Cover of the bill (because
transportation is all about
big pipes and ugly freeway
overpasses right?!).

Once again, national advocacy groups are prepping the cannons for an all out assault on Congress as word spreads that the U.S. House of Representatives is will unveil a new surface transportation bill — dubbed the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act — today.

What do national advocacy groups and other advocates think about it?

"This Is Not a Drill: Highway Lobby Trying to Push Transpo Bill Thru Congress," reads a headline from Streetsblog DC.
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A sidepath in Beaverton.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Mandatory sidepath laws — which state that bikes must use a sidepath/bikeway when one is available — are the bane of bicycling advocates. They're seen as a clear sign of disrespect and inequality on our roads. The fact that Oregon still has one was called out by the League of American Bicyclists in 2008 as one of the main reasons for our disappointed fourth place bike-friendly state ranking.

Now the League is faced with the mother of all mandatory sidepath laws — the one that currently exists in MAP-21, the new transportation reauthorization bill that has already passed out of the Senate. As we pointed out earlier this week, the bill includes this unsavory passage: (more...)

The BTA's Rob Sadowsky is
already working contacts in DC
to improve the bill.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee released their long-awaited transportation reauthorization bill last week (known as MAP-21), sending alarms throughout national bike advocacy circles because it, according to Streetsblog DC "eviscerates successful and popular programs to make biking and walking safer."

The Bicycle Transportation Alliance immediately signaled they would gird for battle due to the bill's "very alarming setbacks."
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The Springwater Corridor Trail is one of many
projects around the region funded
by the federal Transportation
Enhancements program.
(Photo © J. Maus)

National bike advocacy and transportation groups are pulling out all the stops to help preserve the Transportation Enhancement (TE) program, a vital source of funds that has existed for two decades and this year alone pumped about $700 million into bicycling and walking projects (which is just a paltry 2 percent of the total spending).

The transportation bill is long overdue for a re-authorization, but yesterday the House and Senate agreed to yet another six month extension. Advocates breathed a sigh of relief when the agreement was a "clean" extension, meaning all existing programs would remain in tact. However, that agreement is set for debate in the House today on Capitol Hill, and advocacy groups' worries now shift to making sure it stays clean.
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New "Bicycle Forever" stamps set to be released sometime next year. Design is by USPS art director Phil Jordan using illustrations by John Mattos.

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House Democrats have reacted sharply to the transportation reauthorization proposal released yesterday by the Republican-controlled House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.

Among the issues they (and many other critics) have with the bill is that it cuts back infrastructure spending by one-third from current levels.

To help drive that point home, House Democrats have published a state-by-state breakdown of how the Republican's funding reduction proposal could impact spending (PDF).

According to their numbers (based on FHWA data), Oregon would get $2,975,097,936 over the next six years at current transportation funding levels. Over that same time period, the current House proposal would send $1,968,585,926 to Oregon — for a difference of $1,006,512,010. (more...)

Cover of the proposal.

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An update on that tragic case from Mississippi we shared last week:

Here's the latest from NEMS360.com (emphasis mine):

District Attorney Forrest Allgood will reopen his investigation of the May 22 car-on-bicycle accident in Clay County amid mounting pressure from the state's cycling community. (more...)

Congressman David Wu.
(Photo © J. Maus)

A new bill introduced today by U.S. Congressman David Wu aims to bolster research that makes the case for more earth-friendly transportation policies.

The "Promoting Green Transportation Infrastructure through Research and Development Act" (H.R. 2317), which would expand the scope of existing federally-funded transportation research centers and create new ones, was announced with support from noted Portland State University researcher Jennifer Dill. Dill has led numerous bicycle-related research projects over the years including a study that tracked bicycling behavior with GPS units.

PSU is in Congressman Wu's congressional district and is also home to the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium. OTREC is one of 60 federally-funded University Transportation Centers (UTCs) across the country.
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Sec. LaHood has suspended
an FHWA program that
sent Americans overseas
to learn transportation
best practices.
(Photo © J. Maus)

After ABC News questioned spending on a trip to Europe by American bureaucrats to study outdoor advertising practices, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has suspended all funding for the FHWA's International Technology Scanning Program.

That program has funded many transportation policy-related trips over the years, including one that looked at European biking and walking safety and mobility practices in 2009.

In May 2009, 12 transportation experts visited five countries in Europe to glean lessons on how to improve biking and walking safety and mobility. Among the officials on the trip was Oregon's former state traffic engineer Ed Fischer (now retired). We reported on that trip and linked to their final report, Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and Mobility in Europe back in September. (more...)

Jan Morgan

A story from Mississippi deserves everyone's attention.

One month ago, a motor vehicle operator struck 57 year old Jan Morgan from behind as she pedaled her bike on a road south of Tupelo, Mississippi. According to the police dispatch log, Morgan was thrown up onto the windshield and then catapulted onto the ground after the driver realized what had happened.

