You have probably heard that the Petri/Johnson/Lipinski amendment to restore dedicated funding for bicycling and walking lost narrowly by just two votes in this morningâs Transportation Committee meeting in the House of Representatives. The bi-partisan amendment and vote took place against the backdrop of a very partisan and rancorous mark-up of the legislation â the two Republican sponsors of the bike/walk amendment, Reps. Petri and Johnson, deserve a huge âthank youâ for taking on this challenge on behalf of the cycling and walking community.

 

You also deserve a huge âthank youâ. The Leagueâs on-line advocacy center reported yours was one of more than 18,000 e-mails sent to Members of Congress on this issue â a stunning number, and surely part of the reason we were able to put up such a good fight today. We are meeting this evening with our colleagues in the America Bikes coalition to determine our next steps, greatly heartened by your incredible support. If nothing else, todayâs vote has shown the leadership of the House and committee chairman Mica that we are a force with which to be reckoned.

 

Notwithstanding other developments, we expect the transportation bill will be debated on the floor of the House of Representatives very soon: February 13^th. As soon as we have decided our strategy for this next critical phase, weâll be in touch again. Meanwhile, you can check the Leagueâs website, or America Bikes for more information; and please follow us on Twitter and Facebook for real-time updates.