Take action on equity in the next transportation bill

Next week, the House of Representatives will vote on a landmark transportation bill that will not only be great for bicycling and walking, but will lead to a more sustainable and equitable transportation system. This is a big bill—it’s legislation that will set the next five years of policy and one the League and our members have spent more than a year and a half shaping to prioritize people and our ability to safely move around by bike. 
 
Together, we fought for the transformative initiatives in the INVEST in America Act that will make biking better. Now, amid a dual pandemic of disease and racial injustice, we see opportunities to push these reforms even farther. In the next few days, as the INVEST in America Act heads to the House floor for a vote, several amendments need our support: 

• Amendment 4 by Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) to create an Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Environmental Justice within the Office of the Secretary of Transportation.
• Amendment 130 by Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Nanette Barragán (D-CA), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Julia Brownley (D-CA) adds a requirement to the Climate Resilient Transportation Infrastructure Study to outline how Federal infrastructure planning, design, engineering, construction, operation, and maintenance impact the environment and public health of disproportionately exposed communities. 
• Amendment 203 by Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL)  requires NHTSA to issue a rule that motor vehicle bumpers and hoods be designed to reduce the impact on vulnerable road users, including pedestrians and cyclists, in the event of a collision with a motor vehicle.

Ask your member of Congress to support these amendments and the INVEST in America Act »

The INVEST in America Act includes so much of what we have asked for: 

• Increasing investments in safe and accessible networks for people biking and walking,
• Instituting a national Complete Streets policy, 
• Reinstating the Bicycle Commuter Benefit, 
• Incentivizing states to fix dangerous roads and intersections, and 
• Increasing the amount of federal transportation funding provided to local communities through the Transportation Alternatives set-aside program

The bill also sets a new goal for reducing greenhouse gases and adds criteria to all federal grant projects that judge every application based on how inclusive the public process was, as well as assess the project’s impacts on environmental justice and equity. Read more about the bill on our blog »
 
The League and advocates like you have laid the foundation for these changes through our advocacy to Congress over the last year and a half. Our efforts to build a healthier, safer, more equitable future through biking are in this version of the transportation bill. 
 
We have accomplished so much for people who bike in this bill. Let’s ride that extra mile and ensure the INVEST in America Act is the best reflection of building a Bicycle Friendly America truly for everyone.

Take action and contact your Member of Congress today »