Alabama

Share The Road in Alabama

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 13,284,000 dollars have been spent in Alabama to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.8 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 105 bicyclists (11 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Alabama. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 924 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Alabama.
A significant number (72 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Alabama are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
67.6 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Alabama involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 71 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 710 children injured by cars while bicycling in Alabama each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Alabama, the fatality rate was 2.6, ranking it 28th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Alabama, Florence, AL had the highest fatality rate (5.3 fatalities per million), followed by Decatur, AL and Dothan, AL.

The counties with the most fatalities were Jefferson County, Mobile County, and Baldwin County.

Alaska

Share The Road in Alaska

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 103,015,000 dollars have been spent in Alaska to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 10.2 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 18 bicyclists (2 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Alaska. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 158 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Alaska.
A significant number (67 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Alaska are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
44.4 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Alaska involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 8 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 80 children injured by cars while bicycling in Alaska each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Alaska, the fatality rate was 3.3, ranking it 15th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Alaska, Anchorage, AK had the highest fatality rate (5.7 fatalities per million).

The counties with the most fatalities were Anchorage County, Fairbanks North Star County, and Yukon-Koyukuk County.

Arizona

Share The Road in Arizona

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 13,622,000 dollars have been spent in Arizona to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.0 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 257 bicyclists (26 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Arizona. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 2,262 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Arizona.
A significant number (63 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Arizona are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
36.2 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Arizona involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 93 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 930 children injured by cars while bicycling in Arizona each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Arizona, the fatality rate was 7, ranking it 2nd in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Arizona, Yuma, AZ had the highest fatality rate (8.4 fatalities per million), followed by Phoenix, AZ and Tucson, AZ.

The counties with the most fatalities were Maricopa County, Pima County, and Coconino County.

Arkansas

Share The Road in Arkansas

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 1,283,000 dollars have been spent in Arkansas to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.1 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 55 bicyclists (6 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Arkansas. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 484 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Arkansas.
A significant number (69 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Arkansas are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
63.6 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Arkansas involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 35 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 350 children injured by cars while bicycling in Arkansas each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Arkansas, the fatality rate was 2.3, ranking it 32nd in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Arkansas, Pine Bluff, AR had the highest fatality rate (7 fatalities per million), followed by Memphis, TN--AR--MS and Texarkana, TX--Texarkana, AR.

The counties with the most fatalities were Pulaski County, Jefferson County, and Garland County.

California

Share The Road in California

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 62,436,000 dollars have been spent in California to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.6 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 1228 bicyclists (123 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in California. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 10,806 bicyclists injured by cars each year in California.
A significant number (64 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in California are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
34.4 percent of all bicycle fatalities in California involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 423 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 4,230 children injured by cars while bicycling in California each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In California, the fatality rate was 4.1, ranking it 8th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in California, Merced, CA had the highest fatality rate (9.5 fatalities per million), followed by Yuba City, CA and Modesto, CA.

The counties with the most fatalities were Los Angeles County, Orange County, and San Diego County.

Colorado

Share The Road in Colorado

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 27,428,000 dollars have been spent in Colorado to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 2.2 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 110 bicyclists (11 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Colorado. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 968 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Colorado.
A significant number (59 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Colorado are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
43.6 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Colorado involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 48 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 480 children injured by cars while bicycling in Colorado each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Colorado, the fatality rate was 3.3, ranking it 16th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Colorado, Boulder--Longmont, CO had the highest fatality rate (6.7 fatalities per million), followed by Fort Collins--Loveland, CO and Greeley, CO.

The counties with the most fatalities were Boulder County, Denver County, and Jefferson County.

Connecticut

Share The Road in Connecticut

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 19,044,000 dollars have been spent in Connecticut to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.0 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 76 bicyclists (8 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Connecticut. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 669 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Connecticut.
A significant number (79 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Connecticut are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
56.6 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Connecticut involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 43 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 430 children injured by cars while bicycling in Connecticut each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Connecticut, the fatality rate was 2.3, ranking it 33rd in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Connecticut, Waterbury, CT had the highest fatality rate (3.6 fatalities per million), followed by Bridgeport--Milford, CT and Hartford--New Britain--Middletown, CT.

The counties with the most fatalities were Hartford County, New Haven County, and Fairfield County.

Delaware

Share The Road in Delaware

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 1,848,000 dollars have been spent in Delaware to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.4 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 26 bicyclists (3 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Delaware. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 229 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Delaware.
A significant number (54 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Delaware are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
50 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Delaware involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 13 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 130 children injured by cars while bicycling in Delaware each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Delaware, the fatality rate was 3.9, ranking it 11th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Delaware, Wilmington, DE--NJ--MD had the highest fatality rate (1.7 fatalities per million).

