National Bike Summit 2012 — Save $50 for 50 Years of Hard Work

The League of American Bicyclists annual National Bike Summit has transformed bicycling in the United States since the first Summit 11 years ago. The first Summit was small — only 100 bicycling advocates attended — but as of last year, 800 attended and the nation was listening. Though we have made an amazing amount of progress since 2001 and changed the way many Americans think about bicycling and transportation, most of our current leaders on Capitol Hill have not been touched or changed by our message.

Many of you who follow bicycling advocacy have been riding the Transportation Bill and Enhancements roller coaster with the League and our partners in the America Bikes Coalition. We have been battered this year with our current administration’s threat to change the way bicycling is funded and to simply not fund bicycling at all. Currently, there is even a proposed law to force cyclists off roads on Federal lands and onto sidepaths. This is where you come in.

The National Bike Summit is March 20-22 in Washington, D.C.; and on the third day of the event, we coordinate congressional meetings for all attendees with their representatives. You get to meet your senators and tell them what bicycling means to your state and why bicycling is an integral part of our transportation system. Furthermore, the timing couldn’t be better. The Transportation Bill is set to expire on March 31, 2012 — just a few short weeks after we are on the Hill putting the ask in for bicycling. The bill will either be re-written or extended — more than likely extended — and with your help, bicycling will not be left behind.

Please don’t let let Capitol Hill take us back 50 years to a time when bicycling was not funded and not considered transportation. Our hard fought work must not be thrown away. Register for the Summit by tomorrow, November 11 (11.11.11) to SAVE CYCLING and save $50 off the already discounted early bird registration.  Use the code SUMMIT12 when you are filling out the online registration form.

Make your voice heard this March at the Bike Summit. Until then, make your voice heard on Twitter with #nbs12 (National Bike Summit 2012).