[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4671]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS CONVENES FIRST BIKE SUMMIT IN WASHINGTON, 
                                  D.C.

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I came to Congress to make the Federal 
Government a better partner in the creating of more livable 
communities, communities that are safe, healthy, and economically 
secure. Today, transportation and energy are issues in every community 
across America. These problems are the results of countless individual 
decisions.
  Mr. Speaker, this week a group of activists dedicated to making 
America a better place are gathering here in Washington, D.C. The 
League of American Bicyclists is convening the first annual Bike 
Summit. I would like to congratulate them on their efforts. As the 
spokesman for the Bipartisan Congressional Bicycle Caucus, I am excited 
that this bicycle community is coming to Washington, D.C. to make their 
voice heard.
  Cyclists have a long and effective history of advocacy in this 
country. At the turn of the century, bicycling was fun, fast, 
convenient; and it was modern. The problem was there was no good place 
to ride these new-fangled contraptions. As a result, there was 
increasing demand for new, safe bike routes. In response, the Good 
Roads Movement was launched here in Washington, D.C. after a successful 
effort to lobby Congress for a $10,000 grant to study the possibility 
of a paved-road system. Well, the rest is history.
  Bicycling remains a favorite alternative mode of transportation. 
While only 1 percent of Americans use bicycles as their primary mode of 
transportation, studies show that in communities that have good bike 
facilities, bike lanes and parking, that up to 50 percent of the public 
living within the 5- to 10-mile range will use it for commuting.
  Good bicycling communities rival European communities in terms of 
cycling participation. Even in my hometown, rainy Portland, Oregon, we 
are more than double the national average. The league conference is an 
opportunity for us who hear once again from the bike advocates from 
around the country on the importance of using cycling as a means of 
transportation. It does not contribute to pollution or create traffic 
congestion. A 4-mile bicycle round trip prevents 15 pounds of air 
pollution, and we have in fact made huge strides with bicycle 
facilities. We have committed in the last 10 years almost $2 billion 
for bike and pedestrian projects, far more than the $41 million that 
had been done the 17 previous years.
  Mr. Speaker, we need to encourage people to expand these small, 
meaningful choices in transportation. Worried about OPEC, parking 
problems, a lack of exercise, simply level the playing field, give the 
cyclists today an opportunity. There are millions of them around the 
country who are waiting not only to be heard but to be given a chance 
to cycle safely in their communities.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge Members of this Congress to take advantage of 
this opportunity to meet with advocates and industry representatives 
from their districts this week, not just in your office. Thursday night 
the Bike League is hosting a reception from 5 to 7 in Room 268 of the 
Rayburn; and on Friday the Bicycle Caucus, the Washington Area Bicycle 
Association, and the League of American Bicyclists will be hosting the 
first Bike Caucus Ride of the 107th Congress for Members and their 
staff. It is a fun 7-mile ride. It is a perfect way to get to know your 
constituents and have a better feel for the community in which we work 
here in Washington, D.C.
  Mr. Speaker, what about Members who do not have their bicycle here 
yet? No excuse. Contact us and we will make sure that that there is a 
bicycle available for Members and their staff. It would be a great idea 
also for Members of Congress to make sure that they have renewed their 
membership in the bicycle caucus before somebody asks them to do so. 
Last year we had almost 80 Members.
  Get ready to ride and have fun, but also help your own community with 
the serious side because cycling is important for recreation and 
exercising. It is a way for more children to be able to get to school 
on their own. It is an excellent transportation choice for communities 
for adults; and it is an excellent way, if we do our part, to make our 
communities more livable, more safe and economically secure.

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