25 or 26.
But unfortunately right now I have zero desire to go to the US. So I can’t see it happening in the near future at all.