The counties with the most fatalities were Sussex County, New Castle County, and Kent County.

District of Columbia

Share The Road in District of Columbia

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 3,498,000 dollars have been spent in District of Columbia to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.7 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 11 bicyclists (1 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in District of Columbia. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 97 bicyclists injured by cars each year in District of Columbia.
A significant number (73 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in District of Columbia are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
9.1 percent of all bicycle fatalities in District of Columbia involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 1 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 10 children injured by cars while bicycling in District of Columbia each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In District of Columbia, the fatality rate was 1.8, ranking it 43rd in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in District of Columbia, Washington, DC--MD--VA had the highest fatality rate (1.6 fatalities per million).

Florida

Share The Road in Florida

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 53,845,000 dollars have been spent in Florida to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.3 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 1136 bicyclists (114 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Florida. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 9,997 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Florida.
A significant number (58 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Florida are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
29.8 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Florida involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 338 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 3,380 children injured by cars while bicycling in Florida each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Florida, the fatality rate was 8.8, ranking it 1st in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Florida, Fort Myers--Cape Coral, FL had the highest fatality rate (14 fatalities per million), followed by Bradenton, FL and Gainesville, FL.

The counties with the most fatalities were Dade County, Broward County, and Hillsborough County.

Georgia

Share The Road in Georgia

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 39,476,000 dollars have been spent in Georgia to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.6 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 198 bicyclists (20 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Georgia. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 1,742 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Georgia.
A significant number (72 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Georgia are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
59.6 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Georgia involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 118 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 1,180 children injured by cars while bicycling in Georgia each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Georgia, the fatality rate was 3.1, ranking it 20th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Georgia, Albany, GA had the highest fatality rate (7.1 fatalities per million), followed by Savannah, GA and Athens, GA.

The counties with the most fatalities were DeKalb County, Chatham County, and Fulton County.

Hawaii

Share The Road in Hawaii

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 9,515,000 dollars have been spent in Hawaii to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.0 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 39 bicyclists (4 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Hawaii. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 343 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Hawaii.
A significant number (69 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Hawaii are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
33.3 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Hawaii involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 13 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 130 children injured by cars while bicycling in Hawaii each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Hawaii, the fatality rate was 3.5, ranking it 14th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Hawaii, Honolulu, HI had the highest fatality rate (1.8 fatalities per million).

The counties with the most fatalities were Honolulu County, Hawaii County, and Maui County.

Idaho

Share The Road in Idaho

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 4,198,000 dollars have been spent in Idaho to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.6 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 33 bicyclists (3 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Idaho. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 290 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Idaho.
A significant number (79 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Idaho are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
87.9 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Idaho involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 29 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 290 children injured by cars while bicycling in Idaho each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Idaho, the fatality rate was 3.3, ranking it 17th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Idaho, Boise City, ID had the highest fatality rate (3.4 fatalities per million).

The counties with the most fatalities were Ada County, Bingham County, and Bonneville County.

Illinois

Share The Road in Illinois

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 69,564,000 dollars have been spent in Illinois to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.9 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 304 bicyclists (30 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Illinois. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 2,675 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Illinois.
A significant number (77 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Illinois are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
53.9 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Illinois involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 164 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 1,640 children injured by cars while bicycling in Illinois each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Illinois, the fatality rate was 2.7, ranking it 25th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Illinois, Rockford, IL had the highest fatality rate (5.6 fatalities per million), followed by Kankakee, IL and Joliet, IL.

The counties with the most fatalities were Cook County, DuPage County, and Winnebago County.

Indiana

Share The Road in Indiana

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 10,637,000 dollars have been spent in Indiana to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.5 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 172 bicyclists (17 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Indiana. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 1,514 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Indiana.
A significant number (65 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Indiana are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
54.7 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Indiana involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 94 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 940 children injured by cars while bicycling in Indiana each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Indiana, the fatality rate was 3.1, ranking it 21st in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Indiana, Elkhart--Goshen, IN had the highest fatality rate (10.2 fatalities per million), followed by Fort Wayne, IN and Kokomo, IN.

The counties with the most fatalities were Marion County, Elkhart County, and Allen County.

Iowa

Share The Road in Iowa

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 12,469,000 dollars have been spent in Iowa to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.9 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 77 bicyclists (8 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Iowa. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 678 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Iowa.
A significant number (73 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Iowa are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
53.2 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Iowa involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 41 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 410 children injured by cars while bicycling in Iowa each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Iowa, the fatality rate was 2.8, ranking it 24th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Iowa, Cedar Rapids, IA had the highest fatality rate (4.1 fatalities per million), followed by Sioux City, IA--NE and Iowa City, IA.

