I came into the National Bike Summit this year feeling pessimistic about national politics and not feeling very attached to the national cycling agenda. Now, as I recall the events of the past few days, my energy and inspiration has been renewed.

At the Opening Plenary session, Congressman Earl Blumenauer's remarks seemed to lack the usual fire and brimstone that had whipped the crowd into a fervor in years past. This year -- instead of bemoaning the "weasels" in power or gushing about the hope of a new administration -- he spoke of political gridlock and pleaded, almost desparately, for the help of the 700-plus advocates in the room.

“I’ve been here all my life and have never seen anything like we’ve had over the course of the last year… We need your energy, your vision, your blueprint for how to make things better."

This would become a recurring theme at the Summit. Not only is politics uglier than usual these days, but, with a re-authorization of the federal transportation bill hanging in the balance, that energy and vision is needed immediately.

Oberstar spoke of a "critical year" for bicycling. Keith Laughlin, president of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, said during a breakout session that the Active Communities Transportation Act is the "most important bike legislation in the last 20 years," and that, "we have a good chance of prevailing if we can mobilize the full breadth of our movement and make our voices heard." A Congressional staffer in the same session said, "We've got to get going now... We don't have time."

It was clear, our champions in Congress can no longer break the gridlock on their own; they need an assist from the people, and they need it right away. I'm happy to report that the people delivered.

A record number showed up for this Summit. During a speech Thursday morning, Congressman Jim Oberstar recalled jokingly, "We used to be able to do this in a phone booth!" There were less than 100 people at the first Summit; that's about the same number of Trek dealer reps that showed up this year.

That rise in Summit attendance mimics a rise in federal spending on biking and walking projects. In 2000, $296 million was spent. In 2009, that number had jumped to $1.1 billion. But it takes more than sheer numbers to get what you want in D.C. It takes the right issue (which we have) and a multi-pronged attack.

The power of the pin.

Wednesday night, the political action committee Bikes PAC hosted a dinner and reception. 10 members of Congress showed up and a record amount of money was raised (six members showed up last year).

That party was just one of many that took place each night after the official Summit came to a close. If an increased number of nightly shindigs is any measure of the bike movement's progress, than it's safe to say we're doing pretty well.

Unfortunately, it takes more than fancy parties to influence politics -- especially when such a pall hangs over the Capitol. But the bike movement, because it's rooted in fun (no matter how wonky you try to make it), has the power to lift spirits even in the most cynical of towns. The sausage making in Washington is hard to stomach, but when 700 smiling and positive bike advocates come to town -- each one of them armed with a bike pin on their lapel and a sack of them to give out (thanks League!) -- amazing things can happen.

US DOT Sec. Ray LaHood. On a table.

When US DOT Secretary Ray LaHood -- who Blumenauer credited with "pushing back the forces of darkness on the Hill" -- hopped up onto a table in a packed room of advocates at the closing reception Thursday night, it was the bike movement that lifted him up. When Republican Congressman Tom Petri hopped on a pedicab and pedaled down 1st Street, it was the power of 700 bike pins at work. When 10 members of Congress left a fundraising dinner with a smile on their face (an unprecedented thing on Capitol Hill, as reported by one of the restaurant staff), it was because bicycling -- in all its forms -- is one of those rare issues that has the potential to appeal to a vast spectrum of political perspectives.

Or, as Congressman Blumenauer put it during an intimate dinner with the Oregon delegation on Thursday, "You might not have signed everyone up, but no one is negative about the bike agenda."

The idea of bicycles, and the people that deliver its message, lifted the clouds over Washington last week. Now our challenge is to remind politicians that as long as they're on our side, they can expect sunny skies ahead.

That concludes our 2010 National Bike Summit coverage. Thanks to everyone who followed along both here and on Twitter. And a special thanks goes out to Planet Bike for their generous support of our work.

You can browse all 19 of our stories from the Summit and find a link to our photo gallery on our special coverage page.

