National Bike Summit ready to climb the Hill

Bicycles have played an important part in America’s story. After all, it was a pair of bike-mechanics – the Wright brothers – who applied their knowledge of bicycles to begin mankind’s journey into the heavens. It was bike manufacturers who helped invent the modern automobile. And it was the bicycle that gave new freedom to American women and girls.

Through much of that history--132 years--the League of American Bicyclists has been advocating for the interests of the biking public. This week, nearly a thousand Bike League members have come to Washington, DC, for the National Bike Summit. The theme for this year is "Save Cycling," and it's an important task.

This is a thrilling time for bicycling in America – there are now 57 million cyclists on the road, and we are truly building a transportation system that makes it easier, safer, and more convenient to ride your bike.

Between 2000 and 2008, bicycle commuting increased by 43 percent nationwide. Cities like Portland, Minneapolis, and Chicago – leaders in the effort to create bicycle facilities – saw increases greater than 100 percent.

At the Department of Transportation, we're happy to support innovative policies to give more Americans the option to embrace cycling, and we’re working to end prejudices that treat riding and walking differently from other forms of transportation.

Most importantly, we’re helping local communities take the lead in building walkable, bikeable, and livable cities and towns by letting them make the transportation choices that fit their needs. That means breaking down antiquated barriers that prevented cities from installing bike paths and bike lanes, making sure cities and communities know they have a green light to begin building right away. And it means creating a variety of funding options that support local solutions to local challenges.

Through our TIGER grant program, we’ve continued supporting the creation of livable communities that treat bicycling and walking as valued elements of our nation’s transportation system. In our last cycle of TIGER grants alone, we invested more than $64 million for our “Complete Streets” program – ensuring the roads we build and repair are safe and convenient for everyone who uses them.

We’re also encouraging children to walk and bike safely to school through our Safe Routes to Schools programs. We know that when kids can walk or bike to school, it’s good for student health, it reduces congestion on neighborhood roads, and it’s good for mom and dad’s wallets in tough economic times.

Earlier this year, President Obama laid out his blueprint for “an America that’s built to last” – including his vision for a six-year reauthorization of the surface transportation bill. He committed to rebuilding and modernizing America’s roadways, railways, and runways – and to directing resources toward making livable communities a reality. Bicycles are part of that blueprint.

There will always be cars and trucks – and DOT will always be committed to keeping America’s roadways the safest and most efficient in the world.  But, Americans want transportation choices – and as President Obama has said, that means an all of the above solution.

Now, I loved my first car, but I also loved my first bike. And whether we're talking about a nation or an individual, just because we grow up doesn't mean we have to leave everything behind. Bikes are still a terrific option, as are passenger trains, streetcars, and other parts of our transportation toolkit that we have ignored for too long.

The time has come to time to invest in a 21^st century transportation network, and if that network takes a few cues from the past, well, I'm okay with that.  This week the advocates from the National Bike Summit will be sharing a similar message with their legislators on Capitol Hill. I thank them for their effort--and for the warm welcome today--and I wish them well.

Comments

[John Brooking]

Nice to include the reference to the role of bicycling in women's freedom. Also nice to hear the talk of bicycling as an equal transportation option to driving motor vehicles, but I wish it weren't always framed solely in terms of separate space like bike lanes and paths. Those make people more comfortable, but they don't go everywhere transportational cyclists need to go, and they never will. How about efforts to educate motorists that bicyclists already have the legal right to use a travel lane in all 50 states, and to use as much of it as they need to protect their space, as well as to educate cyclists how to ride legally and responsibly with car traffic, as taught by LAB's education program, as well as other efforts like CyclingSavvy.org. Law enforcement education in bicycle law is frequently needed as well. Thanks for your attention to cycling.

[Mari Lynch - Bicycling Monterey]

People of all ages bike our renowned Monterey Bay Coastal Trail (miles of Class I bike/multi-use path--no motorized vehicles). It is this excellent infrastructure that motivates people to bike who would otherwise not because of safety concerns about sharing roads with motor vehicles. Many gain confidence on our Class I bikeways, often first used as a recreational experience, then go on to use bicycles as transportation on the Class II and III bike lanes and routes throughout our county as well.

Naturally, we want--and depend on--expansion of and improvements to bikeways of all classes throughout our county. Thank you for your support!

In the City of Monterey and in our South County cities of King City and Soledad, new Safe Routes to School efforts are also currently in progress.

Local Congressman Sam Farr has long recognized that bike infrastructure is a star player in our nation's transportation system. In addition to benefits to the environment, and to personal health and budget, our congressman knows biking benefits our national economy and security as well.

[car transport]

I love riding my bike in my area of LA and the path ways and walkways are horrible. I'd love for this bill to go through.

[Dave Holland]

If you want to support cycling, support cyclists on the infrastructure we already have. I have been going anywhere I want on the existing roadways for over 50 years. Creating segregated paths for recreation and to lure more people onto bikes is good, but the cyclist's right to the road is being taken away and those new facilities are part of the reason for taking it away.

[Harvey Botzman]

"Bikes are still a terrific option, as are passenger trains..., streetcars, and other parts...," Thus the Secretary is implying the need for inter-modality of transportation systems. The freight train companies understand this concept, look at all those containers being shipped by rail!

Passengers with bicycles wanting to use or having to one or two different modes of transportation are stymied by lack of bicycle carriage facilities or strange company regulations by Amtrak and many intercity bus companies.

A good portion of the TIGER grant money must be allotted to convert all Amtrak passenger trains for the carriage of a minimum of 10 unboxed bicycles in at least one passenger car of each train.

Amtrak continually has trials to ascertain if carriage of at least 10+ unboxed full sized bicycles in at least one passenger car of each train is a wanted service by passengers. Last year the trial was on Keystone Service trains. This year it is on the Vermonter.

Some bus companies allow bicycles to be carried in a bag, others in a box, and still others, sorry no bicycles.

These policies and lack of facilities inhibit travel, tourism and general commerce. Ummm, perhaps they are really a violation of the Interstate Commerce Act?

Stop the trials and just DO IT; Use the TIGER and other US DOT, other US funds, and State monies to convert trains and train sets for the carriage of unboxed bicycles in passenger cars of each and every Amtrak train.

The now being designed new Amtrak conventional speed and high speed rail passenger cars and train sets must have facilities for the carriage of 10 or more unboxed bicycles on every train.

Just as building a road or a light rail encourages more people to use the road or light rail system simply having the ability to travel on Amtrak and intercity buses with an unboxed bicycle will encourage more use of these (trains and buses) modes of transportation.

[Jose]

Hi,
Safe Routes to Schools programs for children. It sounds really good. I wouldn't be able to come up with a better idea. It's good, as you say, for children's health, for reduction of congestion, for mom and dad's wallet, but also for their health. There is nothing more stressful than having to take your car on the early morning and get inmersed in a traffic congestion.
This may sound odd but I think it could be a good idea in order to promote this way of transportation, to have showers, either at your work or at the school. It will help making the decision of taking your bike for work or school, right?

[Carrie Ferguson]

I love the Safe Routes to School programs for children. Promoting this way of transportation is fantastic, I am a mother of three and would love to see my children have this opportunity. I also have serious concerns about my children traveling on their bikes, road safety is of great importance to me. I have developed a simple process to powder coat bikes in a very reflective way, optimizing the riders safety. Please see my web site at www.reflectionight.com. The possibilities and safety benefits are endless.

[AA Car Transport]

Hope my city will have some Safe Routes to school since now it impassable to drive safely with the kids (2 main roads)