Ngchen

Just saw this report from Rep. Blumenauer (D-OR 3) where he's proposing a series of competitive grants for $2 billion over 5 years for biking/walking infrastructure. A PDF summarizing his proposal is available at his website here (https://blumenauer.house.gov/images/s...Act%20FAQs.pdf). Does anyone know of the chances of this proposal passing?

($2 billion: should be equal to 4000 mi or so worth of completed streets. Split among our urban areas, it would probably be worth a 1-4 dozen miles or so's worth. Not bad, but nothing out of this world either.)

Edit: the bill has now received a number; HR 4722.

randomgear

From a MASSBIKE email I received this week:

"Read on for information on how you can be part of our virtual lobby day!
Next week is the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC. MassBike is leading a group of Massachusetts advocates to lobby for more funding and federal support for bicycling in MA. The advocacy action should be fast and furious, MassBike Executive Director David Watson will be tweeting updates live from the Summit, follow us on Twitter (or follow along on our website). Earlier this week, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) introduced a groundbreaking new bill to support bicycling and walking: the Active Community Transportation Act (H.R.4722) creates a competitive grant program with $2 Billion to help communities build bicycling and walking networks. For the first time, communities would be able to compete for multi-year funding to build active transportation systems, just as they do for transit and road infrastructure. And one of the seven original sponsors of the bill is Massachusetts' own Representative Michael Capuano (D-MA)! This new bill gives you the opportunity to do more than just hear about what we're doing at the Summit - you get to participate in a critically important way. On Thursday, March 11th, while we are visiting Congress in person, we need you to call your own Congressperson and ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 4722, the Active Community Transportation Act, introduced by Congressman Blumenauer. When you call, you can use these talking points:
• Bicycling and walking are part of the solution. Half of all trips in the United States are three miles or less, yet the majority of these short trips are made by car. Shifting more of these short trips to biking and walking would not only reduce congestion, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and our dependence on oil, but will also improve physical activity, safety, and livability.
• Investing in bicycling and walking infrastructure works. Commuting by bicycle has increased 43 percent since 2000 - and by 69 percent in designated Bicycle Friendly Communities that have invested in infrastructure improvements.
• Please co-sponsor the Active Community Transportation Act (H.R.4722). Or, if Mike Capuano is your Representative, just say "thanks" for sponsoring the bill.
Here are the phone numbers for all the Massachusetts Congresspeople:
District Rep Name Office Number
1 Rep. Olver, John [D] 202-225-5335
2 Rep. Neal, Richard [D] 202-225-5601
3 Rep. McGovern, James [D] 202-225-6101
4 Rep. Frank, Barney [D] 202-225-5931
5 Rep. Tsongas, Niki [D] 202-225-3411
6 Rep. Tierney, John [D] 202-225-8020
7 Rep. Markey, Edward [D] 202-225-2836
8 Rep. Capuano, Michael [D] 202-225-5111
9 Rep. Lynch, Stephen [D] 202-225-8273
10 Rep. Delahunt, William [D] 202-225-3111
Don't who your Congressperson is? Click here and enter your address to find out. Please don't forget to call on Thursday, March 11th, to be part of the National Bike Summit Lobby Day. "

To find our congressperson: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

jeph

Today is virtual lobby day for this bill. If you support it, call your representative.

https://www.americabikes.org/take-action/

crhilton

Well, we spend 160 billion every year maintaining our current infrastructure. So 2 billion is just over 1% for bikes. Actually, seems like a pretty fair amount for a regular basis. I don't know what we're spending now on rail trails and that sort of thing though.

EjustE

That bill looks like a great step forward, but, unfortunately, falls short in helping cyclists who live outside Metropolitan areas. Most metro areas as is, have way better cycling infrastructure than non-Metro areas (have you seen cycling lanes on country roads?) Most Americans do not live in Metro areas. Something does not add up.

EjustE

Rail to trail conversions are state sponsored to start and a volunteer organization keeps them up. Usually it works like this: There is planning in a state about conversions. A volunteer-based non-profit org is set up for one or more trail. The state grands $ for the conversion to the organization that oversees the conversion. The organization takes care of it's maintenance after the conversion by volunteer work (cleanups etc), fund-raising and small annual state grands for repairs.

Pscyclepath

Just back from the National Bike Summit where this bill was one of the League of American Bicyclists' specific "asks" for support and/or co-sponsorship. There's a lot of positive energy and interest on this thing, at least from the representatives and staffers I spoke with, so I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't get passed sometime before this fall...

Ngchen

Actually, if I remember correctly Americans are becoming more and more urbanized. I believe that as least in my state (TN), more than 1/2 of the people live in cities.

As for rural areas, the irony is that rural roads tend to be A-OK for cycling w/o additional improvements because of the extremely low traffic levels on most of them. (Of course exceptions exist, say on the major streets through an area - pretty much impossible for there to be anything paralleling such.)