UPDATE: Check out this excellent video wrap-up from Streetfilms:

The 26-person Oregon bike advocacy team stormed Capitol Hill on Thursday, armed with cycling stats, stories, and a strong sense of purpose. It was lobbying day at the National Bike Summit and Team Oregon joined 700 bike advocates from all over the country to flood the Senate and House office buildings to make every Congressional representative aware that the bike movement is a force to be reckoned with.

The day started off with an inspirational pep rally that featured Minnesota Congressman Jim Oberstar. Oberstar said this will be a "a critical year" and reminded advocates that big things are possible and that, "It happens one member [of Congress] at a time!"

Portlander Austin Ramsland, a native of Minnesota,
relished the chance to meet his former
congressman, Jim Oberstar.

After the inspiring speech by Oberstar -- who in many ways is the architect of the modern bike movement -- the Oregon contingent made their way to a Congressional panel presentation.

Roger Geller shared advice and information
with Zack Fields, a legislative aide that
works with Virginia congressman Gerald Connolly.

Organized by Scott Bricker and Earl Blumenauer's legislative aide Tyler Frisbee, the purpose of the panel was for Congressional staffers to learn how Portland got on the road to being a world-class biking city. Panelists included PBOT bike coordinator Roger Geller, Veronica Rinard from Travel Portland, Bike Gallery owner Jay Graves, Community Cycling Center executive director Alison Graves, and myself. Busy schedules on the Hill meant there wasn't quite the turnout we'd hoped for, but the discussion was helpful nonetheless. Zack Fields, a legislative assistant for Virgina House Rep. Gerald Connolly, said the presentation by Roger Geller could help him inspire and motivate traffic engineers in Northern Virginia to be more bike-oriented.

After the presentation, the Oregon contingent split up into two teams and held a total of seven meetings with Oregon's congressional representatives. The day started off with a bang when Senator Ron Wyden (D) spent over 20 minutes discussing bike legislation and other issues. Travel Oregon's Scott West, a veteran of lobbying on Capitol Hill, said this amount of face-time with Sen. Wyden was unprecedented in his experience. West reported that Wyden spoke about the value of bicycle recreation and the economic impact of bicycle tourism. He also said he would take the Active Community Transportation and the Complete Streets acts into consideration.

David Wu listens intently.

Another highlight was a meeting with House Rep. David Wu (D) that took place on the steps of the Capitol. Wu was on his way to work on the health care bill, but stopped and talked at length with the group and seemed to enjoy the casual environment.

Jerry Norquist in a meeting
in Rep. Greg Walden's office.

Rep. Greg Walden (R), Oregon's only member of Congress not currently signed on in support of key bike legislation, wasn't able to be at the meeting (he flew back to Oregon for Ben Westlund's memorial service). Advocates instead had a discussion with his able assistant, Nathan Rae. Rae shared that he loves to ride and he listened and took notes about all the bills presented to him. Cycle Oregon manager Jerry Norquist led the meeting and was able to tell Rae that 2,000-plus Cycle Oregon participants will be rolling through Pendleton this fall. Pendleton is in Walden's district and it's home to the famous Pendleton Round-Up rodeo. Cycle Oregon has purchased 2,000 tickets to the rodeo's 100th anniversary festivities this year.

The biggest advocacy breakthrough of the day came during a meeting with Senator Jeff Merkley (D). Merkley told the group he would introduce a companion bill to Rep. Earl Blumenauer's Active Community Transportation Act and he also said he'd join the Congressional Bike Caucus (full story here).

After a fitting conclusion to the official National Bike Summit's official agenda that included US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood jumping up on a table and shouting a thank-filled speech, the Oregon advocacy team hosted a dinner for Congressman Blumenauer.

Blumenauer chats with Randy Dreiling
from Oakridge and David Lowe-Rogstad
from Portland.

The dinner, funded by Cycle Oregon, was held in a stately, private banquet room just steps from the Capitol. The night was an opportunity to thank Mr. Blumenauer for his hard work on behalf of bicycling. Prior to eating, we enjoyed a candid Q and A session where Blumenauer spoke candidly about the state of transportation politics (I took only a few notes out of respect the evening's informal nature). He remarked at one point that the presence of bike advocates had lifted spirits on the Capitol. "You might not have signed everyone up," he said, "But no one is negative about the bike issue." He also offered some sage advice for advocates: "In Washington, you create your own reality."

