The League of American Bicyclists is sounding the alarm about a new threat to bicycle safety funding—and FABB is asking Northern Virginia riders to make their voices heard.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has called on Congress to stop federal funding for bike lanes and trails and has even proposed funding the removal of bike lanes from some busy roads. Now the Senate is considering language in the next federal transportation reauthorization bill that could restrict the types of roads where federally funded bike lanes can be built.
That would be a serious step backward for transportation safety. Federal transportation data have shown that properly designed bike lanes can substantially reduce crashes without increasing traffic congestion. Bike lanes and other bicycle safety improvements save lives, give people more transportation choices, and make streets safer and more predictable for everyone who uses them.
The consequences could be particularly damaging in Northern Virginia. Fairfax County and neighboring jurisdictions are steadily building connected bicycle networks by adding bike lanes and other safety improvements when roads are repaved or reconstructed. Because many of our most important destinations—Metro stations, schools, shopping areas, employment centers, parks, and trails—are located along or separated by major roads, restricting bike facilities along or near those roads could leave dangerous gaps precisely where safe connections are needed most.
Such restrictions also could undermine years of local and regional transportation planning. Federal funding helps Virginia and local governments stretch limited transportation dollars, connect trails, build bicycle facilities, and make busy roads safer for people walking and biking. Washington should not dictate that communities like Fairfax County cannot use federal transportation funds for bicycle improvements simply because a road carries substantial motor-vehicle traffic. In many cases, those are exactly the roads where safer bicycle infrastructure is most necessary.
FABB agrees with the League of American Bicyclists: bike lanes save lives, and bicyclists have a right to use our roads and get home safely.
As Congress develops the next transportation reauthorization bill, contact your U.S. senators and representative and ask them to protect federal eligibility for bicycle safety projects. Tell them to vote NO on any transportation bill that restricts federal funding for bike lanes, trails, or other bicycle safety improvements—or encourages the removal of existing bike lanes.
The League has made it easy to take action. Use its advocacy page to send a message to your elected representatives: https://action.bikeleague.org/page/101946/action/1
Northern Virginia needs more and safer connections for people riding bikes—not federal restrictions that make those connections harder to build.
