Update on the transportation bill

Cycling advocates,

Over the past few years, we have been working hard to make sure that bicycling gets a fair shake in the transportation bill. I am sorry to report that we LOST with the signing of the new transportation bill. Please read the note below from Tim Blumenthal, President of Bikes Belong on the details.

The good news: we fight the good fight. Bicycles are a simple solution to congestion problems, energy dependence, environmental issues, and health issues. We have won a lot of battles over the last 15 years and while we lost a big one this week, we will be back. Lesson learned, if everyone who really cared about making America a cycling friendly country got involved, we would have easily won this battle. Too many people sat on the sidelines and as a CAUSE we need to be better organized next time around. We will be.

I want to thank everyone in the Trek family who made an effort by calling Congressional leaders over the years, for attending National Bike Summits and State Summits, and for moving the meter in many different ways. You have made a big difference in the future of the bicycle in America and we are just getting started. 

Game On.

Jb.

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From: Tim Blumenthal 

Date: Thursday, June 28, 2012 8:58 PM

To: Bikes Belong Board

Subject: Update on the transportation bill

Hi,

As you probably know, a new three-year federal transportation bill will likely be approved by Congress by the end of the week. The bill covers the period October 2011-September 2014.

It includes major cuts for bicycling infrastructure funding—potentially as much as 60-70 percent by some calculations (that I believe are too pessimistic). Dedicated funding for Safe Routes to School, which totaled $131 million in the last fiscal year, has been eliminated. Dedicated funding for Transportation Enhancements, which totaled $266 million for bike/ped funding in the last fiscal year, has also been eliminated.

Most potential bike funding programs and opportunities fall into a new category called Transportation Alternatives. Recreational Trails money for bike trails, which accounted for about $31 million in spending during the last fiscal year, is now included in this category, as is Safe Routes to School. The bad news about this category is that environmental mitigation (which used to be treated separately) has also been inserted, as have some projects that focus on road repairs and improvements. Exactly how much money is available to fund Transportation Alternatives is still being determined and debated, but it will likely be a small number compared to what has traditionally been available to support bike stuff.

If there is good news—as of today, it doesn’t seem like there is much—it’s that local governments will be able to decide how to spend half of the Transportation Alternatives money. This is a new provision—and it’s a good thing for bicycling because city and town leaders tend to value bike programs more highly than state departments of transportation.

The text of the bill was finally released last night (Wednesday) about midnight. As you can imagine, it is long and complicated. We have a lot to learn to determine our potential to secure funding during the next two years. (While the bill is technically a three-year bill, funding will continue until September 30, 2012, at historical (higher) levels and with dedicated funding for Safe Routes to School.)

This means that fiscal year 2012 should go down in the record books as one of the best for federal investments in bicycling—most likely in the neighborhood of $800 million spent, just like last year.

Download America Bikes final statement from America Bikes. As you know, we fund America Bikes in its entirety, and serve on its board of directors.

Finally, there always is a chance for a final-hour rebellion against this bill. It could come from Tea Party members of Congress who are unhappy that the overall bill funding level requires money to be transferred in from the general fund. I don’t think this is  likely, but I have to admit that we’re hoping it does. In that case, transportation funding would likely continue into early next year at current levels, and we’ve have additional time to push back against massive and disproportionate cuts.

One thing is for sure: we will need to become more effective in each state and in more cities to secure the money that is available to make bicycling safer and easier for Americans.

More soon,

Tim

Tim Blumenthal, President

Bikes Belong Coalition

Bikes Belong Foundation

P.O. Box 2359

Boulder, Colorado 80306 USA

 

web: bikesbelong.org

phone: 303/449-4893, ext. 1

fax: 303/442-2936

street: 207 Canyon Blvd., Suite 202

           Boulder, CO 80302

Bikes Belong: Putting More People On Bicycles More Often

Have you signed the pledge to support bicycling? Go to peopleforbikes.org.

20 years at the bicycle company

Every year we have a 20-year Club dinner at Trek to recognize members of the Trek team who have worked here for two decades. Last Friday we inducted the class of 1992 and added 17 new members to the Trek 20-year Club. As a company that started in 1976, 20 years of service to the company is a long time and covers a lot of history.

I always say a few words before giving out the awards, and this year I came up with my speech as I made the drive to the dinner. When I got to the dinner I asked Mark Joslyn (Trek’s HR guy) to see if he could get a copy of Johnny Cash’s Ragged Old Flag printed out. He gave me a weird look and had it in my hand 5 minutes later. I wrote a couple of bullet points on the back of an envelope and there was my speech. It went something like this:

“I want to thank all of the new members of the 20-year club for their hard work and dedication to Trek over the last 20 years. However, I must be honest with you, 1992 was not a very good year for the bicycle company. We bet wrong on European currencies and it was the year that George Soros broke the Bank of England. While not a very good start, you have accomplished much in your 20 years and there is a lot to be proud of. Together we have built a great company.

As I drove here this evening I started to think about that currency loss in 1992 and I started to think about all of the other big moments in the last 20 years. We have had some big wins along the way. The introduction of OCLV carbon road bikes, the Y-Bike, Lance and his comeback, taking Trek from a company doing business in the United States to a global company doing business all over the world, 8 Tour De France wins, the new Madone launch in the summer of 2007, the list goes on and on and on. Along the way we have had some big wins and we have had some bumps along the way.

I want to thank all of you for what you have done for Trek and never giving up. We have worked hard over the years and we have built an incredible company. This afternoon I had a couple of visitors from Europe at the office and when we met they told me how much they had enjoyed their visit and what a special place Trek is. You have an amazing culture and an amazing company. I said thank you, and tonight I say thank you to YOU because Trek is an amazing place because the people who work at Trek are what make Trek what it is today and the 17 of you have been working hard over the past twenty years to make Trek the special place that it is.”

 

2012 inductees to the Trek 20-year Club

 

Jb.