As conversation continued among attendees after dinner, Blumenauer walked around to each of us, wanting to hear our questions and taking time to offer answers. It was a very special evening, and it will stand in my mind as something of a coming-of-age moment for the bike movement in Oregon. Thanks in large part to the leadership of veteran advocates like Jerry Norquist and Jay Graves, we have assembled and trained-up an impressive standing army of advocates ready to make the Oregon bike dream into a reality.

Bike Summit coverage sponsored by Planet Bike. More stories on our special coverage page.

At the National Bike Summit's Congressional Reception held tonight on Capitol Hill, US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stepped onto a table and praised hundreds of advocates for their hard work. LaHood's speech was short (in length and on substance), but he more than made up for it with an enthusiastic, off-the-cuff delivery.

Here's a transcript of what he said:

"Thank you!"

"What an effort a year makes huh? All of the work all of you have been doing for so long has paid huge huge dividends. People get it. People want to live in livable communities. People want streetcars that are made in Portland, Oregon. People want walking paths, biking paths, and opportunities for families to really do the things they do best -- which is to hang together and have fun... And you all created an opportunity for America with all of your hard work.

I really came here just to say thank you to all of you for hanging in there with us. You all have made a big difference. Our whole livable community program... The President has included money in his next year's budget for it; we're collaborating with HUD, we're going to put affordable housing next to walking paths and biking paths!

I've been all over America, and where I've been in America I've been very proud to talk about the fact that people do want alternatives. They want out of their cars; they want out of congestion; they want to live in livable neighhoods. And we would not be where we're at today without you.... I'm very, very grateful!"

After he spoke, Bikes Belong executive director Tim Blumenthal looked out at the crowd and said, "What a euphoric moment for bicycling!"

Congressman Earl Blumenauer was also in attendance. He praised LaHood, saying he's, "A man who has been pushing back the forces of darkness on the Hill."

When LaHood tried to leave, he was mobbed like a rockstar. People crowded around, wanting to take a photo with him and shake his hand. It was a feeling of mutual gratitude, and perhaps the defining moment of the 10th annual National Bike Summit.

Bike Summit coverage sponsored by Planet Bike. More stories on our special coverage page.

Today on Capitol Hill, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) had some good news for Oregon advocates -- he plans to introduce a bill in the Senate that will act as a companion to House Rep. Earl Blumenauer's Active Community Transportation Act. The ACT Act (H.R. 4722) would create a competitive grant program to fund active transportation projects to the tune of $400 million a year for five years.

Merkley's bill should give the potential legislation a much-needed boost in the Senate -- but the bill still has a long path to roll down before becoming law. While the $2 billion program would be just 0.4% of the total estimated cost of the next transportation bill, that bill is running on empty budget-wise. In addition, the bill also suffers from a bit of a perception problem.

Some members of Congress think the ACT Act is an expansion of the Non-motorized Transportation Pilot Program (NMTPP), a federally funded program that doled out $25 million to four hand-picked cities as part of the transportation bill passed in 2005. With the current political and budget climate on the Hill, there's a lot of resistance to expansion of pilot programs and anything that even closely resembles earmarks.

Blumenauer's legislative aide Tyler Frisbee is aware of this perception problem. In a session on Wednesday, she stated emphatically that the ACT Act is not an expansion of the NMTPP. "I've been having this conversation countless times... This bill is not at all related to the NMTPP!"

The reason for this confusion might be due to a campaign spearheaded by the national non-profit Rails to Trails Conservancy. RTC spent three years on their Campaign for Active Transportation which was billed as an effort to get $2 billion in federal funding for 40 communities. The RTC says the ACT Act is a direct manifestation of that effort. When RTC launched the campaign in March 2007, it was framed as an expansion of the NMTPP.