The counties with the most fatalities were Polk County, Linn County, and Scott County.

Kansas

Share The Road in Kansas

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 8,688,000 dollars have been spent in Kansas to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.8 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 44 bicyclists (4 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Kansas. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 387 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Kansas.
A significant number (82 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Kansas are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
56.8 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Kansas involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 25 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 250 children injured by cars while bicycling in Kansas each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Kansas, the fatality rate was 1.8, ranking it 44th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Kansas, Wichita, KS had the highest fatality rate (2.5 fatalities per million), followed by Lawrence, KS and Topeka, KS.

The counties with the most fatalities were Sedgwick County, Johnson County, and Riley County.

Kentucky

Share The Road in Kentucky

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 9,189,000 dollars have been spent in Kentucky to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.6 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 81 bicyclists (8 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Kentucky. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 713 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Kentucky.
A significant number (79 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Kentucky are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
69.1 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Kentucky involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 56 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 560 children injured by cars while bicycling in Kentucky each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Kentucky, the fatality rate was 2.2, ranking it 36th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Kentucky, Owensboro, KY had the highest fatality rate (3.4 fatalities per million), followed by Lexington-Fayette, KY and Evansville, IN--KY.

The counties with the most fatalities were Jefferson County, Campbell County, and Fayette County.

Louisiana

Share The Road in Louisiana

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 1,929,000 dollars have been spent in Louisiana to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.1 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 251 bicyclists (25 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Louisiana. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 2,209 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Louisiana.
A significant number (85 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Louisiana are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
49.4 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Louisiana involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 124 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 1,240 children injured by cars while bicycling in Louisiana each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Louisiana, the fatality rate was 5.9, ranking it 3rd in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Louisiana, Lafayette, LA had the highest fatality rate (10.1 fatalities per million), followed by Lake Charles, LA and Houma--Thibodaux, LA.

The counties with the most fatalities were Orleans Parish, East Baton Rouge Parish, and Calcasieu Parish.

Maine

Share The Road in Maine

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 5,154,000 dollars have been spent in Maine to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.9 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 28 bicyclists (3 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Maine. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 246 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Maine.
A significant number (96 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Maine are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
57.1 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Maine involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 16 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 160 children injured by cars while bicycling in Maine each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Maine, the fatality rate was 2.3, ranking it 34th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Maine, Bangor, ME had the highest fatality rate (3.4 fatalities per million), followed by Portsmouth--Dover--Rochester, NH--ME and Portland, ME.

The counties with the most fatalities were York County, Kennebec County, and Penobscot County.

Maryland

Share The Road in Maryland

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 9,736,000 dollars have been spent in Maryland to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.5 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 107 bicyclists (11 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Maryland. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 942 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Maryland.
A significant number (58 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Maryland are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
52.3 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Maryland involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 56 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 560 children injured by cars while bicycling in Maryland each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Maryland, the fatality rate was 2.2, ranking it 37th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Maryland, Cumberland, MD--WV had the highest fatality rate (3.9 fatalities per million), followed by Baltimore, MD and Hagerstown, MD.

The counties with the most fatalities were Prince George's County, Baltimore City County, and Anne Arundel County.

Massachusetts

Share The Road in Massachusetts

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 7,869,000 dollars have been spent in Massachusetts to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.1 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 114 bicyclists (11 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Massachusetts. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 1,003 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Massachusetts.
A significant number (57 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Massachusetts are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
54.4 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Massachusetts involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 62 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 620 children injured by cars while bicycling in Massachusetts each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Massachusetts, the fatality rate was 1.9, ranking it 42nd in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Massachusetts, Pittsfield, MA had the highest fatality rate (5 fatalities per million), followed by Fall River, MA--RI and Springfield, MA.

The counties with the most fatalities were Middlesex County, Essex County, and Hampden County.

Michigan

Share The Road in Michigan

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 25,954,000 dollars have been spent in Michigan to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.9 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 342 bicyclists (34 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Michigan. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 3,010 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Michigan.
A significant number (75 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Michigan are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
62.3 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Michigan involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 213 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 2,130 children injured by cars while bicycling in Michigan each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Michigan, the fatality rate was 3.7, ranking it 12th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Michigan, Muskegon, MI had the highest fatality rate (7.5 fatalities per million), followed by Benton Harbor, MI and Saginaw--Bay City--Midland, MI.

The counties with the most fatalities were Wayne County, Genesee County, and Macomb County.

