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Federal News
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June 22, 2015by Caron Whitaker
As is evident in the acronym, The Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act, or DRIVE Act, is not focused on improving multi-modal transportation but rather on the interstate and highway system. The U.S. Senate introduced its version of the new transportation bill this week and it is set for a hearing on Wednesday. While we were successful in getting some small changes to... -
June 12, 2015by Andy Clarke
One of the most frequently asked questions we get these days is whether our work at the Congressional level is relevant and valuable to local cyclists. Tuesday evening in the House of Representatives we got an important part of the answer to that question. Without any warning, there was a vote to eliminate funding for projects that make new transit systems safer and more accessible for... -
May 26, 2015by Carolyn Szczepanski
Let’s face it: Bike advocates have it tough. Winning our goal of safer streets is a game played in multiple arenas, where different teams must come together and share in the ultimate victory — or defeat. Sure, bicycling may be a simple solution to many social problems, but, as Darla Letourneau explains so well, the problems that keep people from riding are… complex. -
May 20, 2015by Caron Whitaker
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a two month extension to the federal transportation bill, MAP-21, yesterday, with a vote of 387 to 35. You can read more about the debate over federal transportation funding here. The most interesting part of yesterday's debate was the number of members of Congress saying they'd had enough: This is the last time they will vote for an extension. Though key... -
May 18, 2015by Caron Whitaker
Where did your city get the money for the bike lane on Main Street or the PSA campaign to educate motorists about the rights of bicyclists? It very well could have come from the federal transportation bill. And that funding is running out. The federal transportation bill is the source of a hundreds of millions of dollars that municipal, county and state governments use for biking and walking...
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February 5, 2015by Liz Murphy
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... -
January 30, 2015by Andy Clarke
Did you hear the one about the squirrels that brought every transit system in America to a grinding halt? Or the Tennessee squirrel sanctuary that stopped every sidewalk, crosswalk and bike lane from being built, anywhere in the country? That's right, my fellow cyclists -- we are now on the same level as squirrels in the eyes of 50 influential "think tanks" and lobbying organizations here in... -
January 29, 2015by Andy Clarke
Kicking bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit users out of federal transportation programs is the solution to an insolvent Highway Trust Fund — according to a coalition of 50 traditionally conservative think-tanks and policy groups. In a sign-on letter issued yesterday, this influential and well-connected group proposed eliminating funding for all non-motorized and transit projects and programs... -
December 18, 2014by Caron Whitaker
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... -
December 18, 2014by Caron Whitaker
We've talked a lot about the increase in bicycling and pedestrian fatalities over the last year, but we've never really had an answer as to why. Rep. Rick Larsen of Washington State wants to know what the causes are, and what current transportation design and policy practices might be contributing. And when Members of Congress have a question like that, they turn to the Government Accounting...
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