Back then, RTC's Vice President of Policy Kevin Mills told me, “If it worked so great for four communities, why not forty?” On their own website, the RTC says their campaign aimed to "build on the success of" the NMTPP. The RTC spoke early and often with Portland (and other cities) and it seemed as though they were priming the pump for a select group of cities to receive the funding.

But earlier this week, when I asked Mills for clarification, he said "We never claimed that specific cities would necessarily be selected by Congress... We have been agnostic about who should select the communities."

Despite the ACT Act's lack of a funded transportation bill to attach itself to and a bit of confusion over its origins and intent, Merkley's Senate version will help raise awareness of the legislation and the issues it tackles. It's unlikely either bill would be passed separately, although Blumenauer says he'd love to "break this loose," if the transportation bill re-authorization remains at a stalemate. More likely is that, with enough support, the langauge of the ACT Act could be folded into the next transportation bill (which is being worked on right now).

Merkley's legislative aide Jeremiah Baumann says they hope to introduce their bill "soon." "But," he adds, "unless it looks like the Senate is getting ready to really move quickly on a transportation authorization (which isn't looking likely), we'll wait until we get a Republican co-sponsor."

As icing on the cake, Merkley also decided to join the Congressional Bike Caucus.

Bike Summit coverage sponsored by Planet Bike. More stories on our special coverage page.

Bike industry titan Gary Fisher is hard to miss here at the Summit. A pioneer of mountain bikes in the 1980s, Fisher has gone on to be the namesake of a successful bike brand, a fashion icon, and one of only a few celebrities the bike world can call our own. He's done a lot for biking over the years, but this is the first time he's ever been to the National Bike Summit.

"I regret not coming before," Fisher told me in the breakfast buffet line prior to our pep rally on Capitol Hill this morning. "I just never really made the effort." So why this year? Fisher said his presence is the result of a classic case of arm-twisting. "Everybody kept telling me, 'You've gotta' go to this thing!'"

Fisher is just part of a huge contingent here from Trek Bicycle Corporation (Gary Fisher Bicycles is owned by Trek). There are 105 people in attendance thanks to Trek. Most of them are dealers, but a healthy handful are from their corporate offices. Trek President John Burke -- who you might recall for his stirring "Inconvenient Truth" presentation at the 2007 Summit -- is one of the brightest stars in a growing constellation of industry a-listers who support bike advocacy.

Fisher attended a session on
youth cycling yesterday.

Fisher says he's impressed at how professional and organized the bicycle lobby is, but adds that it's still the passion that sets them apart. "We've got something very special here... a powerful grassroots movement."

And Fisher knows a thing or two about grassroots movements. He and his friends in Marin were laughed at when they came up with this crazy thing called a mountain bike. The industry barely gave them the time of day. But eventually, the mountain bike become wildly popular and ushered in an entire new era of bicycling in America.

Hopefully, with Fisher's help, the bike advocacy movement will have similar results.

Bike Summit coverage sponsored by Planet Bike. More stories on our special coverage page.

With the lobby day in full swing here on Capitol Hill, bike advocates from around the country are asking their representatives in Congress to support a variety of pending bike-related legislation. Last night, while looking through some information on these bills put together for us by the League, I was shocked at how partisan all the bills have become.

Close readers of this site will recall several past occasions when Congress Earl Blumenauer spoke about "bike-partisan" efforts to push bike legislation through.

But this year, things have become anything but bike-partisan.

Before the lobbying began today, there were 227 total co-sponsors of six different bills. Of those 227, all but nine are Democrats. There are only six Republicans members of Congress currently signed on as co-sponsors of all the major pending bike legislation in America. Here's how it shakes out:

• The two Complete Streets bills (H.R. 1443, and S. 584) have 66 co-sponsors between them and not one of them is a Republican.
• The newly launched Active Community Transportation Act has six co-sponsors -- all of them are Democrats.
• The Safe Routes to School bill (S. 1156) has 21 co-sponsors, all but four are Democrats.
• The Safe Routes to High Schools Act (H.R. 4021) has 21 co-sponsors; only two are Republican.
• The Urban Revitalization and Livable Communities Act (H.R. 3734) has 104 co-sponsors; 102 are Democrats and only two are Republican.
• The Land and Water Reauthorization and Funding Act (S. 2724) has nine co-sponsors. None of them are Republican.

