Best of the League 2012: Making an Impact on Capitol Hill

As Andy noted last week, it’s been a banner year for the League and we’re looking forward to having an even greater impact in 2013 with a bigger budget, additional staff and new programs. But before we charge into the new year, we wanted to take a look back at some of the most notable accomplishments of 2012.

First stop? Capitol Hill!

In 2012, we had another record turnout at the National Bike Summit, with more than 800 attendees from 49 states. We heard from U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, who highlighted the connection between bicycling and job creation, and Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), who emphasized the critical impact of cyclists on federal legislation. And then we flooded the halls of Congress, urging our electeds to preserve funding for biking and walking in the transportation bill.

Advocates with Congressman Earl Blumenauer (Photo by Chris Eichler)

And our voices made a huge difference. Last summer, when the debate about the next transportation bill came to a boil, there were some members of Congress who wanted to strip funding for biking and walking altogether. But thousands of bicyclists nationwide flooded their members of Congress with e-mails and phone calls in support of the bipartisan Cardin Cochran amendment. And it worked! We not only made a bad bill far better, but proved in no uncertain terms that we’re a powerful constituency that cannot be ignored.

Join us as we continue to build that credibility and impact on Capitol Hill in 2013. Register for the National Bike Summit today!