Critical vote to save cycling

UPDATE II: Petri-Johnson-Lipinsky Amendment failed by two votes, 27 yea, 29 no.  Thank you to everyone who contacted their members to support this amendment. We came very close. This is a major set-back for bicycling and walking and a balance transportation system, but we will keep up the fight.

UPDATE: You can watch the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee mark up the bill live right now (starting at 9:00am EST).

 

Here’s League President Andy Clarke on an important vote taking place Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, that may well determine the fate of cycling in the proposed House transportation bill:

Tomorrow, on the day of the House vote on the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, Representatives Tom Petri (R-WI), Timothy Johnson (R-IL), and Daniel Lipinsky (R-IL) will submit an amendment to preserve bicycling and walking. The outcome is likely to come down to one or two key votes.

No matter who your Congressperson is, you can TAKE ACTION here.  However, if your Representative is on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, it is essential that they hear your voice right now (this links to a different alert for T&I committee member).

Here are all of the members of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. If one of them is your representative, please contact them now. The names in bold really need to hear from their constituents.

REPUBLICANS
John L. Mica (FL) Chairman
Don Young (AK)Thomas E. Petri (WI)Howard Coble (NC)John J. Duncan, Jr. (TN)Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ) Gary Miller (CA) Timothy V. Johnson (IL) Sam Graves (MO) Bill Shuster (PA) Shelley Moore Capito (WV) Jean Schmidt (OH) Candice Miller (MI) Duncan Hunter (CA) Andy Harris (MD) Rick Crawford (AR) Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA) Frank Guinta (NH) Randy Hultgren (IL) Lou Barletta (PA) Chip Cravaack (MN) Blake Farenthold (TX) Larry Bucshon (IN) Billy Long (MO) Bob Gibbs (OH) Patrick Meehan (PA) Richard Hanna (NY) Jeff Landry (LA) Steve Southerland (FL) Jeff Denham (CA) James Lankford (OK) Reid Ribble (WI) Chuck Fleischmann (TN)

Nick J. Rahall, II (WV)
Ranking Member

Peter A. DeFazio (OR)

Jerry F. Costello (IL)

Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC)

Jerrold Nadler (NY)

Corrine Brown (FL)

Bob Filner (CA)

Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX)

Elijah E. Cummings (MD)

Leonard Boswell (IA)

Tim Holden (PA)

Rick Larsen (WA)

Michael E. Capuano (MA)

Timothy H. Bishop (NY)

Michael H. Michaud (ME)

Russ Carnahan (MO)

Grace Napolitano (CA)

Daniel Lipinski (IL)

Mazie Hirono (HI)

Jason Altmire (PA)

Timothy J. Walz (MN)

Heath Shuler (NC)

Steve Cohen (TN)

Laura A. Richardson (CA)

Albio Sires (NJ)

Donna F. Edwards (MD)

Darren Flusche
League Policy Director

Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 at 7:12 pm and is filed under Advocates, Bike Blogosphere, Federal News, Funding, League News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

9 Responses to “Critical vote to save cycling”

1. Carolyn Dippel Says:
   February 1st, 2012 at 8:46 pm

   Preserve it from what? Be specific – unless you have some good detail, I’m just assuming this is some terrible ploy to play me and my voice as a voter.

2. Darren Flusche Says:
   February 1st, 2012 at 10:10 pm

   Hi Carolyn,

   Thanks for your question.

   To save cycling from this: http://blog.bikeleague.org/blog/2012/02/10-top-problems-with-the-house-transportation-bill/

   Bottom line, the House bill would cut all dedicated bike spending, eliminate staff, and bridge accommodation protections, and much else.

   I encourage you to read the past several blog posts for more information.

3. Today’s Headlines | Streetsblog Capitol Hill Says:
   February 2nd, 2012 at 8:55 am

   [...] Critical Vote to Save Cycling Comes Today (BikeLeague) [...]

4. Khal Spencer Says:
   February 2nd, 2012 at 11:40 am

   I’m more optimistic than the League is sounding right now, but I don’t have the weight of the bicycling world on my shoulders like Darren, Andy, and the LAB leadership does. Guys, keep your chins up.

   Folks, we need to circle the wagons. Guns pointed out, please.

   Bicycling will certainly survive, as it has been around for a lot longer than Enhancements. What may not survive is a lot of the bicycling-expansion programs that have been built up around Federal funds aimed at facility development and urban/regional planning. Not to mention, we stand to lose the clientele who will not venture forth on the public roads in their present condition.

   Some of these Federal programs are quite good, and we risk throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Not to mention, in its single-minded commitment to Old Belchfire, the bill tells DOTs they can ignore other modes. We lose the opportunity to remind DOTs that transportation is about moving people, not just moving cars. That means moving people by the best method available, not the one left after we neglect all the others.

   We in the cycling community need to have a plan, should this go through (it may not–its gotta survive the House, Senate and White House to become law), to concentrate more on the state and local levels. And, of course, to just keep riding our bikes. We can argue about whether there is safety in numbers, but there is definitely political strength in numbers. We need to remember that bicycling is local, even if its ramifications are global. So work on the local scale to improve stuff. It works, if you do. I’ve been a member, and chair of, my county’s transportation commission for nine years, with a year off due to term limits. Not because I like sitting in a room rather than riding my bike, but because if you want to make sure this stuff gets done, be prepared to do it yourself.

   Not to mention, we need to remember that elections have consequences. A lot of House members were newly elected to cut costs. They are doing what they were elected to do. Sadly, they are goring our ox.

   Keep the rubber side down.

5. kenneth sloane Says:
   February 2nd, 2012 at 8:25 pm

   The amendment is critical to preserve funding for biking and walking infrastructure. Please support it! ken Sloane

6. Petri/Johnson Amendment to American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act (HB7) Fails | Bike Delaware Says:
   February 3rd, 2012 at 9:15 am

   [...] An amendment to restore the Transportation Enhancements program to the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, offered by Representatives Tom Petri (R-WI), Timothy Johnson (R-IL), and Daniel Lipinsky (R-IL), failed yesterday on a close vote. [...]

7. Ron Rizzardi Says:
   February 3rd, 2012 at 4:30 pm

   I’d be happy on roads – no problem. Although the rumble strips as of late make it harder to use the entire surface effectively.

   I worry about the next shoe to drop. The approaching CMAQ effort to require the use of sidepaths within 100 yds of federal roads where the speed limit is above 30 or 35 mph – regardless of the the side path’s usablity – sets a bad precedence.

   Already communities are creating bike bans where they think it too dangerous to operate a bicycle yet with no alternative avenue to travel. With no dedicated funding for communities to get assistance with bicycle or walking improvements, where will a commuter or cross country rider be assured safe and now legal passage on their bicycle?

   Trying not to borrow trouble here but its depressing to think about choosing a proper mode of travel under the threat of danger or arrest.

8. Is Cycling about to die? | LAB Reform Says:
   February 6th, 2012 at 4:51 pm

   [...] is some pretty panicky prose over at the League web site about saving cycling.  While I share the concern with the Federal [...]

9. Rex Fiorini Says:
   February 12th, 2012 at 9:22 am

   a good deal addiitional information along with this sort of issue on websites, observe.