National Bike Summit 2008

national Bike Summit 2008 a success

(3.19.08) Thanks to everyone that made it to the National Bike Summit this year – we had record attendance, a strong program, and some good specific asks of our elected representatives. Follow up to your visits is essential; please make sure you have written your thank-you notes, and followed up with the offices on their commitments.

Even if you weren’t able to attend this year, I’d still encourage you to ask your members of Congress to support the congressional resolution that was introduced for the Summit (H.Con.Res. 305) with the remarks below from Rep. Earl Blumenauer.

A good showing of support for the resolution is essential. Similarly, I’d urge you to write your Senators and ask for their support for the Complete Streets Act of 2008, introduced by Senator Harkin.

You can find your elected officials through the League’s on-line advocacy center. And background information on the resolution and Senate bill can be found by clicking here.

We’ll be posting pictures and other follow-up information from the Summit on the League website and in the magazine etc. Meanwhile, bikeportland is a great place to read about what happened. You can also get other perspectives of bloggers.

national Bike Summit Follow-up is critical

The League’s Advocacy Director, Walter Finch, reminds everyone that attended the National Bike Summit that their follow-up to Congressional meetings is essential. This week, Members of Congress are typically back in their home districts (Easter recess) – making it a perfect time to drop a note to the District office to set up that event, or follow-up visit that you talked about in DC.

If you weren’t at the Summit, a district meeting with your elected representatives is the ideal alternative! Remembers, we are asking Representatives to sign on to the Bicycle Resolution, H. Con. Res. 305 and Senators to sign on to S.2686, the Complete Streets Act of 2008.

Thanks to 2008 Sponsors:

Click here for the 2008 Summit Agenda

Click here for the 2008 Issue Papers

Presentations

Are You Smarter than a Congressman?
Annual Meeting 2008
BFC Overview
Bicycle Friendly National Parks
Bicycling in the Next Federal Transportation Program
Effective Advocacy
First Timers 2008
Grass Roots and the Elections
Growing Motorized Infrastructure
SVBC Reaching out to the Business Community

The Impact of National Bike Summits

Acheivements Include

• Established Senate Bike Caucus and encouraged more than 160 House members to join Congressional Bike Caucus
• Visits to more than 350 House offices and more than 90 Senate offices annually
• Introduction of bills such as the Bicycle Commuter Act

Previous Keynote Speakers

• Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
• Congressman Jim Oberstar (D-MN)
• Secretary of Transportation Norm Mineta
• Bogota, Colombia Mayor Enrique Penalosa
• Federal Highway Administrator Mary Peters
• EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman
• Washington, DC Mayor Anthony Williams
• AASHTO Executive Director John Horsley

Previous Special Guests

Linda Armstrong; Greg LeMond; Ned Overend

Honored Congressional Leaders

• Senator Jim Jeffords (I-VT)
• Senator John Kerry (D-MA)
• Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
• Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
• Representative John Olver (D-MA)
• Representative Tom Petri (R-WI)

Click here for information from the 2007 Summit

Gas prices are heading inexorably towards $4 a gallon. The impacts of climate change are more visible, and more obvious, every day. The massive economic costs – and very real personal impacts – of physical inactivity, obesity, congestion, and traffic crashes are starting to be tallied and the statistics are alarming. Click here to learn how you can help the League.

Advocacy

The energy tax credits have been reintroduced in H.R. 5351, (Section 221). H.R. 5351 passed in the House and is awaiting action in the Senate Finance Committee.

Click to see John Pucher, of Rutgers University, inspiring cycling-related publications.

The Congressional Bike Caucus has its own site!