Unfortunately, I have to report once again that cycling is in danger of losing funding; and on top of that, there is a serious threat to our basic right to ride on Federal roads. We need to protect cycling and let Capitol Hill know why cycling is important to our communities, businesses, schools and families. Sign the petition, attend the National Bike Summit this March, and support the League so we can carry on our important work as effectively as possible. 

 

Andy Clarke,

 

League President

P.S. Have a great Thanksgiving riding with family and friends!

The draft Senate transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (S.1813), includes a mandatory sidepath law for roads on Federal land. The proposed law would force cyclists off roads with an adjacent path and with a speed limit of 30mph or higher - regardless of the safety, condition or utility of the path. Right now, we want to show the Senate how important this issue is. As part of our I Bike. I Vote. campaign, please sign our petition opposing the mandatory sidepath provision. Share the petition with your club, friends and family too.

If you are still wondering why Federal funding for bicycling projects is so important, or unsure whether your voice makes a difference ... read on. Funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects has been under repeat attack this year -- notably by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) -- and Transportation Enhancements (TE) only continue today thanks to bicyclists speaking up on several Senate votes. Unfortunately, the House transportation bill promises to be even worse -- it wont preserve any dedicated funding for enhancements, Safe Routes to School or the recreational trails programs. Look at what the Federal Government and your state spent on bicycling and walking throughout the years.

To prepare for what we could be facing, Darren Flusche, policy analyst at the League, crunched the numbers to see what the future could hold. It's not pretty.

This October, the New Zealand Transport Agency published the report Assessment of the Type of Cycling Infrastructure Required to Attract New Cyclists. The NZ Transport Agency is a Crown entity established under the New Zealand Land Transport Management Act 2003, and the objective of the Agency is to contribute to an affordable, integrated, safe, responsive and sustainable land transport system. Each year, the NZ Transport Agency funds innovative and relevant research that contributes to this objective. This research was conducted to find ways to encourage daily bicycling.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed in to law the Bicycle Tune-up Bill (AB 265) -- a series of provisions to update old bike laws. Most notable, it is now legal for people who ride bicycles to signal turns with either the right or the left hand and to use red rear lights in place of rear reflectors. With the passage of this bill the Bike Fed of Wisconsin is now focusing all of its legislative effort on the passage of a Vulnerable Users law. This law will place higher penalties on motorists who either injure or kill vulnerable legal road users.

University of Cincinnati researchers Rainer vom Hofe, an associate professor of planning, and Olivier Parent, an assistant professor of economics, studied how regional trails affect property values -- and the results are not surprising at all. Their research on the Little Miami Scenic Trail - a 12-mile southern stretch of the trail that runs through the Cincinnati metropolitan region - showed a direct financial impact on residential property values in Hamilton County, Ohio. Using a research model they developed, Parent and vom Hofe found that from a real estate perspective, trails can have significant, positive spillover effects on property values when these properties are located within reasonable distances to the trails. Specifically, housing prices went up by nine dollars for every foot closer to the trail entrance. Ultimately, the study concluded that for the average home, homeowners were willing to pay a $9,000 premium to be located one thousand feet closer to the trail. Source University of Cincinnati

Pennsylvania might be the next state to join the short list of states that have a safe passing law. The Pennsylvania House has passed HB 170, the Safe Bicycle Passing bill.

According to the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, the law would protect cyclists in the following ways:

1. Every car that passes a bike must give a minimum of 4-feet of clearance
2. It will be against the law for a motor vehicle driver to pass a bicyclist and then veer sharply in front of forcing you to jam on your brakes to avoid injury
3. It will be legal to ride a bike on the public road at less than the minimum speed  
4. It will be legal for a driver to pass a bicyclist when it is safe to do so by crossing over a double line 

Residents of Pennsylvania, urge your state Senator to vote for the law without amendment. 

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.