Even Oregon is not immune.
League of American Bicyclists executive director Andy Clarke says the partisan politics around biking "has gotten worse." It's gotten so bad, Clarke told me this morning, that "We're at a point where we might have to start introducing two separate bills, one Republican can support, and one a Democrat can support."

Bike bills are not immune to the partisan politics permeating the Hill these days, and Clarke says, "We've just got to play within the system... It's not that they're opposed to what we're talking about, but it's the party line."

Even in Oregon, there's one glaring example of this partisanship. House Representative Greg Walden, a Republican, is the only member of Congress from Oregon who is not currently signed on to any bills on the Bike Summit agenda.

Hopefully, with over 700 advocates armed for battle on the Hill today, we'll see that line start to change, but that's a tall order in a town where political alliances between Democrats and Republicans are cooler than the mounds of snow still piled up outside their offices.

Bike Summit coverage sponsored by Planet Bike. More stories on our special coverage page.

One of today's many excellent breakout sessions focused on youth cycling programs. When I popped my head in I saw a familiar face at the lectern. It was Gary Boulanger, former bike industry journalist, PR guy, and entrepreneur behind the now defunct bike brand Cycles Gaansari (and the eponymously named bike shop in Dayton, Ohio).

Boulanger is now the recently elected Board President of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA). NICA is a new organization (they held their first board meeting just last month) working toward the ambitious goal of developing competitive high school mountain biking leagues from coast-to-coast by 2020. So far there are just three states with leagues -- California (NorCal and SoCal), Colorado, and Washington. But, with an impressive list of big-time corporate sponsors (Specialized, SRAM, Trek among others) and partners, the future looks very bright.

Freshman girls compete in a recent race in the NorCal League.

During today's session, Boulanger highlighted a program in Marin County, California. At Sir Francis Drake High School, the 60-student bike team is larger than the football team. Last Sunday, he added, nearly 500 students competed at a national competition. Last year, the SoCal League (from Southern California) boasted 16 teams. Boulanger said that league will have 20 teams this year and most teams have grown 30-50 percent over last year.

Gary Fisher is a big fan of
youth cycling.

The Colorado league will start this fall and a league in Washington State has plans to kick off in 2011.

One big fan of NICA is bike industry icon Gary Fisher. Fisher was in the audience at the session today and I chatted with him about it afterwards. He's excited not only about the positive aspects biking can bring to young people, but also about the economic potential this could have for the bike industry. "There are about 50,000 high schools in this country," he said, "If we can get bike leagues going in a lot more them, it would really lift the industry."

I wonder if there's a way to tie this in with Earl Blumenauer's Safe Routes to High Schools bill (H.R. 4021)? And Oregon, come on! We should be all over this!

Bike Summit coverage sponsored by Planet Bike. More stories on our special coverage page.

One of the great things about being at the National Bike Summit is the feeling that biking, as a movement, is growing. And each year I'm reminded that it's growing far beyond the typical, bike-friendly cities you always see on top ten lists.

Last night I met Julie Harris and a few of her friends from Activate Omaha.

When I did a double-take at her name badge and joked about biking in Omaha (in a nice way, I wasn't condescending) she jumped right in and said, "You'd be surprised!" Julie said they've got seven bike-friendly businesses, a nascent bikeway with 20 more miles coming soon (paid for with $600,000 raised from private corporations), and a solid Safe Routes to Schools program.

Nebraska is one of 48 states represented at the summit this year. Nice meeting you Julie and best of luck in your advocacy work!

Bike Summit coverage sponsored by Planet Bike. More stories on our special coverage page.

Earlier today, I got he opportunity to speak with Peter Birch, the product manager for Google Earth (and world traveler) who spearheaded development of their new biking directions feature.

Before I get to the Q & A with Birch, here's a recap of his comments from this morning's Opening Plenary.

