Regular users of Capital Bikeshare should not be surprised if they can't find a rental bicycle this week in Washington DC and its environs.
Hundreds of bicycle advocates are descending on the nation's capital this week for the 10th annual National Bike Summit, and they're sure to be practicing what they preach when it comes to getting around town — they'll do it by bicycle.
The League of American Bicyclists is opening the event with US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who will give the keynote speech at a dinner Tuesday night. Although it's doubtful that he'll jump up on a table to give it this year, he's still a full-fledged supporter of bicycling. On Friday, LaHood wrote on his blog:
“I've been to more than 100 cities in more than 40 states across this great country, and everywhere I've gone, people have said they want more ways of getting around. Often, they want to be able to leave their cars behind. This means improved transit like streetcars and buses.
“But it also means more opportunities–whether as a form of recreation or as a way of commuting–to walk or ride a bicycle safely. We can achieve that through off-street trails, as in the Philadelphia Area Pedestrian and Bicycle Network, or through on-street bike lanes, as along DC's own Pennsylvania Avenue.
“One of the most important things to remember is this: the Department of Transportation can help set standards and support programs, but many of the best ideas have come from the grassroots. And that's where next week's summit-goers come in.”
Theme
The League says that because tax revenue is getting scarce right now, policymakers and congressmen should be looking for ways to spend money to achieve the most good. That's bicycling.
The summit participants will be learning about transportation enhancement programs, safe routes to school and recreational trails programs and how to encourage Congressmen to support them.
The League lists some of the advantages of bicycling at “It's all about the economy.”
Bicycle touring
While many of the sessions deal with bicycle infrastructure and how to lobby Congress and local governments to pay for it, there also is a session on bicycle touring.
Adventure Cycling Association executive director Jim Sayer says the session is entitled “Creating a New Power Base — Organizing and Support the Bike Travel and Tourism Sector to Support Bike Advocacy.” He goes on:
“It features a powerhouse line-up of experts and entrepreneurs who will explore ways in which we can highlight the economic and community-building advantages of bike tourism to leverage those advantages to motivate political leaders to provide more support for bike travel and cycling facilities.”
Lobby Congress, then bike
Many of the sessions will be held Wednesday. On Thursday, the 700-some attendees will walk up to Capitol Hill to meet with Congressmen from their district and encourage them to support transportation enhancement programs that pay for many bike and pedestrian facilities.
On Friday, the event ends with a Congressional Bike Ride. This year it's held in honor of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The member of the Congressional Bike Caucus is recovering from an assassination attempt in her district in January.
Bicycle commute trends
If you're interested in seeing the growth of bicycling in the US, check out the Bicycle Commuting Trends map and graphs at the top of this page (click on the picture for an enlarged view). The darker shaded states are those with the highest percentage of bike commuting.
The map was created by a University of Oregon student Kory Northrup using census and Federal Highway Administration data. More information is available at WeBikeEugene.org.
Among other trends, you'll notice that bicycle commuting grows as spending for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure rises. Also, another chart shows how bicycle fatalities decrease in relation to the increase in bicycle commuting.
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