Research/Policy
Equitable transportation is more than a buzzword. The effort to make transportation accessible and safe for Americans from all socioeconomic and racial backgrounds has taken root in grassroots advocacy organizations, national foundations and even in the U.S. Congress. The benefits of transportation investments are not distributed equally among communities, as some social groups have not reaped the rewards of developed transportation infrastructure. While the discussion of transportation equity has largely focused on accessibility to transit and the provision of auto-dominated infrastructure, a growing number of advocates
New technology is coming for our roads, but what does that mean for you? It is hard to know what to think of self-driving cars, connected cars, and new safety technologies that augment the abilities of vehicle drivers. Last year, we asked on social media whether automated cars will increase or decrease safety for people who bike and walk – and most people said they didn’t have enough information to know. Thankfully, Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) has introduced the “Future Transportation Research and Innovation for Prosperity Act” or Future TRIP Act. The Future TRIP Act directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish an Automated and Connected Vehicle Research Initiative.
On Thursday here in Washington, D.C., League staff joined U.K.-based author and historian Carlton Reid at a Congressional Bike Caucus meeting where he presented information from his new book, The Roads Were Not Built for Cars. His book tells the fascinating history of bicycling in the United States and the U.K. and of the very interconnected story of bicycles and motor vehicles. Read through our live-tweets from his presentation below to learn more! Fun fact: Car manufacturer GMC used to be “GBC” — one guess what the B stood for…
The Mayor of Seattle knows firsthand the trauma of unsafe streets. When Ed Murray was 14 years old, he was struck by a car while riding his bicycle on his paper route. The result: An extended hospital stay and six months of recovery before he could walk again. Earlier this year, he set a new course for his city to make sure that no child will have to suffer like he did. “We believe we can have a city where no cyclist or pedestrian is hit or killed,” Murray told the Youth Bike Summit in February.
It’s well within Bill Ford’s job description to foresee the threat of global gridlock. But in his 2011 TED talk, the CEO of the automotive giant described an innovative detour to avoid the impending transportation crisis. “The solution is not going to be more cars, more roads or a new rail system; it can only be found, I believe, in a global network of interconnected solutions,” Ford said.
Why do we bike? As advocates, we’re quick to point out the benefits we can measure: It burns calories, reduces air pollution, relieves traffic congestion and costs less than car ownership. But, for those of us who ride, we know there are even bigger upsides to cycling: Biking makes us feel good. And now there’s data to prove it.
Ahead of the 2015 National Bike Summit, we’ve been holding Twitter chats with presenters to hear more about their work and ideas. Today we chatted with Leah Shahum, Director of the Vision Zero Network, about the road safety concept. In short: The only acceptable number of traffic deaths is zero.
Shahum is one of our “thought leaders” at the Summit this year, and she’ll be talking more about her work at the event. If you aren’t already registered, click here!
In our Winter 2015 American Bicyclist magazine, we spoke with Harriet Tregoning, the Director of the Office of Economic Resilience at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and a daily bike commuter, about the intersection of active transportation and affordable housing. This is our full interview, which was condensed for length in the magazine. It’s Harriet Tregoning’s job to create opportunity. A bike commuter, Tregoning is the new Director of the Office of Economic Resilience at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She comes to HUD after most recently serving as the director of the District of Columbia’s Office of Planning, spearheading several projects, including the implementation of the city’s bikeshare system. In her new role, Tregoning said her boss, HUD Secretary Julian Castro, likes to say HUD is the “department of opportunity.”
Last fall we asked League members and others on social media for their thoughts about electric bicycles. We received over 700 responses and learned a lot in the process. In our new report, “Electric Bicycles: Public Perceptions & Policy,” we examine your responses and what they might mean for the League’s position on electric bicycles and the ways in which electric bicycles might impact our mission to create a bicycle friendly America for everyone. Electric bicycles offer an option that allows more people to use bicycles in more situations. Previous research from Portland State University found that 60% of electric bicycle riders surveyed bought an electric bicycle to enable trips in hilly areas and 73% rode to different destinations than with a standard bicycle. 65% of respondents in that survey said replacing car trips was a main reason to get an electric bicycle.
We’re ending 2014 with a big win for bicycling: a national goal to reduce bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities — an effort we’ve been championing for two years. Success in Washington is rarely immediate, as evidenced in this most recent development. It’s best measured in small milestones, as well as in the big wins. With that in mind, there are a number of milestones that we hope to build on in the 114th Congress.