[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1539 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1539

 To amend title 23, United States Code, to provide a minimum level of 
funding for bicycle transportation facilities and pedestrian walkways, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 2, 1995

Mr. Kennedy of Massachusetts (for himself, Mr. Frost, Mr. Dellums, Mr. 
 Moakley, Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mr. Beilenson, Mr. Fattah, Mr. 
    Sabo, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Skaggs, Mr. Gejdenson, and Mr. Serrano) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                   Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 23, United States Code, to provide a minimum level of 
funding for bicycle transportation facilities and pedestrian walkways, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Bicycle and Pedestrian 
Transportation Improvement Act of 1995''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The United States transportation system requires 
        greater diversification in order for the country to retain and 
        improve its economic competitiveness in relation with other 
        nations.
            (2) Bicycling and walking have been overlooked as modes of 
        transportation by policymakers.
            (3) It is possible and desirable to dramatically increase 
        the number of persons who commute by bicycle or foot; since 54 
        percent of Americans live within 5 miles of their workplace and 
        75 percent live within 10 miles of their workplace and, of the 
        over 100,000,000 bicycles owned by Americans, only 1 in 40 is 
        used to commute to and from the workplace.
            (4) A transportation system that includes facilities for 
        bicycle and pedestrian transportation provides numerous 
        advantages for commuters and the Nation as a whole, including 
        reduced traffic congestion, reduced air pollution, reduced 
        dependence on imported oil, increased conservation of 
        nonrenewable resources of energy, reduced deaths and injuries 
        due to accidents between pedestrians and cyclists on the one 
        hand and motorized travelers on the other, increased health for 
        those who travel by bicycle or foot, and improved preservation 
        of natural habitats, particularly environmentally sensitive 
        areas such as wetlands.
            (5) Traffic congestion is a serious threat to our Nation's 
        economic well-being. In 1994, traffic in the 10 largest urban 
        areas of the United States cost motorists $28,000,000,000 in 
        wasted time and motor fuel. Traffic congestion currently causes 
        over 2,000,000,000 hours in delays per year. Over the next 14 
        years, congestion will rise on highways by 400 percent and on 
        urban thoroughfares by 120 percent.
            (6) The transportation needs of many parts of the country 
        cannot be met simply by expanding the size and number of 
        roadways. In urban areas, one-half of all urban space is 
        devoted to roads, parking spaces, and other motor vehicle 
        facilities. Throughout the country, it is infeasible to meet 
        increased travel demands by expanding existing roadways. For 
        example, Interstate Route 95 between Miami and Orlando, 
        Florida, would have to be expanded to a 40-lane highway to meet 
        expected traffic flows by the year 2005.
            (7) Motor vehicles contribute significantly to air 
        pollution. Cars and trucks generate 80 percent of carbon 
        dioxide emissions. The average automobile emits 9 pounds of 
        hydrocarbons and 62.5 pounds of carbon dioxide each year. 
        Accordingly, reduced reliance on cars and trucks can contribute 
        significantly to meeting the goals of the Clean Air Act.
            (8) Diminished reliance on motor vehicles reduces America's 
        reliance on foreign oil. Currently, approximately one-half of 
        all oil used in the country is imported. Of that amount, 63 
        percent is used for transportation.
            (9) Nationwide, 20 percent of fatalities on roadways 
        involve pedestrians or bicyclists, and in cities, the figure is 
        50 percent.
            (10) Constructing bicycle and pedestrian facilities is far 
        less expensive than building new roadways. A one-mile stretch 
        of bicycle and pedestrian path costs approximately $46,000. One 
        mile of a 4-lane highway costs approximately $1,000,000.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:
            (1) To diversify the Nation's transportation system to 
        enable it to remain efficient into the next century and to 
        improve our Nation's ability to compete economically with other 
        nations.
            (2) To reduce deaths of and injuries to bicycle and 
        pedestrian commuters.
            (3) To reduce traffic congestion, air pollution, dependence 
        on foreign oil, and development of natural environments.

SEC. 3. MINIMUM FUNDING LEVEL.

    Section 217 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by 
redesignating subsection (j) as subsection (k) and by inserting after 
subsection (i) the following:
    ``(j) Minimum Obligation Requirement.--Each State shall obligate in 
a fiscal year--
            ``(1) not less than 3 percent of the funds apportioned to 
        the State in such fiscal year under sections 104(b)(2) and 
        104(b)(3) of this title for projects authorized by subsection 
        (a);
            ``(2) not less than 3 percent of the funds apportioned to 
        the State in such fiscal year under section 104(b)(1) of this 
        title for projects authorized by subsection (b); and
            ``(3) not less than 3 percent of the funds made available 
        to the State in such fiscal year for forest highways, forest 
        development roads and trails, public lands development roads 
        and trails, park roads, parkways, Indian reservation roads, and 
        public lands highways for projects authorized by subsection 
        (c).''.

SEC. 4. RIGHT-OF-WAY ACQUISITION.

    Section 109(f) of title 23, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``bikeways'' and inserting ``bicycle and pedestrian 
facilities''.

SEC. 5. PROTECTION OF EXISTING BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC.

    Section 109(n) of title 23, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``, including bridge projects,'' after 
        ``title'';
            (2) by inserting ``, reduction,'' after ``severance''; and
            (3) by striking ``major'' and inserting ``or potential''.

SEC. 6. HAZARD ELIMINATION.

    Section 152(a) of title 23, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting after ``motorists'' the following: ``, bicyclists,''.

SEC. 7. OTHER USES.

    Section 217(h)(3) of title 23, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting ``and electric golf carts'' after ``motorized wheelchairs''.

SEC. 8. NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    The third sentence of section 404(a)(1) of title 23, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting ``of bicyclists and pedestrians,'' after 
``owners,''.
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