This session focused on the current news from Capitol Hill on the Reauthorization of the US Transportation bill and other bicycling and walking issues.

1. The Current State of Play on the Transportation Bill

2. America Bikes Adventure Cycling Association Alliance for Biking & Walking Association of Pedestrian and Bicycling Professionals Bikes Belong International Mountain Biking Association League of American Bicyclists National Center for Bicycling and Walking Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

3. Partner Organizations

4. America Bikes Platform Complete Streets Increased Investment in biking and walking Safety Safe Routes to School Fair share for Safety Livability

5. Federal funding for Bicycling and Walking

6. Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects

7. 2009- 2010 – Good News Recovery Act Transportation Enhancement Set Aside TIGER Program Oberstar Bill Surface Transportation Authorization Act Secretary LaHood Livability Bicycle and Pedestrian Policy Health Bill

8. Obama Proposal $50 Billion for Infrastructure / jobs Rebuild Roads Invest in Rail and Transit Repair Airports and Update technology Innovative Financing Performance Measures “Jump Start on a 6 year transportation bill”

9. Challenges Extensions Highway Trust Fund Partisan politics

10. Complete Streets Requires that ALL potential users of our streets and roads–including bicyclists – are taken into account in the planning, design, operation, and maintenance of ALL federally funded projects.

11. Complete Streets -Why do we need it ? Although endorsed by FHWA in 1999, no federal leadership or oversight for guidance Bicycle and pedestrian investment is only about 1.5% of federal transportation budget. Crucial to ensure a balance for all modes

12. Complete Streets -STAA Comprehensive Street Design policies and principles (CSD) Federal Code Be consistent with CSD Provide Adequate Accommodation Office of Livability Encourages states to adopt policies Collects and shares best practices Does not require states to adopt a policy Does not include elements of a complete streets policy.

13. Complete Streets S.584: Introduced by Senator Harkin (D-IA) 14 Cosponsors H.R. 1443: Introduced by Congresswoman Matsui (D-CA) –58 co-sponsors. Requires states and MPOs to adopt complete streets policies, Insure policies are flexible and cost-effective, allowing exemptions Directs USDOT to track and report on Compliance Includes penalty for non- compliance

14. Complete Streets Challenges Cost Concerns Rural Compliance Penalty Provision Opportunities Over 20 states and 130 communities have adopted policies Emphasis on Performance Measures

15. Build ActiveTransportation Systems Infrastructure themes in America Bikes platform: Focused investment: systems shift trips Enhance existing funding programs Emerging policy opportunities and designs

16. Active TransportationInvestment Fund Active Communities Transportation Act ACT Act, H.R. 4722 focused federal investment Ave. $400M/year for 5 years Competitive multi-year grants: $25M-$75M/cmty complete integrated systems mode shift

17. Cleveland, OH SYSTEM Active Transportation plan will put all residents within 10 minute bike ride of trail linked to major employment and activity centers

18. 27% of all trips are <1 mile 48% of all trips are <3 miles 87% of all trips are <15 miles Trip Length Short Trips Dominate: ¼ within 20 minute walk, ½ within 20 minute bicycle ride

19. Progress and Challenges Broad support for ACT Act Blumenauer + 67 House cosponsors 53 community case statements 400 organizations and local elected officials Senate counterpart, champion Partisanship on Hill (not in communities)

20. U.S. Bike Route System Proposed national network of bike routes between communities Signed (#) routes using existing facilities Adventure Cycling/AASHTO Seek recognition and implementation

21. Bread and Butter Programs Transportation Enhancements Recreational Trails Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) Authorization levels/Reforms/Rescissions

22. Emerging Opportunities Climate: “CLEAN-TEA” Economy: Stimulus/jobs Health: Prevention and Public Health Fund Community Transformation Grants

23. Innovative Design Enable communities to experiment with innovative active transportation designs Innovative Design Summit (Bikes Belong/RTC) NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide

24. 1992: 83 miles of bikeways 2,850 daily trips 2006: 263 miles of bikeways ~12,000 daily trips Build It, They Will Come:Portland, OR Alta/PedNet 12,500 350 Bridge Bicycle Traffic 300 Bikeway Miles 10,000 250 7,500 200 Cyclists Per Day 150 5,000 100 2,500 50 0 0 BikewayMiles Year: 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Bridge Bicycle Traffic 2,850 3,555 3,885 3,830 3,207 4,520 5,225 5,690 5,910 6,015 7,686 8,250 8,562 8,875 10,192 11,956 78 83 86 103 113 144 166 183 213 222 235 252 254 260 262 263 Bikeway Miles

