Registration for the National Bike Summit is now officially open -- and if you register before November 11 with the code SUMMIT12, you will receive an additional $50 off your already discounted early bird registration (savings will total $150 if you are a League member).   

Why $50? We will have a lot of work to do at  year's Summit. We are in danger of losing 50 years of hard work and could go back to the days when no money from the Federal Government funded bicycling. Our timing couldn't be any more perfect-- the Summit is a few days before the expiration of the current law. We all need to be on Capitol Hill to ensure bicycling is included in the Transportation Bill. Register for the National Bike Summit, and help save cycling.  

 

Andy Clarke,

 

League President

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee published its proposal for the next Federal transportation program late on Friday evening, November 4. The 600-page bill will be marked-up in Committee on Wednesday, November 9. The proposed legislation makes significant changes to the core, dedicated funding programs for bicycling and walking activities, as this side-by-side analysis shows. America Bikes coalition members and staff are analyzing the bill, working with Committee staff and members to address specific issues, and preparing to brief the media and stakeholders on all aspects of the proposed legislation. Please visit the America Bikes and individual coalition member Web sites for updates in the days ahead; look for an official statement tomorrow (Tuesday, November 8).

University of Wisconsin researchers found that bicycling could answer many of their environmental and health problems. According to the report published in the scientific journal Environmental Health Perspectives, if Mid-westerners replaced half of their short trips with bicycle trips during the warmest six months of the year, they would save about $3.8 billion per year from avoided mortality and reduced health care costs for conditions like obesity and heart disease. The report calculated that these measures would save an estimated $7 billion, including 1,100 lives each year from improved air quality and increased physical fitness.The length of trips in the study were 2.5 miles one way and less than 25-minutes by bike.

The Federal Highway Administration is seeking input into which critical areas of research they should invest their limited Surface Transportation Environment and Planning (STEP) Cooperative Research Program funds - and one of the focus areas is bicycle and pedestrian research. The comment period closes November 10, so get your comment in quickly using this FHWA website. The level of interest in bike-related topics is important to the final allocation of research funds, so even if you don't have a fully-formed research problem statement to submit, please throw your ideas into the hopper.

The National Trails Training Partnership (NTTP) is conducting research on training needs and satisfaction to improve the quality and availability of trail-related skills. American Trails is conducting the online survey, and anyone involved in trails as an employee, volunteer or supporter may take the survey. The survey closes November 30.

Salt Lake City, Utah's second annual bike count showed a 27 percent increase in cycling. The count surveyed 16 locations during the second week of September 2011. The 27 percent increase was calculated by comparing the 12 locations that were included in both the 2010 and 2011 counts. Find out more about bicycling in Salt Lake City.

West Virginia's Morgantown area bicyclists are petitioning the state to provide a means for bicyclists to cross Cheat Lake at Iceany during construction of a new bridge. West Virginian cyclists, contact your State Department of Transportation Secretary and Senator Joe Manchin to keep the Ice's Ferry Bridge open to bicyclists and pedestrians. Use our Advocacy Center to contact your officials.

Make sure you attend your local and state bicycle summits -- they are your local resource to make your communities and states bicycle-friendly. The following Summits are happening this November:

Third annual New Mexico Bicycle and Education Summit --  November 11, 12 & 13 in Albuquerque, N.M. Registration closes today, November 7. Details are available here.

CT Bike Walk Summit -- November 12 at Yale University, New Haven. Despite the bad weather and the power outages, this bike summit is still on! Andy Clarke will lead the morning with an overview of the League's Bike Friendly America program. Find out more.

The League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation, and works through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America. The League represents the interests of America's 57 million bicyclists, including its 300,000 members and affiliates. For more information or to support the League, visit www.bikeleague.org.