Topline: Given the choice between repairing dangerous bridges or opening a café for bike riders, most taxpayers would probably choose the first option.
But in 2008, the federal government decided it would rather spend $560,000 on the Freewheel Midtown Bike Center in Minneapolis, Minn. then on saving the nation’s bridge repair fund from bankruptcy — even though a bridge three miles away from the bike center had just collapsed.
That’s according to the “Wastebook” reporting published by the late U.S. Senator Dr. Tom Coburn. For years, these reports shined a white-hot spotlight on federal frauds and taxpayer abuses.
Coburn, the legendary U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, earned the nickname "Dr. No" by stopping thousands of pork-barrel projects using the Senate rules. Projects that he couldn't stop, Coburn included in his oversight reports.
Coburn's Wastebook 2008 included 65 examples of outrageous spending worth more than $1.3 billion, including the $812,000 in 2024 dollars spent on the bike center.
Key facts: When the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed on Aug. 1, 2007, killing 14, the government acted swiftly. A bipartisan group allocated $234 million to build a replacement bridge that opened at the end of 2008.
The tragedy did not teach officials an obvious lesson in allocating resources wisely. The Federal Highway Trust Fund, used to repair deteriorating bridges, was almost out of money. But six days after the I-35W collapse, the Senate voted 80-18 against fixing bridges and roads by taking money away from bike paths.
That opened the door for the Freewheel bike center to open in May 2008 within walking distance of the ruined bridge.
The rest stop featured two kinds of showers: the normal kind and “bike showers” for cleaning equipment. Other amenities included a “bike valet” with indoor parking and a barista serving mixed drinks.
In September 2008, the Department of Transportation announced that the Federal Highway Trust Fund was bankrupt.
Since then the government has been forced to transfer $275 billion from other sources to keep the fund solvent.
Search all federal, state and local government salaries and vendor spending with the AI search bot, Benjamin, at OpenTheBooks.com.
Summary: Public money should be used to address life-threatening issues before putting the money toward valet parking.
The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com
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