Minnesota

Share The Road in Minnesota

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 25,567,000 dollars have been spent in Minnesota to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.8 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 110 bicyclists (11 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Minnesota. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 968 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Minnesota.
A significant number (80 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Minnesota are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
55.5 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Minnesota involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 61 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 610 children injured by cars while bicycling in Minnesota each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Minnesota, the fatality rate was 2.5, ranking it 30th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Minnesota, St. Cloud, MN had the highest fatality rate (3.1 fatalities per million), followed by Duluth, MN--WI and Minneapolis--St. Paul, MN--WI.

The counties with the most fatalities were Hennepin County, Anoka County, and Ramsey County.

Mississippi

Share The Road in Mississippi

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 1,955,000 dollars have been spent in Mississippi to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.2 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 85 bicyclists (9 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Mississippi. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 748 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Mississippi.
A significant number (71 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Mississippi are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
58.8 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Mississippi involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 50 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 500 children injured by cars while bicycling in Mississippi each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Mississippi, the fatality rate was 3.3, ranking it 18th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Mississippi, Biloxi--Gulfport, MS had the highest fatality rate (3.6 fatalities per million), followed by Pascagoula, MS and Memphis, TN--AR--MS.

The counties with the most fatalities were Harrison County, Hinds County, and Jackson County.

Missouri

Share The Road in Missouri

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 3,274,000 dollars have been spent in Missouri to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.1 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 91 bicyclists (9 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Missouri. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 801 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Missouri.
A significant number (66 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Missouri are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
61.5 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Missouri involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 56 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 560 children injured by cars while bicycling in Missouri each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Missouri, the fatality rate was 1.8, ranking it 45th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Missouri, Springfield, MO had the highest fatality rate (4.6 fatalities per million), followed by Joplin, MO and St. Louis, MO--IL.

The counties with the most fatalities were Jackson County, Saint Louis County, and Greene County.

Montana

Share The Road in Montana

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 11,333,000 dollars have been spent in Montana to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.3 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 32 bicyclists (3 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Montana. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 282 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Montana.
A significant number (63 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Montana are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
56.3 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Montana involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 18 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 180 children injured by cars while bicycling in Montana each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Montana, the fatality rate was 4, ranking it 9th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Montana, Great Falls, MT had the highest fatality rate (6.4 fatalities per million), followed by Billings, MT and Missoula, MT.

The counties with the most fatalities were Flathead County, Cascade County, and Lewis And Clark County.

Nebraska

Share The Road in Nebraska

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 21,521,000 dollars have been spent in Nebraska to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 2.6 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 33 bicyclists (3 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Nebraska. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 290 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Nebraska.
A significant number (82 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Nebraska are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
63.6 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Nebraska involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 21 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 210 children injured by cars while bicycling in Nebraska each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Nebraska, the fatality rate was 2.1, ranking it 40th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Nebraska, Sioux City, IA--NE had the highest fatality rate (3.5 fatalities per million), followed by Lincoln, NE and Omaha, NE--IA.

The counties with the most fatalities were Lancaster County, Douglas County, and Hall County.

Nevada

Share The Road in Nevada

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 12,286,000 dollars have been spent in Nevada to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.8 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 50 bicyclists (5 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Nevada. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 440 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Nevada.
A significant number (70 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Nevada are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
44 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Nevada involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 22 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 220 children injured by cars while bicycling in Nevada each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Nevada, the fatality rate was 4.2, ranking it 6th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Nevada, Las Vegas, NV had the highest fatality rate (5.3 fatalities per million).

The counties with the most fatalities were Clark County, Washoe County, and Carson City County.

New Hampshire

Share The Road in New Hampshire

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 4,414,000 dollars have been spent in New Hampshire to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.0 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 15 bicyclists (2 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in New Hampshire. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 132 bicyclists injured by cars each year in New Hampshire.
A significant number (80 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in New Hampshire are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
86.7 percent of all bicycle fatalities in New Hampshire involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 13 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 130 children injured by cars while bicycling in New Hampshire each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In New Hampshire, the fatality rate was 1.4, ranking it 49th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in New Hampshire, Portsmouth--Dover--Rochester, NH--ME had the highest fatality rate (1.8 fatalities per million), followed by Manchester, NH and Lawrence--Haverhill, MA--NH.

The counties with the most fatalities were Hillsborough County, Strafford County, and Cheshire County.

