[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 31 (Tuesday, March 5, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H953]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 WELCOMING THE 14TH ANNUAL BIKE SUMMIT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, as we wait for the Congress and 
administration to deal with how to do business differently for defense, 
for health care, for the Tax Code, we can take a break today as we 
welcome over 750 men and women from every State in the Union who are 
here for the 14th Annual Bike Summit. They represent, as you might 
expect, people from cycling clubs and the mountain bike industry. There 
are also dedicated recreational cyclists, those who are involved with 
bike tourism, which has become very big business, by the way. And 
speaking of business, there are representatives of bicycle repair, 
bicycle manufacturers, and others who design, manufacture, and sell 
equipment and apparel. Bicycles mean business, in my hometown alone 
over $150 million of economic activity in a year, employing over 1,000 
people.
  As the Bike Summit attendees visit Capitol Hill later this week, we 
will have an opportunity to hear from people of all ages, all walks of 
life, communities large and small. They are firm in the belief that the 
Federal Government should be a stronger partner in capitalizing on the 
most efficient form of urban transportation ever designed.
  Bicycles burn calories, not fossil fuel, and take up a 10th of the 
space of a car. More importantly, for those who drive, every bicycle in 
the protected bike lane next to you is not a car in front of you or 
competing for a scarce parking space.
  The goal here is to give Americans more choices about how they move, 
making it safe for children to walk or bike to school. It helps those 
children, it relieves stress on the family, and can cut 30 percent of 
the rush-hour congestion. Bicycling helps kids stay active at a time 
where we are obsessing about a lack of physical activity for our 
children, a level that is already too low and declining. Bicycling is a 
natural remedy.
  Cities of all size are participating in the bicycle revolution. It 
would not be nearly as advanced as it is, but for $8.9 billion of 
Federal investment since the original ISTEA reauthorization. It has 
accelerated programs, leveraged other investments and has increased 
transportation capacity for everybody, and done so more cost 
effectively than any other expenditure. By the way, $1 million invested 
in bicycle facilities creates more family-wage jobs than simply 
constructing more miles of highway.
  It is also easier and faster to accomplish. At a time when America 
has an infrastructure deficit that is in the trillions of dollars, when 
that infrastructure is falling apart and unreliable, our coalition for 
policies and resources to rebuild and renew America will be stronger if 
it includes the millions of Americans who travel by bike.
  I strongly urge my colleagues and their staff to take the time to 
visit with these advocates this week. Hear their stories about 
transforming communities of all sizes: rural, urban, suburban. Most 
important, learn how they are giving families safe transportation 
choices that they never had before. Visit with these cycling leaders. 
More important, at home, when you are back, get on a bike, walk a 
trail, join the volunteers, witness an event with your family and talk 
to the bike businesses and community partners. All of these 
stakeholders can help us visualize what the Federal partnership could 
mean in making communities across America more livable and our families 
safer, healthier, and more economically secure.

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