Congressman Oberstar Introduces
Landmark Bike/Ped Bill

Supporters of bicycling, walking and healthy communities cheered on June 18 as Congressman James L. Oberstar (D-MN) announced the introduction of a bill to fund Safe Routes to School and create more bikeable and walkable communities. "This bill encourages children and adults to reacquaint themselves with the joys of human-powered transportation," said Oberstar.

At the heart of the Pedestrian and Cyclist Equity Act of 2003 (PACE) is a national Safe Routes to School program which would provide $250 million a year to fix unsafe conditions on roads near schools and encourage children to walk and bike to school. Representative Oberstar announced the new bill surrounded by children on bicycles and proponents of Safe Routes to School from around the country. He was joined by co-sponsors Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Rep. Jim Moran (D-TX), and Rep. Nick Lampson (D-TX). Fourteen members have co-signed so far, including Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey.

"We want to get kids back into the habit of bicycling and walking for fun and transportation," said Oberstar. "With this bill we can change the lifestyle habits of an entire generation." Nearly 70% of today's parents bicycled and walked to school, while only 18% of their children do today, according to recent survey by the Surface Transportation Policy Project. Experts point to the lack of physical activity as one of the reasons that over one-third of American children are overweight or obese.

The initiative was inspired by the success of community-based efforts across the country. "We've seen an 81% increase in children bicycling and walking to public schools in just two years of promoting Safe Routes to School," says Deb Hubsmith, an organizer of one of the country's strongest programs in Marin County, California. Hubsmith, executive director of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition spoke at the press conference in WDC to announce the introduction of the bill [see photo above].

Grants available through PACE would also help communities encourage more physical activity through the design of their transportation systems. "Sixty four percent of adults are obese or overweight, and physical inactivity is responsible for at least 200,000 deaths each year. This bill will help address these troubling trends," says Rich Killingsworth, Director, Active Living by Design. The estimated annual cost of physical inactivity and obesity in the United States is approximately $117 billion. The PACE bill would allocate $25 million/year for six years to reverse this trend through the active living program.

The PACE bill would also fund three pilot communities for non-motorized transportation. Modeled after a program in The Netherlands (where 30% of all trips are now made by bicycle), this initiative would allocate $75 million over a six year time period to three communities throughout the USA to build-out complete bicycle and pedestrian networks. The results would show how safe and convenient bicycle and pedestrian facilities can lure people out of their cars and reduce traffic congestion.

The PACE initiative will likely be folded into the reauthorization of the transportation funding bill which Congress will address this session.

"As a Mom, I view PACE and its support for Safe Routes to School as a dream come true for parents who wish their children could experience the joys of walking and biking to school like we once did," said Elissa Margolin, President of America Bikes, a coalition of bicycling interests. "The group walks and rides, the parent volunteers, the safety training and the sidewalk and street improvements make Safe Routes to School feasible and fun."

America Bikes and a number of other organizations are mobilizing their members to build Congressional support for the bill. Visit www.americabikes.org for more information.