BikeTexas at the 2011 National Bike Summit

If it's spring, it's time for the National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C., and that's exactly where BikeTexas staff went the week of March 6, 2011. This year, BikeTexas was able to send four staff members, and, as always, it was a valuable experience for each one.  Texas attendees included bike advocates, retailers, and cycling citizens who want to make a difference.

At Tuesday night's welcome dinner, bike activists from all over the country connected and reconnected with each other while listening to an inspiring keynote speaker: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.  Secretary LaHood has been a strong advocate for multi-modal transportation and against distracted driving, and he received a standing ovation from the audience.

The next morning, before a full day of conference sessions, the attendees heard from Janette Sadik-Khan, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation.  Under her tenure, New York City has installed bike lanes, separated cycletracks, and pedestrian-only plazas, and has implemented a new Street Design Manual with more rigorous standards for street designs in the City.  The progress illustrated in the photos she showed the audience is something we can strive to work towards in Texas.

Then on Thursday, it was off to the Capitol to meet with the Texas Congressional delegation.  After early morning meetings with staff in Senators Hutchison's and Cornyn's offices, the group trooped over to the House office buildings, where we had meetings scheduled with 31 out of 32 of our House members' offices—a record, thanks to fantastic staff work by BikeTexas Staff Attorney Leslie Puckett.

The order of the day was damage control—with the current economy and political dynamic in Washington, cuts in important programs are inevitable.  The message to each office was the same—a request not to cut funds for biking and walking programs (Transportation Enhancement funds) disproportionally to the rest of the transportation budget.  Most staff seemed receptive to this message, but when Transportation Reauthorization comes around, we will likely need grassroots support from you in the form of calls and emails to your representative.

BikeTexas arrives in Washington, D.C. for the National Bike Summit

Tuesday, March 08 2011 12:15

BikeTexas staff have arrived safely in DC and are encamped at the Hotel Harrington, and so far in a short time we've had some great encounters with other advocates.

From all over the country, supporters of giving people the choice to bike or walk are descending upon our nation's capital.

Over dinner last night, some of the fresh faces from BikeTexas got helpful advice from third-time National Bike Summit attendee Leslie Luciano, here representing Bicycle Sport Shop, Boltage, and the League of Bicycling Voters.

After dinner there was a street sighting of Jeff Bailey from Bikesport in Houston.

This morning over breakfast Barbara Duerke from Virginia Bicycling Federation sat down with us and talked shop for a while, sharing a great quote from the book American Idle: "If you can't walk or bike 5 miles you're a national security threat." Barbara will meet with her congressional representatives tomorrow as part of the National Federation of Republican Women.

Registration officially opens for the Bike Summit tonight at the Grand Hyatt.