25. Safe Routes to School America Bikes Platform Reauthorize SRTS at a “substantially higher” level 3x as many applicants requesting 4x funds available now Just 6% of schools nationwide will receive a grant Would take $17 billion to award just 1 grant to every K-8 school Expand to include high schools 17.6% of high school students are obese;activity levels low Would help transition to life-long habits

26. Safe Routes to School America Bikes Platform Improve project delivery and reduce overhead Reduce challenges and delays from “title 23” highwayregulations Exempt non-infrastructure projects from these regulations Require FHWA and State DOTs to use existing practicesand precedents that will speed implementation of infrastructure projects Ensure a fair balance of funding to all types of communities, urban, suburban and rural

27. Current Status - Senate Senate bill introduced, S. 1156 Encompasses all aspects of the platform, plus $600 million funding level and setaside for research and evaluation Introduced by 5 Senators: Harkin (D-IA), Burr (R-NC), Sanders (I-VT), Collins (R-ME), and Merkley (D-OR) Now have 25 total Senators as sponsors SRTSNP Director Deb Hubsmith invited by EPW Chairman Boxer to testify about safety and SRTS Ranking Member Inhofe (R-OK) is not supportive but understands there is broad support in the Senate

28. Current Status - House House T&I Committee’s STAA draft Chairman Oberstar (D-MN) is the creator of Safe Routes to School Includes recommendations to improve project delivery and reduce overhead Strengthens data collection and evaluation Charges a new FHWA Office of Livability with administering SRTS Makes a number of technical changes to strengthen the program H.R. 4021 – Safe Routes to High Schools Oberstar is not supportive of expanding to high schoolsat this time; this standalone legislation is meant to build support Introduced by Rep. Blumenauer (D-OR) and Rep. Bono Mack (R-CA) with 8 other cosponsors Now have 44 total cosponsors

29. What’s likely? (If a transportation bill moves forward…) An increase in funding—but not likely as ambitious as we hope Language that reduces overhead and simplifies project delivery Stronger language on research and evaluation Language requiring state DOTs to track income and geographic distribution of their SRTS grants Potential for expansion to high schoolsdepends on overall funding level

30. Building Support and Addressing Concerns In summer 2010, House Republican Whip Eric Cantor included SRTS in his “YouCut” initiative SRTS was not selected either time by the voters Advocates placed over 1500 calls and emails to Members of Congress in support of SRTS in 36 hours SRTSNP has met with a number of House Republicans since then to shore up support The program does have bipartisan support Twenty state networks are holding educational Member site visits during October 2010, with a focus particularly on Republican Members of Congress

31. Fair Share for Safety Fair Share for Safety 13% fatalities = 13% of funding Explicit bicycle and pedestrian safety goals

33. Passengers

34. Motorcyclists

35. Pedestrians

36. Bicyclists/pedalcyclists

37. Drivers

38. Passengers

39. Motorcyclists

40. Pedestrians

41. Bicyclists/pedalcyclistsA [__] percent reduction … in the annual number of crashes

42. Safety: STAA NHTSA section 402 Changes of goals to include specific modes HSIP (Highway Safety Improvement Program) Better planning requirements More teeth related to performance goals No specific bike/ped mention in the goals

43. Safety- Next Steps Marker bill? National Transportation Objectives Act Reduction of Crashes as safety goal Performance measures

44. Livability- Promoting Biking and Walking Consolidation of Bike/Ped projects Improved data and research Education and Encouragement

45. Livability - STAA Office of Livability Federal Highway Administration Home for all bike/ped programs, including US Bike Route System Clearinghouse for best practices, better research and data Requires Mode Share Goal to be set Role of Office is to Promote and Encourage. Unclear actual influence, staff or funding

46. Livability Administration DOT/ HUD/EPA partnership Performance Measure under Obama Proposal DOT strategic plan Discretionary funding – TIGER, FTA, etc. Funding From Congress FY 2011- House – Office of Livability FY 2011- Senate – Funding for Livability Grants Livable Communities Act

47. Next Steps November- December 2010 Elections Lame Duck Session Extension expires December 31, 2010 Shorter bill Extension Debt Commission Report January –August 2011 2013?

48. Questions Walter Finch League of American Bicyclists walter@bikeleague.org Kevin Mills Rails-to-Trails Conservancy kevin@railstotrails.org Margo Pedroso Safe Routes to School National Partnership Margo@saferoutespartnership.org Caron Whitaker America Bikes caron@americabikes.org