America Bikes: America Benefits
Bicycling has tremendous potential to improve communities throughout
the United States at a time of crippling highway congestion, poor
air quality, costly energy dependence, and a growing obesity
epidemic due to physical inactivity. America Bikes believes
bicycling can improve the economic prosperity and quality of life in
American communities by ensuring access to jobs, goods and services
regardless of income, age or ability.
More than 60 million Americans, including a million daily commuters,
are already part of the solution: they simply ride their bikes.
By riding their bikes, these Americans set an example for energy
independence and active, healthy living. These numbers could
increase dramatically, thus strengthening the entire transportation
system. When America bikes, America benefits.
America Bikes asks Congress to enact a Federal transportation law
that increases the percentage of trips made by bicycling and walking
and reduces crashes involving these two modes. The law should ensure
that new and existing transportation investments improve conditions
for bicycling and walking.
Provide Safe Routes To School
A Safe Routes to School program will ensure a safer environment for
children who already walk or bicycle to school, encourage more
children to become physically active, improve traffic safety around
schools, and reduce the cost of the school trip on both parents and
the road network. MORE
DETAILS
Strengthen Enhancements, CMAQ, and other TEA-21 Programs
The majority of funding for bicycle facilities comes from either the
Transportation Enhancement or Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
(CMAQ) program of TEA-21. These and other important funding
programs, such as Recreational Trails and Federal Lands Highways,
should be refined and the funding increased. Eligibility for bicycle
improvements should be more explicit. Incentives should encourage
the use of funds for bicycle projects, especially those that extend
or complete non-motorized networks.
MORE DETAILS
Complete the Streets
Every transportation project and program has an impact on bicyclists
and pedestrians: that impact should be positive. A seamless network
of on-street bicycling and walking facilities, trails and transit
should connect homes, jobs, schools, shops, families and friends.
Investments in new and existing road and transit facilities must
accommodate safe bicycling and walking. State and local
transportation plans should ensure access for bicyclists and
pedestrians. Federal and state programs to monitor, research, and
disseminate best practices should all better serve bicycling and
walking. MORE DETAILS
Fair Share
for Safety
While
bicyclists and pedestrians are major users of our roads and
sidewalks, states do little to protect their safety in the same way
that they do for drivers. A Fair Share for Safety program would
ensure that transportation systems spend federal money dedicated to
safety programs to protect bicyclists and pedestrians in proportion
to bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities. MORE DETAILS
The Recreational
Trails Program
This highly
successful and popular allocation of a portion of the gas taxes paid
by off-road fuel users has supported more than 6700 trail projects
across the country while generating considerable matching support
from state, local and trail organizations. RTP projects are enjoyed
by millions of Americans, producing great social and economic
benefits for local communities, and providing an essential element
to address our country's serious and preventable public health
threat associated with inactivity and obesity.
Non-Motorized
Pilot Program and Conserve by Bicycling
The new
Non-Motorized Pilot Program would fund comprehensive bicycling
and walking networks in four communities to demonstrate that a
complete network can dramatically increase travel by foot and
bicycle. The Conserve by Bicycling program would fund ten
communities to promote bicycling as an energy-efficient alternative
to driving, and would document the energy savings.
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