New Jersey

Share The Road in New Jersey

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 5,940,000 dollars have been spent in New Jersey to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.2 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 223 bicyclists (22 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in New Jersey. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 1,962 bicyclists injured by cars each year in New Jersey.
A significant number (69 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in New Jersey are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
55.6 percent of all bicycle fatalities in New Jersey involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 124 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 1,240 children injured by cars while bicycling in New Jersey each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In New Jersey, the fatality rate was 2.9, ranking it 22nd in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in New Jersey, Vineland--Millville--Bridgeton, NJ had the highest fatality rate (5.1 fatalities per million), followed by Monmouth--Ocean, NJ and Atlantic City, NJ.

The counties with the most fatalities were Burlington County, Ocean County, and Camden County.

New Mexico

Share The Road in New Mexico

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 16,554,000 dollars have been spent in New Mexico to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.7 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 55 bicyclists (6 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in New Mexico. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 484 bicyclists injured by cars each year in New Mexico.
A significant number (64 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in New Mexico are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
45.5 percent of all bicycle fatalities in New Mexico involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 25 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 250 children injured by cars while bicycling in New Mexico each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In New Mexico, the fatality rate was 3.6, ranking it 13th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM had the highest fatality rate (4 fatalities per million), followed by Santa Fe, NM and Las Cruces, NM.

The counties with the most fatalities were Bernalillo County, Dona Ana County, and San Juan County.

New York

Share The Road in New York

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 76,262,000 dollars have been spent in New York to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.5 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 522 bicyclists (52 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in New York. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 4,594 bicyclists injured by cars each year in New York.
A significant number (70 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in New York are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
46.4 percent of all bicycle fatalities in New York involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 242 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 2,420 children injured by cars while bicycling in New York each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In New York, the fatality rate was 2.9, ranking it 23rd in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in New York, Glens Falls, NY had the highest fatality rate (6.7 fatalities per million), followed by Orange County, NY and Nassau--Suffolk, NY.

The counties with the most fatalities were Suffolk County, Kings County, and New York County.

North Carolina

Share The Road in North Carolina

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 12,129,000 dollars have been spent in North Carolina to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.5 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 300 bicyclists (30 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in North Carolina. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 2,640 bicyclists injured by cars each year in North Carolina.
A significant number (83 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in North Carolina are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
49.7 percent of all bicycle fatalities in North Carolina involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 149 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 1,490 children injured by cars while bicycling in North Carolina each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In North Carolina, the fatality rate was 4.5, ranking it 5th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in North Carolina, Jacksonville, NC had the highest fatality rate (7.3 fatalities per million), followed by Hickory--Morganton, NC and Wilmington, NC.

The counties with the most fatalities were Robeson County, Guilford County, and Catawba County.

North Dakota

Share The Road in North Dakota

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 6,093,000 dollars have been spent in North Dakota to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.0 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 11 bicyclists (1 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in North Dakota. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 97 bicyclists injured by cars each year in North Dakota.
A significant number (45 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in North Dakota are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
63.6 percent of all bicycle fatalities in North Dakota involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 7 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 70 children injured by cars while bicycling in North Dakota each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In North Dakota, the fatality rate was 1.7, ranking it 47th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in North Dakota, Bismarck, ND had the highest fatality rate (3.6 fatalities per million), followed by Grand Forks, ND and Fargo--Moorhead, ND--MN.

The counties with the most fatalities were Burleigh County, Grand Forks County, and Cass County.

Ohio

Share The Road in Ohio

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 37,524,000 dollars have been spent in Ohio to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.0 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 260 bicyclists (26 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Ohio. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 2,288 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Ohio.
A significant number (83 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Ohio are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
62.3 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Ohio involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 162 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 1,620 children injured by cars while bicycling in Ohio each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Ohio, the fatality rate was 2.4, ranking it 31st in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Ohio, Lorain--Elyria, OH had the highest fatality rate (4.4 fatalities per million), followed by Toledo, OH and Mansfield, OH.

The counties with the most fatalities were Franklin County, Cuyahoga County, and Lucas County.

Oklahoma

Share The Road in Oklahoma

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 4,050,000 dollars have been spent in Oklahoma to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.3 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 51 bicyclists (5 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Oklahoma. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 449 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Oklahoma.
A significant number (75 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Oklahoma are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
60.8 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Oklahoma involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 31 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 310 children injured by cars while bicycling in Oklahoma each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Oklahoma, the fatality rate was 1.6, ranking it 48th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Oklahoma, Enid, OK had the highest fatality rate (7.1 fatalities per million), followed by Lawton, OK and Oklahoma City, OK.

The counties with the most fatalities were Oklahoma County, Tulsa County, and Carter County.

