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Federal News
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October 26, 2015by Caron WhitakerLast week, the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee in the House of Representatives passed their version of the transportation bill, and referred it to the House floor. Committee leadership has indicated that they expect to pass the bill through the House, reconcile it with the Senate bill, and pass it by November 20. So far, this looks like good news for bicycle and pedestrian advocates...
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October 23, 2015by Ken McLeodWhen communities want to make their streets more bicycle friendly, they often face many of layers of opposition and challenge. Even when the popular and political will exist, existing regulations can stymie the process. This is especially true for roads within the National Highway System, but there's new hope that these regulations will become easier to navigate.
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September 29, 2015by Liz MurphyEarlier this month, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced a new series of forums in cities across the United States to discuss transportation challenges and solutions. These "Beyond Traffic" forums are an "invitation to the American public" to participate in the future of transportation in the country. Read USDOT's full announcement on the forum series below.
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September 10, 2015by Liz MurphyOn September 17, the U.S. House Transportation Committee will be voting on the transportation bill. One of the issues they'll be debating is whether or not to continue the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), which is the main source of funding for bicycling and walking across the country.
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August 3, 2015by Caron WhitakerThe Senate passed the DRIVE Act, a comprehensive transportation bill with at least three years of funding, after a week of deliberation. The bill was more divisive than we've seen in transportation in the past, mostly over funding but its also the first long term bill in a decade. Taking a broad view, it missing any real innovation or vision to really grapple with transportation needs of this...
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July 27, 2015by Liz MurphyWhere does bicycling stand in the latest debates over the federal transportation bill in Congress? Last Friday during our weekly Twitter chat, we spoke with Caron Whitaker, the League's Vice President of Government Relations, to get an answer to that question. Thank you to everyone who tuned in and asked questions during #BikeChat. If you missed it or want to review the conversation, check out...
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July 23, 2015by Caron WhitakerThe U.S. Senate will now begin debating its proposed three-year transportation bill, after voting 62-36 on Wednesday to clear the way for discussion on the floor. If approved, it would be the first mutli-year transportation bill in a decade. So what could this mean for bicycling on the federal level? It's a 1,000 page bill, so we're still digesting it, but here are a few things we know right now.
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July 16, 2015by Ken McLeodThe National Highway System (NHS) needs to be safe for bicyclists. Most bicyclists will never ride on what they consider a “highway,” but the National Highway System includes many arterial streets where bicyclists regularly ride. In 2013, 157 of the 743 bicyclist fatalities (21%) reported by NHTSA were on the National Highway System despite the National Highway System accounting for only about 4...
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July 16, 2015by Caron WhitakerJust last night, the Senate Commerce Committee marked up their portion of the transportation bill – including safety provisions, railway and freight sections. While the bill passed out of Committee, the vote passed on a party line vote- with no democrats voting for final passage. The final bill includes three wins for bicycling!
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June 29, 2015by Ken McLeodNew 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...