Bike Advocacy

Advocating for bicyclists is one of the most important goals of the League, and working in conjunction with America Bikes, we have made some impressive achievements. The best way to get involved is to work with your local officials so they understand the importance of bicycling, and join the League.

Advocacy Center

Visit our Advocacy Center to tell your U.S. representatives how you feel about the latest bicycling issues in your backyard and across the United States.

Current Bicycling Legislation

National Bike Bill Passes House

(06.04.08) H.CON.RES. 305, dubbed the National Bike Bill sponsored by Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), passed the House of Representatives on May 21. The resolution documents the many ways in which bicycling benefits individuals, communities, and the nation, and was a key element of the National Bike Summit agenda in March. We are looking for Senate supporters for the initiative, and have also been working with several Mayors to introduce a similar resolution at the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors later this month.

Read Congressman Blumenauer’s floor speech introducing the Congressional Resolution.

Complete Streets Bill in House and Senate

Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA) took an important step last Thursday, May 1, for safer, better designed streets by introducing the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2008 into the U.S. House (HR 5951). The bill would make sure that roads built and improved with federal funds safely serve everyone using the roadway,including pedestrians, bicyclists, bus riders, as well as those with disabilities.

On the Senate side, Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) signed on this week as first Republican co-sponsor of the Senate version of the bill, S2686, the Complete Streets Act of 2008, introduced a few weeks ago by Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Thomas Carper (D-DE). This is the first time that comprehensive complete streets bills have been introduced in the House and Senate.

The League of American Bicyclists National has championed complete streets legislation since 1994 and is a key member of the Complete Streets Coalition which includes AARP, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the American Planning Association, Smart Growth America, America Bikes, and many other organizations. For more information on complete streets, please visit www.completestreets.org.

Click here to read Congresswoman Matsui’s press release. Click here to read to read details on HR 5951.

Complete Streets Legislation

The Complete Streets Act of 2008 (S.2686), introduced by Senator Harkin (D-IA) and Senator Carper (D-DE), requires states and metropolitan planning organizations to consider the needs of all users when building new roads or improving existing roads while using federal funds. Read Senator Harkin’s press release. For more details, fact sheets, and other information on Complete Streets please visit http://www.completestreets.org/federal.html.

Bicycle Commuter Act

The Bicycle Commuter Act would extend the transportation fringe benefit, currently available to transit users and car drivers, to bicycle commuters. The legislation would provide a tax benefit to employers who offer cash reimbursements to an employee who commutes by bicycle, while helping defray the costs of commuting for the bicyclist. Congress should amend the tax code to allow this benefit. Click here to learn more.

Representative Earl Blumenauer's (D-OR) position.