Oregon

Share The Road in Oregon

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 10,294,000 dollars have been spent in Oregon to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.8 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 115 bicyclists (12 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Oregon. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 1,012 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Oregon.
A significant number (63 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Oregon are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
40 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Oregon involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 46 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 460 children injured by cars while bicycling in Oregon each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Oregon, the fatality rate was 4, ranking it 10th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Oregon, Medford, OR had the highest fatality rate (6.1 fatalities per million), followed by Salem, OR and Portland, OR.

The counties with the most fatalities were Multnomah County, Marion County, and Jackson County.

Pennsylvania

Share The Road in Pennsylvania

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 42,996,000 dollars have been spent in Pennsylvania to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.0 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 254 bicyclists (25 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Pennsylvania. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 2,235 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Pennsylvania.
A significant number (71 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Pennsylvania are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
60.2 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Pennsylvania involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 153 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 1,530 children injured by cars while bicycling in Pennsylvania each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Pennsylvania, the fatality rate was 2.1, ranking it 41st in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Pennsylvania, Erie, PA had the highest fatality rate (4.7 fatalities per million), followed by Lancaster, PA and Sharon, PA.

The counties with the most fatalities were Philadelphia County, Bucks County, and Lancaster County.

Rhode Island

Share The Road in Rhode Island

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 6,850,000 dollars have been spent in Rhode Island to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.3 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 11 bicyclists (1 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Rhode Island. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 97 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Rhode Island.
A significant number (73 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Rhode Island are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
81.8 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Rhode Island involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 9 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 90 children injured by cars while bicycling in Rhode Island each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Rhode Island, the fatality rate was 1.1, ranking it 51st in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Rhode Island, Fall River, MA--RI had the highest fatality rate (3.2 fatalities per million), followed by New London--Norwich, CT--RI and Providence--Pawtucket--Woonsocket, RI.

The counties with the most fatalities were Providence County, Kent County, and Washington County.

South Carolina

Share The Road in South Carolina

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 5,462,000 dollars have been spent in South Carolina to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.4 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 187 bicyclists (19 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in South Carolina. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 1,646 bicyclists injured by cars each year in South Carolina.
A significant number (79 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in South Carolina are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
50.3 percent of all bicycle fatalities in South Carolina involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 94 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 940 children injured by cars while bicycling in South Carolina each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In South Carolina, the fatality rate was 5.4, ranking it 4th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in South Carolina, Anderson, SC had the highest fatality rate (5.5 fatalities per million), followed by Charleston, SC and Florence, SC.

The counties with the most fatalities were Charleston County, Horry County, and Greenville County.

South Dakota

Share The Road in South Dakota

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 6,833,000 dollars have been spent in South Dakota to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.1 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 15 bicyclists (2 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in South Dakota. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 132 bicyclists injured by cars each year in South Dakota.
A significant number (100 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in South Dakota are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
53.3 percent of all bicycle fatalities in South Dakota involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 8 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 80 children injured by cars while bicycling in South Dakota each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In South Dakota, the fatality rate was 2.2, ranking it 38th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in South Dakota, Rapid City, SD had the highest fatality rate (1.2 fatalities per million).

The counties with the most fatalities were Yankton County, Brown County, and Butte County.

Tennessee

Share The Road in Tennessee

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 28,133,000 dollars have been spent in Tennessee to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.5 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 108 bicyclists (11 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Tennessee. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 950 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Tennessee.
A significant number (80 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Tennessee are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
64.8 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Tennessee involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 70 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 700 children injured by cars while bicycling in Tennessee each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Tennessee, the fatality rate was 2.2, ranking it 39th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Tennessee, Memphis, TN--AR--MS had the highest fatality rate (3.3 fatalities per million), followed by Johnson City--Kingsport--Bristol, TN--VA and Nashville, TN.

The counties with the most fatalities were Shelby County, Davidson County, and Hamilton County.

Texas

Share The Road in Texas

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 19,772,000 dollars have been spent in Texas to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.3 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 561 bicyclists (56 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Texas. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 4,937 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Texas.
A significant number (66 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Texas are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
47.1 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Texas involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 264 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 2,640 children injured by cars while bicycling in Texas each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Texas, the fatality rate was 3.3, ranking it 19th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Texas, Galveston--Texas City, TX had the highest fatality rate (8.7 fatalities per million), followed by Tyler, TX and Beaumont--Port Arthur, TX.

The counties with the most fatalities were Harris County, Dallas County, and Bexar County.

Utah

Share The Road in Utah

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 4,037,000 dollars have been spent in Utah to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.6 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 73 bicyclists (7 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Utah. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 642 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Utah.
A significant number (68 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Utah are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
68.5 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Utah involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 50 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 500 children injured by cars while bicycling in Utah each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Utah, the fatality rate was 4.2, ranking it 7th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Utah, Provo--Orem, UT had the highest fatality rate (5.7 fatalities per million), followed by Salt Lake City--Ogden, UT.

