FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Over 275 people - including bicycle advocates, transportation, public health and environmental professionals and leaders from the bicycle industry -- came together to exchange ideas, explore common goals, and make new alliances to encourage and promote bicycling.  

Trek President and Bikes Belong Coalition President John Burke, Executive Director of the Texas Bicycle Coalition Gayle Cummins, Executive Director of the National Center for Bicycling and Walking Bill Wilkinson and Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) kicked off the Summit by delivering an energetic and enthusiastic vision of "America Bikes." Attendees then presented and attended panels on important elements for bicycling within TEA-21, enjoyed a pro-cycling keynote from FHWA Administrator Mary Peters, participated in a valuable Listening Session with the FHWA and ended the long day with issues review and advocacy training.  

Attendees worked Capitol Hill the following day, engaging over 225 congressional offices including two thirds of the Senate and over 160 House offices in a pro-cycling agenda. About a dozen Members of Congress and 75 congressional staffers joined with Summit participants at the Summit's congressional reception that evening to cheer on cycling's future.  

The unwavering enthusiasm from Summit participants continued on day three as they explored the work ahead at the state and local levels, heard from Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman Congressman Tom Petri (R-WI) and discussed new and valuable partners in the cycling movement. Summit attendees then enjoyed a warm spring day with a bike ride around Washington DC and a post ride celebration.  

Some key achievements and successes of the 2002 Summit include:  

* Overall participation in the 2002 Summit grew by 53% from the inaugural Summit in 2001and participation from the bicycle industry more than doubled.  

* Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) agreed to co-chair the new Senate Bike Caucus during a meeting with the Texas delegation. Summit participants secured another 15 commitments to join the Senate Bike Caucus. The Congressional Bikes Caucus already has 107 Members in the House of Representatives.  

* Summit participants encouraged interest in the US Senate in The Bicycle Commuter Act.  Several new cosponsors were also added to the House bill, which now has a total of 44 cosponsors.  

* Equipped with statistics on spending rates, participants encouraged congressional offices to write letters to Governors to generate spending of Enhancement monies.  

* Summit presence generated over 100 commitments from Congressmen and Senators to attend cycling events in their respective districts/states.  

* Summit attendees generated overwhelming support in Congress for the Safe Routes to Schools programs.  

* The FHWA TEA-21 Listening Session enabled participants to express their opinions through voting on a wide range of transportation issues.  

* FHWA Administrator Peters in her keynote address said, "Bicyclists are an integral part of our nation's transportation system and we all need to work together to develop a better, more balanced transportation system that provides facilities and programs for bicyclists on a routine basis. In planning, designing, and operating our nation's transportation system and its related programs, the needs of all users-and that clearly includes bicyclists-should be considered from the moment planning starts on a new project."  

Bicycle Access Council Executive Director Joe Stafford attended the National Bike Summit.  The summary above was provided by the League of American Bicyclists (LAB).

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Last modified: August 23, 2006