Then, after the initial contact, the police log reads, "The driver exited the vehicle and observed the cyclist while talking on the phone. Then re-entered her vehicle and ran the cyclist over again before being forced from her vehicle by witnesses."
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Give people choices and they'll
use less oil says Blumenauer.
(Photo © J. Maus)

In a press conference in Washington D.C. this morning, the Congressional Livable Communities Task Force released a set of policy proposals they say will lead to "Freedom from Oil."

The task force, which is made up of House Democrats and chaired by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Portland), outlined steps on how everyone — from individuals on up to the federal government — can use less gas. The new report, Freedom From Oil: Policy Solutions From the Livable Communities Task Force, comes amid concerns about gas prices and the cost of transportation. (more...)

Photo from filming of the video in Los Angeles.
(Photos © J. Maus)

People for Bikes, the national effort by Bikes Belong to raise awareness and support for bicycling, has just released a new video they hope will spread the idea that "Bikes Make Life Better."

The short video, filmed in Los Angeles, uses projection technology to visually illustrate the impact bicycling has on cities. As riders — a woman on a Dutch bike, a profession commuter on a single-speed, and a group of BMX'ers — roll through the streets, birds, trees and waterfalls appear on structures around them.

Watch the video below: (more...)

Say it ain't so, John.
(Photo © J. Maus)

National advocacy groups are having a busy spring thanks to numerous threats to important pots of federal bike infrastructure funding.

From the Recreational Trails Program to Safe Routes to School, many crucial funding pots that have provided millions to bicycling and walking projects over the decades are in jeapordy of being slashed by lawmakers in D.C.

The latest threat is perhaps the most blatant and it comes from a very high-profile and important figure in deciding what is included in the forthcoming transportation bill. (more...)

There's an interesting situation brewing in San Francisco over how to deal with bicycle traffic on the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.

Richard Masoner, a veteran blogger and citizen bike advocate based near the Bay Area, reports on a bike safety study published on April 15th by the Berkeley office of Alta Planning + Design. Here's a snip from Masoner's story:

While they concede that safety is not a serious issue on the Golden Gate Bridge (GGB) sidewalks, they were paid to Do Something, so Alta Planning recommends a 10 MPH bicycle speed limit at all times on the west and east sidewalks, with a 5 MPH speed limit around the towers, where space and sightlines are constrained.

The Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District (they commissioned the report) says that the study, "confirms that the Bridge sidewalks and access pathways are safe for pedestrians and bicyclists" and that, "It appears that the current design of the bicycle paths remain safe, when bicycles use that path in a responsible fashion."
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The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has responded to a recent policy stance by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) that some fear would weaken federal guidelines that exist to make sure transportation projects include bicycling and walking facilities.

On Friday, we reported that the League of American Bicyclists had put out a national advocacy alert alleging that AASHTO's Executive Director John Horsley was attempting to dilute federal bicycling and walking guidelines. League Director Andy Clarke said AASHTO's stance was "misguided."

ODOT Director Matthew Garrett wrote Horsley a letter yesterday, echoing the League's concerns. Here's an excerpt from that letter (PDF here): (more...)

An FHWA decision now makes it easier
for cities to use green to designate a bikeway.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Living and biking in Portland, you might take the green pavement marking you see on bikeways throughout town for granted. But, like the blue color that came before it, this is an innovative treatment that was done without official approval from the Federal Highway Administration.

Today, we learned from a source in the planning field, that the FHWA has decided to give it's stamp of approval (albeit interim) to, "the optional use of green colored pavement in marked bicycle lanes and in extensions of bicycle lanes through intersections and other traffic conflict areas."

This is a big deal because it gives traffic engineers across the country the legal breathing room to use green pavement markings on bikeways. (more...)

The League of American Bicyclists says that the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), a powerful, Washington, D.C. based non-profit with broad influence on national transportation policy, is trying to water down proposed federal regulations that seek to increase the attention given to bicycling and walking in highway projects.

Streetsblog DC covered the issue on Tuesday and today, the League of American Bicyclists issued an advocacy alert calling AASHTO's intentions "misguided" and urging members to contact their state departments of transportation. Here's how the League lays out the issue: (more...)

The US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today that National Highway Safety Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) projections show that between 2009 and 2010 traffic fatalities dropped to their lowest level in recorded history (PDF of report). The numbers come despite what the US DOT refers to as a "significant increase in the number of miles Americans drove."

Interestingly, the US DOT press release (full text below) singles out the Pacific Northwest as showing the greatest drop in fatalities — which is also the region where traffic volumes are on a noticeable decline. (more...)

Rep. John Mica is Chairman of the Committee.
(Photos © J. Maus)

At the outset of the "listening session" in Vancouver yesterday, Congressman John Mica tried to make it clear that he wanted specifics. Unfortunately not everyone got the message. Mica, a Republican from Florida, is Chairman of the powerful House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that is tasked with re-writing our nation's transportation law. He's currently on a national tour of field hearings to solicit feedback from local transportation officials and citizens. (more...)