The counties with the most fatalities were Salt Lake County, Utah County, and Davis County.

Vermont

Share The Road in Vermont

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 4,824,000 dollars have been spent in Vermont to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 1.2 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 15 bicyclists (2 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Vermont. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 132 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Vermont.
A significant number (80 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Vermont are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
33.3 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Vermont involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 5 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 50 children injured by cars while bicycling in Vermont each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Vermont, the fatality rate was 2.7, ranking it 26th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Vermont, Burlington, VT had the highest fatality rate (3.8 fatalities per million).

The counties with the most fatalities were Chittenden County, Washington County, and Bennington County.

Virginia

Share The Road in Virginia

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 20,101,000 dollars have been spent in Virginia to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.9 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 162 bicyclists (16 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Virginia. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 1,426 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Virginia.
A significant number (73 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Virginia are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
41.4 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Virginia involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 67 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 670 children injured by cars while bicycling in Virginia each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Virginia, the fatality rate was 2.6, ranking it 29th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Virginia, Norfolk--Virginia Beach--Newport News, VA had the highest fatality rate (3.9 fatalities per million), followed by Richmond--Petersburg, VA and Johnson City--Kingsport--Bristol, TN--VA.

The counties with the most fatalities were Chesapeake City County, Virginia Beach City County, and Fairfax County.

Washington

Share The Road in Washington

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 102,692,000 dollars have been spent in Washington to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 4.6 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 112 bicyclists (11 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Washington. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 986 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Washington.
A significant number (71 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Washington are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
58.9 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Washington involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 66 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 660 children injured by cars while bicycling in Washington each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Washington, the fatality rate was 2.3, ranking it 35th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Washington, Vancouver, WA had the highest fatality rate (4.2 fatalities per million), followed by Yakima, WA and Bellingham, WA.

The counties with the most fatalities were King County, Snohomish County, and Pierce County.

West Virginia

Share The Road in West Virginia

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 6,978,000 dollars have been spent in West Virginia to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.5 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 21 bicyclists (2 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in West Virginia. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 185 bicyclists injured by cars each year in West Virginia.
A significant number (90 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in West Virginia are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
81 percent of all bicycle fatalities in West Virginia involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 17 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 170 children injured by cars while bicycling in West Virginia each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In West Virginia, the fatality rate was 1.2, ranking it 50th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in West Virginia, Cumberland, MD--WV had the highest fatality rate (3.9 fatalities per million), followed by Huntington--Ashland, WV--KY--OH and Wheeling, WV--OH.

The counties with the most fatalities were Boone County, Putnam County, and Berkeley County.

Wisconsin

Share The Road in Wisconsin

We all remember the thrill of getting our first bicycle as a child, and the new freedom it gave us. This year, more than 100 million Americans will go for a bicycle ride, and continue to enjoy the thrill as they pedal along with their families, commute to work by bicycle, or just ride around town. Each year, more American's take to the road on bicycles than ever before. Ten million more Americans ride bicycles today than rode in 1991 -- a ten percent increase in just the past six years. Five million workers ride their bicycles to work -- and twelve million more say the would if there were adequate bicycle facilities available.

Much of this increase is due to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the landmark transportation law passed by Congress in 1991. In the 18 years before ISTEA was passed, a total of $40 million was spent on bicycle projects -- just over $2 million per year. Since ISTEA, the annual federal commitment to bicycles has increased one hundred fold. The Environmental Working Group's analysis of Federal Highway Adminstration records reveals that since the beginning of fiscal year 1992, 14,339,000 dollars have been spent in Wisconsin to make bicycling more accessible and safer, 0.8 of all transportation spending. Nationwide, thousands of bicycle projects have been funded in all fifty states, and hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes and trails have been built.

Thanks to ISTEA, the United Sates is on the verge of an explosion of bicycle ridership. A recent poll found that two out of three voters support the use of federal funds to build better bicycle facilities. Yet now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize ISTEA, this substantial progress is endangered. Several proposals sponsored by powerful members of Congress could reduce or even eliminate ISTEA's dedicated funding for bicycle programs. As our study indicates, these proposals would halt the progress we have made towards making our communities more bicycle friendly, and prevent us from stopping hundreds of unnecessary bicycle fatalities each year.

