Bicycling cuts in new Transportation Bill

From a joint statement on the new transportation bill by America Bikes and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership:

The America Bikes coalition — representing the nation’s leading bicycling and walking groups — and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership oppose the new transportation bill, which would nationally cut funding for biking and walking projects by 60 to 70 percent.

We are deeply concerned that bicycling and walking programs suffer large and disproportionate cuts in funding in the new bill. Programs that save lives and dollars are eliminated.

The full extent of cuts to biking and walking funding will be determined at the state level and may be even deeper. We will continue to work in states and local communities to support safe, accessible streets.

The new transportation bill is a bad bill for biking and walking. This bill:

Cuts available biking and walking funds by 60 to 70 percent. Biking and walking programs are combined into a single program, Transportation Alternatives, with drastically reduced funding.

Eliminates dedicated Safe Routes to School funding. The bill eliminates dedicated funding for the massively popular and cost-effective Safe Routes to School program, which helps make walking and biking to school safer for millions of American schoolchildren.

Weakens local control. The new transportation bill allows states to opt-out of half of the funds potentially available for small-scale biking and walking projects. Whereas the bi-partisan Senate bill allowed local governments and planning entities to compete for 1% of transportation funds, the new bill allows states to opt-out of the local grant program completely.

Makes biking and walking compete with new, expensive eligibilities. Eligibilities such as road uses and environmental mitigation have been added to Transportation Alternatives, making it harder for local communities to compete for funding for local biking and walking projects.

This two-year bill represents a major step backwards in transportation policy for transportation choices and healthy physical activity. Despite this temporary setback in national policy, bicycling and walking will continue to grow and gain support, and Americans will continue to demand safer, more accessible streets and communities. Going forward, biking and walking will return to a central place in America’s transportation policies and programs.

DC.Streetsblog writes about the new Transportation Bill.

America Bikes posted an Analysis of the new Transportation Bill—Map-21.

New survey shows overwhelming support for bike facilities

As Congress debates funding for our future transportation system, America Bikes released the results of a survey that shows Americans overwhelmingly support funding for bike and pedestrian facilities. According to America Bikes:

The national survey, performed by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, asked 1,003 adults in the United States about their opinions on federal funding for sidewalks, bike lanes, and bike paths. The results were astounding — and bipartisan:

• 83 percent of all respondents support maintaining or growing the federal funding streams that pay for sidewalks, bikeways, and bike paths.
• 80 percent of Republican respondents and 88 percent of Democrat respondents think Congress should maintain or increase federal funds for biking and walking.
• 91 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 support continuing or increasing biking and walking funds.

These results add critical perspective to a pressing national debate about transportation, as members of Congress conference to develop a consensus transportation bill — and some propose eliminating dedicated funding for biking and walking.

Congressman Blumenauer

The survey results were released at a press conference this morning that we attended. Andy Clarke of the League of American Bicyclsts introduced the speakers that included Senators Cardin (D-MD) and Durbin (D-IL) and Congressmen Blumenauer (D-OR) and Petri (R-WI). For a summary of remarks from see DC.Streetsblog.

We rode in from Reston and encountered lots of bike commuters on the W&OD and Custis Trails.

Update-May 10: Post transportation reporter Ashley Halsey III wrote an article about the survey, Advocacy group says public supports federal fuuding for bikes, pedestrians. The first quote is from well-known cycling expert, AAA's John B. Townsend II. I don't recall AAA ever being called an "advocacy group" in the many Halsey articles that quote from AAA press releases and yet those are the first two words Halsey's article on the America Bikes survey.

Press conference on funding for bike facilities

America Bikes is a national coalition of bicycle organizations that advocates for a federal transportation law that provides adequate funding for bike facilities. They are holding a press event next Wednesday morning, May 9, on the Hill to announce new survey data about Americans' attitudes towards federal funding for sidewalks and bike lanes. A House-Senate conference committee is scheduled to begin formal negotiations on the latest Transportation Bill on May 8.

Senator Cardin (MD) and Representative Blumenauer (OR) will be at the press conference, as will Andy Clarke of the League of American Bicyclists and others, to mark the release and discuss the importance of biking and walking for transportation.

The press conference will be on Wednesday, May 9 from 9:15 - 10:30 AM. At the House Triangle, located directly in front of the Capitol Building on the House side. The press event follows a National Bike to School Day celebration in Lincoln Park. From 7:30 - 8:30 a.m., school children will gather in Lincoln Park and ride in “bike trains” to nearby Capitol Hill public schools.

If you are not involved in Bike to School Day consider attending the press conference to ensure there is a good showing of folks with bikes. Biking and walking funds are on the line-funds that benefit bike projects in Maryland, DC, and Virginia.  Read the America Bikes press release about the event.