Clark County and SW Washington House Rep.
Jamie Herrera Beutler voted against an
amendment that would have set
aside funds for Safe Routes to School
and other projects to improve biking.
(Still from Committee video)

It was very close; but despite passionate defense of biking and walking by House T & I Committee member Peter DeFazio (D-Eugene), the Petri/Johnson amendment failed this morning by a vote of 29-27.

The amendment — which would have reinstated set-asides for Transportation Enhancements and the Safe Routes to School program — was debated this morning during the first markup hearing of the House transportation bill (a.k.a. the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act).

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He’s fired up.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Oregon Congressmen Earl Blumenauer and Peter DeFazio are pulling no punches when it comes to leveling criticism at the House transportation bill that was released yesterday.

Referring to it as the, “Republican Highway and Transportation Bill,” Blumenauer said in an official statement, “I am appalled at the fantasy finance scheme Republicans are proposing.” Blumenauer is a senior member of the House Budget and Ways and Means committees, so he focused his criticisms on financial issues instead of simply bashing the bill for being anti-bike.

Here’s more from Blumenauer’s official statement (emphasis mine):

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Republican House member Jamie
Herrera Beutler, who represents
southwest Washington, sits on the
House T & I Committee and
bike advocates want her support
of an amendment to
the transportation bill.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

It’s the morning after the House transportation bill was unveiled, and it’s being viewed as an abomination by national bike advocacy groups.

“Horrible” is how the League of American Bicyclists feels about it, and former House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chair Jim Oberstar told Politico this morning that the bill has been “hijacked” by “fringe policymakers.”

Opponents of the bill are now counting on an amendment expected to be put forward by congressmen Tom Petri (WI) and Tim Johnson (IL) — both of whom are Republican members of the House T & I Committee. But the amendment needs two other Republicans on the committee to join them if it has any chance of being passed.

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Congressman John Mica (R-FL) at a Safe
Routes to School event in his district in
October 2010. A bill drafted by Mica would
end the program.
(Photo: Safe Routes Partnership)

The draft federal transportation bill that was unveiled yesterday by Chair of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee John Mica (R-FL) would eliminate the national Safe Routes to School program.

Since it was enshrined in law by Congress in 2005, the Safe Routes program has funded hundreds of millions of dollars for crosswalk, bike parking, education, and much more to schools throughout the country.

Under the guise of “consolidation” and “streamlining,” Mica’s bill does away with the program entirely and strips mandates that require all state DOTs to have a dedicated staff person in charge of coordinating Safe Routes projects. It also, “Eliminates requirements for states to spend highway funding on non-highway activities.” Of course the bill also “permits states to fund those activities if they so choose,” however most national advocacy groups feel that, given the lack of a mandate, most states wouldn’t so choose.

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