Governor Jay Inslee was literally backed into a corner in a recent King 5 report, a pertinent visual for the Governor’s tricky position thanks to the “poison pill” provision in the state transportation package that would sacrifice walking and biking safety funds for so-called “clean” fuel standards.

“It is ludicrous to make Washingtonians choose between safe buses and cleaner air,” said Inslee. And he’s right, of course. The poison pill, inserted into the new transportation law by Republicans, is a gross — though admittedly clever — political play aimed at hurting Inslee rather than making smart policy.

But when Inslee decided to allow it through in order to move forward a massive highway spending package, he certainly didn’t make it clear that he intended to swallow the thing. If he had, supporters of Safe Routes to School and a whole list of quality biking, walking and transit projects funded by about $700 million of the $16.1 billion law not going to highways would have revolted and fought the package (see our previous coverage for background).

That’s why Washington Bikes and partners like Transportation Choices Coalition and even the League of American Bicyclists are getting loud, urging Inslee not to cut this biking and walking safety money in lieu of fuel standards. This has put Inslee in a tough spot because people who bike have been a mainstay of his support, in part because he likes to bike himself.

“Look, I ride my bike a lot, and I believe we ought to have clean air while riding our bikes and bike paths, and we ought to have a way to do both,” he told King 5. (more…)