[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 52 (Tuesday, May 2, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H2346]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LIVABLE COMMUNITIES

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, my goal in Congress has been the 
promotion of livable communities, the Federal Government being a better 
partner with State and local governments than the private sector. In 
order to make our families safe, healthy, and economically secure 
transportation is clearly a central element of those deliberations and 
the bicycle is getting increasing attention as an indicator of livable 
communities.
  At the turn of the century, bicycling was a critical mode of 
transportation. It was cheaper than a horse. It was faster than 
walking, and it was more convenient for most than street cars. The 
demand for new and safe bicycle routes led to a national ``good roads'' 
movement; a successful cyclist who led lobbying of Congress won a 
$10,000 grant to study the possibility of a paved highway system.
  It is with some irony that this quest for quality biking led us down 
the path that ultimately led to the interstate freeway system; and now 
100 years, we have come full circle, because the quest for relief from 
traffic congestion of automobiles is now having people look more 
attentively at the possibilities of cycling.
  Americans still view biking as a very favorable mode of 
transportation. A study by the New York Department of Transportation 
showed that in communities with bike lanes and bike parking over 50 
percent of the people living within 5 to 10 miles from work would, in 
fact, commute by bicycle.
  Yet Americans are driving nearly 2\1/2\ trillion miles a year; they 
are spending the equivalent of over 50 workdays per year trapped behind 
the wheel of their car just going to and from work. Every day the 
average American adult drives close to 40 miles and spends over an hour 
in their car.
  When considering traffic and parking, 40 percent of our trips would 
be faster on a bike. I certainly found that to be the case, since in 
the 4 years that I have been on Capitol Hill being able to routinely 
beat my colleagues in trips to the White House and back on a bike 
rather than a car.
  Increasingly, communities are working to reintegrate cycling back 
into their transportation systems. Chicago; Philadelphia; Eugene, 
Oregon; Davis, California; Rockville, Maryland; Washington, D.C. are 
all actively promoting a more bicycle-friendly transportation system. 
My own hometown of Portland, Oregon, has been declared twice in the 
last 5 years as America's most bike-friendly community.
  These pro-bike efforts in cities around the country, this progress is 
due, in no small part, to the national leadership provided by the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar).
  He was the champion of funding for bike paths in the 1991 ISTEA 
legislation and the T21 legislation last year for the surface 
transportation reauthorization. He continues to promote bike-friendly 
legislation as a ranking member of the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure.
  Madam Speaker, I am especially proud of his membership in our bike-
partisan Bike Caucus, perhaps the most avid cyclist in American public 
office. These pro-bike efforts across the country are not asking 
everyone to trade in their car for a bicycle, but instead to encourage 
small but meaningful changes in our everyday transportation decisions 
and to expand the choices available to Americans.
  Biking, walking, or taking transit just a few short trips a week to 
school, to work, to the grocery store, other nearby errands can have a 
profound effect on the quality of life.
  It is estimated that a 4-mile round trip that we do not take by car 
prevents nearly 15 pounds of air pollutant from contaminating the air; 
and in a time of skyrocketing gasoline prices and questions about 
availability of oil, it is important to note that biking to work just 2 
days a week or telecommuting or transit by American workers just 2 days 
a week would completely eliminate our dependence on oil imports.
  May is National Bike Safety Month, and in honor of this occasion and 
National Bike to Work Day, the Congressional Bicycle Caucus will be 
riding from Capitol Hill to Freedom Plaza this Friday, May 5. We are 
urging Members and staff to join us at 7:45 on the west side of Capitol 
Hill for this ride.
  Madam Speaker, in addition, we urge people now to earn their pin and 
join the Bicycle Caucus.

                          ____________________