"The challenge we face is, how do we get more people on bikes.... A lot of people don't feel comfortable on a lot of the routes they're on with busy roads and unfamiliar streets. We wanted to figure out, how can we scale this up, so we can handle every ride? At Google, we love problems of scale."

Birch shared that they've got detailed map data ready to go on the site for 150 cities and over 12,000 miles of trail data -- thanks to a partnership with the Rails to Trails Conservancy. "And over the next several months, we hope to extend that coverage as well as improve the quality of directions we provide."

Birch then started talking like an advocate (which it turns out, he is -- see my Q & A below):

"With this launch, we're showing our commitment to providing maps for people, not just cars. We're really proud to be a part of this growing movement in helping to build greener and more sustainable communities... What we're launching today is just a start, we know they're only as good as the data that's fed into it, that's why we need your help. You guys are the experts, we need your feedback in terms of providing directions and advice in terms of which roads and trails are the best ones... then we'll transfer the knowledge to the people who aren't as confident and experienced in where to go."

Next up was Google product manager Shannon Guymon. "Cyclists have not let us forget that they haven't been included [with Google Maps]. We've heard you all loud and clear."

Guymon pointed out some of the new tool's features. "We weight the algorithm to put you on trails as much as possible, if those aren't possible, we go to the next best options avoiding steep hills and busy roads." Guyton says they've also updated trip times. In addition, the new tool also allows you to drag and drop your route anywhere you choose and the directions update automatically. There's also a gadget on the main Google Maps Biking so website publishers can embed the tool in their site.

Here's a quick and rough transcript of my Q & A with Birch:

With car directions, a wrong turn can be a hassle, but with biking directions, bad directions can led to serious safety issues. How do you respond to people who are pointing out direction results that put them in harm's way?

We know that's going to happen. But this feature is in beta... it's not a mature product yet. We really want to get everything right, that's why we made this announcement here at the Summit; because these are the people with the expertise to tell us which roads are good and which ones aren't.

What about data? Where did most of the bike route data come from?

"We've been working with RTC [Rails to Trails Conservancy] to get access to their rail-trail network. Most of the other data was brought in more ad-hoc from municipalities."

Will this be brought to the iPhone and other mobile platforms any time soon?

"You can expect that to happen. Mobile is a key focus for Google, especially with directions, it's great to have it in your pocket. I can't tell you any specific dates right now, but we're working on it."

Is there any compatibility with GPS?

Right now, users can import a .KML file through the MyMaps tool. Just go to the "mymaps" tab and hit "import."

What about problem spots and handling feedback from users?

"[There's a nice "Report a Problem" feature on the Google Maps Biking page.] Once it comes in, we vet it and say, "Is this a valid change?" If it is, it'll take about a month for us to make the change."

While you spoke, it was clear that your heart is in bike advocacy. Can you speak to how/if advocacy plays into this for you personally and for Google?

"I've been a bike advocate for years. I tried to get on the SFBC board and have been a member for 15 years. At Google, we like to make change thru action. Google is very bottom up... This [biking direcdtions] happened because people that work here are passionate about biking... We also want toserver the needs of our users. By launching bike direcstion, we want to make it easier for more people to get into biking."

What do you think about the summit?

"It's great. I wish I could stay here all week. Bicycling advocacy is hard work and it's great to see so many tough and persistent people working on this."

Go to Maps.Google.com/biking to learn more. Previous coverage of this story here (with lots of informative comments) and here.

Bike Summit coverage sponsored by Planet Bike. More stories on our special coverage page.

Nearly every seat was filled.
(Photos © J. Maus)

I've got a front row seat at the big Opening Plenary session at the National Bike Summit. There's even more excitement than usual because there are a few guys standing around with blue Google t-shirts. In addition to a big announcement from Google about their new bike directions feature, there is an excellent panel of speakers on tap.

The opening session is billed, "The Next Decade" and Congressman Earl Blumenauer is first to speak.

Pennsylvania Ave bike lanes.