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Some proposals before Congress would reverse our nation's transportation policy and return us to the highways-only days by eliminating many of the gains made when ISTEA was passed in 1991. These proposals would make our communities less safe for bicyclists by gutting provisions of ISTEA known as the Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs. Most of these proposals are supported by the "Road Gang", a collection of lobbyists for the highway, oil, and automobile industries, as well as many state Departments of Transportation These proposals include:

A proposal by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would allow the state Departments of Transportation to transfer 50 percent of the money for bicycle facilities and use it to build more highways or other programs instead, almost certainly returning transportation policy to the pre-ISTEA days when little money was spent on bicycle use and bicycle safety (BNA 1997).
A proposal known as "STEP-21," introduced in the House by Tom DeLay (R-TX) would gut the ISTEA law by turning the entire program into a federal block grant -- essentially eliminating the dedicated Transportation Enhancements and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs that have provided over $1 billion for bikes since 1991.
"STARS-2000," legislation introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) would also reshape ISTEA and reduce funding for bicycle-safe streets. In addition, this legislation would cut funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program by almost two thirds, from $1 billion per year to $387 million per year.

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Slowly but surely, the landmark changes embodied in ISTEA are making communities more bicycle friendly. In addition to dedicated funding for bicycles, ISTEA requires the appointment of a bike and pedestrian coordinator in every state, the routine inclusion of bicycle plans in state and local transportation plans, and encourages public involvement in the development of these plans. As a result, ISTEA has increased public involvement in bicycle safety and bicycle-friendly community design, through a planning process that was non-existent before the law's passage.

Although ISTEA's new planning requirements and funding programs have only been in existence for five years, hundreds of miles of bike lanes and trails have already been added to our communities. These facilities are almost certainly a factor in the increased number of people riding bikes. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Indeed, with some modest improvements to ISTEA to expand the development of safer communities hundreds of lives could be saved. Our analysis indicates that preserving and strengthening the pro-bicycling features of ISTEA can encourage more bike use and make bicycling even safer. We found that:

Between 1986 and 1995, an total of 131 bicyclists (13 per year) were struck and killed by motor vehicles in Wisconsin. And for every bicyclist killed by a car, another 88 suffer injuries -- for a total of 1,153 bicyclists injured by cars each year in Wisconsin.
A significant number (73 percent) of all bicyclists killed by cars in Wisconsin are killed in their neighborhoods, on local roads, collectors streets, and minor arterials.
57.3 percent of all bicycle fatalities in Wisconsin involved children under the age of 18 -- a total of 75 fatalities in the last ten years.
Many children are also injured; for every child on a bike who is killed by a car another 100 are injured, for a total of 750 children injured by cars while bicycling in Wisconsin each year.

These data serve as indicators of the work that needs to be done, and of the vast benefits that will be achieved when our roads are made safer for bicycling. Some may be tempted to look at these data and jump to the conclusion that they -- and their children -- should stay off of bicycles because of safety concerns. This would be a mistake. Bicycling remains an activity that is good for our children, our health, and our communities. The real goals are to make bicycling more accessible and safer. The city of Davis, California provides an example of how this can be done. Davis began considering bicycle use and bicycle safety years before ISTEA was passed in 1991. The city has built many miles of bike trails and lanes, implemented education and enforcement campaigns, and aggressively acted to reduce risks. As a result, more than 20 percent of trips in Davis are made by bike (many times higher than the national average), and children ride everywhere. Over the past ten years, no one has been killed in Davis California while riding a bicycle, proof that increased ridership and increase safety can go hand in hand.

Our analysis of federal highway spending records show that in 27 states and the District of Columbia, less than one percent of all federal transportation dollars were spent on bicycle related projects. Only four states spent more than one percent. We need to preserve and strengthen ISTEA to help communities accommodate and encourage bicycling while reducing the current risks.

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

The national average bicycle fatality rate between 1986 and 1995 was 3.4 bicyclists per million individuals. In Wisconsin, the fatality rate was 2.7, ranking it 27th in the country.

Among metropolitan areas in Wisconsin, Sheboygan, WI had the highest fatality rate (6.7 fatalities per million), followed by Appleton--Oshkosh--Neenah, WI and Eau Claire, WI.

The counties with the most fatalities were Dane County, Milwaukee County, and Outagamie County.

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Let's Make America Bicycle Friendly

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State Executive Summaries

Alabama

Share The Road in Alabama

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

Alaska

Share The Road in Alaska

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

Arizona

Share The Road in Arizona

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

Arkansas

Share The Road in Arkansas

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?

California

Share The Road in California

The "Road Gang's" Proposals Threaten To End Support For Bicycles

Congress Should Increase Support for Biking in ISTEA

Where Are Bicycle Fatality Rates The Highest?