He's going over the goals from last year. One of them was to fill every seat in this ampitheater. Done (there are a few empty, but there are also lots of people standing in back). One of the other goals was to get a bikeway on Pennsylvania Avenue. Blumenauer has been working on that for years, and he announced this morning that by Bike to Work Day in DC (early May) this year, there will be green painted bikeways on Pennsylvania Avenue.

About the impending bike lane project, Blumenauer likened them to one of America's most historic and iconic streets, "An exciting symbol of cycling haven risen in our nation's capitol."

Blumenauer had a lot of gratitude for advocates. "Persistence pays... and I'm in a culture that reveres seniority. But we need new blood, people that are fired up... they are the hallmark of this effort." Blumenauer asked the crowd how many were first-timers at the Summit and hundreds of hands went up.

Blumenauer needs help to make
his policies fly.
(Photos © J. Maus)

"We need you know more than ever!"

Blumenauer also spoke about gridlock -- not on streets, but on Capitol Hill. "We're here to show people in the Capitol how to break that gridlock." Trying to raise spirits a day before the troops head up to the Hill for meetings with members of Congress, Blumenauer said, "We need you know more than ever!"

Blumenauer outline several of his bike-related legislative efforts including, his Active Communities for Transportation bill (a.k.a. "the ACT act"), a Safe Routes for High Schools bill, and a bill he calls "Green Routes to Work" that would give all modes equal commuting reimbursements from employers.

On Safe Routes to High Schools: "We know childhood obesity strikes between 12 and 19... We shouldn't abandon high schools... We want to make sure there's a bike culture to complete with car culture."

On Green Routes to Work: "This is a blueprint for how we're going to end socialism for the car... We're not anit-car but we want to stop titling the playing field dramatically in favor of them."

Of all the years I've heard Blumenauer speak at this Opening Plenary, this year he seemed weary and less inspirational than in the past. During the Bush years, his anger stirred up great emotion in the crowd. Then, at the dawn of the Obama era, he was imbued with a hope that things would finally start going his way in terms of biking. This year, I think the pall of partisanship hanging over D.C. is impacting a lot of Democrats. Blumenauer pleaded with advocates as sort of a Great Last Hope to help this town see some light. Here are a few of his remarks on this topic:

"I wasn't joking before when I talked about gridlock. I've been here all my life and have never seen anything like we've had over the course of the last year... We need your energy, your vision, your blueprint for how to make things better... They [his colleagues] need to hear the message that this is not partisan or idealogical... a message that you can deliver..."

It was as if he's tried everything, and that now it's up to the power of people to make it happen. He went on,

"... Help them understand you are just the tip of the iceberg in every community. Help them understand you don't want explanations why this place doesn't work... You want them to work with you to help make it work... Our mission has become more important, it's become grander in scope even as it's become more urgent..."

Peter Rogoff, administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (one of the main sponsors of the even by the way) also addressed the crowd. He had high praise for Blumenauer, saying, "I may live on the other side of the country, but as a cyclist myself, he is my congressman too."

"Our mission is the same as your mission," said Rogoff, "We are trying to get our policies and our programs to recognize the new reality." According to Rogoff, a new reality exists because people are "cramming for choices" in how they move around and "We need to upgrade our policies and programs to reflect it."

Rogoff said the sour economy has many Americans looking to "jettison" their cars. "These families are discovering that transit works for them and that bikes work for them, and -- what's critically important -- is that many of them are discovering that cycling and transit works for them."

Rogoff also pointed out that the Obama Administration has boosted transit spending by 84% in just one year. Of the 51 projects selected for stimulus funding through the TIGER program, he said 24 of them included some type of bike improvement. "I think we're beginning to put our money where our mouth is on these issues."

He also acknowledged that there is "pushback on this agenda." Then, echoing Blumenauer's sentiment, he said, "That's why it's all the more important you're here."

As what may be the last line of defense to push transportation politics toward a new status quo, the 700 assembled advocates here at the Summit have a lot of expectations on their shoulders heading into the big day on Capitol Hill tomorrow.

Bike Summit coverage sponsored by Planet Bike. More stories on our special coverage page.