Fwd: [BikeWalkAdvocates] We need your help protecting bicycling and walking funding in Congress.
Jim Baross
From: Caron Whitaker <ca...@bikeleague.org>
Date: Wed, Dec 10, 2025, 8:04āÆAM
Subject: [BikeWalkAdvocates] We need your help protecting bicycling and walking funding in Congress.
To: BikeWalkAdvocates <bikewalk...@googlegroups.com>
We need your help protecting bicycling and walking funding in Congress.Ā
We had some good and bad news over the last few weeks. First, we learned the Administration was writing a proposal to end federal funding for transit in the next 5- year transportation reauthorization bill. Then we heard from the House Transportation Committee Chair, Rep. Graves, that he would not agree to end transit funding because he wanted the transportation reauthorization bill to be bipartisan.Ā Ā
So Chair Graves believes the Democrats would not vote for a bill without transit funding. That is good. But what does it mean about support for bicycling and walking?Ā
Earlier this month, Chairman Graves said the next reauthorization bill would not include funding for āmurals, train stations, bike paths or walking paths.ā This raises some real concerns for us. While he may be talking just about discretionary programs- this is not ok. Does he think he can get a bipartisan transportation reauthorization bill without biking and walking?Ā
This tells me we have a lot of work to do with both Democrats and Republicans.Ā
The best way to move members of Congress is to show what bicycling and walking mean to their district, and given the current focus on affordability and the economy we need to start there.Ā
Hereās our plan for responding
1. We want to show a broad level of support across the country from bicycling organizations, but also from allied organizations.Ā
2. We need regular, friendly outreach to Congressional offices showing support and interest in their districts. The League will commit to doing more meetings and communications to the most politically relevant offices.Ā
3. We would like to have economic benefits data at the state (or local) level for every state.Ā
4. Holding a robust Summit lobby Day
HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP
Showing a broad range of support with a sign on letter
Rails to Trails, Safe Routes Partnership and the League are working together on this sign on letter to show broad support for federal investments in bicycling and walking investment and policy in the next reauthorization. (PFB and other national orgs are supportive, as well.) Our goal is to get signers from all 50 states, including organizations like you, as well as non-bicycling focused partners.
You can help by:
Sign your organization onto the letter here (RTC has a separate form. You don't need to sign on twice).
Circulating the letter to your partner organizations in your community and asking for their support. Organizations that work on health, school, transit, community, local business districts, etc. would be great signers.
Regular friendly outreach to your Congressional Delegation
We need members of Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, to understand that voting for a transportation reauthorization bill that cuts funding for bicycling and walking is going to hurt and anger people in their district. We want the Congressmember and their staff to be able to picture the people they are hurting. You can help by:
Meeting with your Congressmembers or their staff in the district before the Summit. āShow meā events or inviting them to a celebration is particularly impactful, but an office meeting also matters. Hereās our district meeting website and toolkit and our Show Congress toolkit and webinar.
- Once we have the final letter, you can bring it with you!
Interacting with the staff once a month (both the transportation staffer in DC and a local staffer) - even just sharing an email update on your work, a blog celebrating an advocate, a ride, etc.Ā
Have questions? Let us know- reach out at Ca...@bikeleague.org
Economic benefits data
We are looking for any economic benefits data at the local or state level you may have. This is often in the form of: 1) number of riders in a large, organized ride and sales/tourism-related spending associated with rides. 2) healthcare-related cost savings due to physical activity. 3) Employment at bicycle industry-related companies. 4) tourism-related survey data where people indicate that they biked while visiting or visited to bike. Hereās the Leagueās report Bicycling Benefits Business to give you some ideas.
The League is going to work on creating state-level economic development fact sheets. Because the data is not uniform, these factsheets will have to be done individually, and we may not be able to create one for every state on our own by the Summit.
You can help by:
If you have such a factsheet, or have the ability to make such a factsheet by March, let us know. We will use your factsheet for the Summit and in our Congressional visits.
If you canāt do a factsheet, but know of a report, data on a specific project or trail, or anything else, please send to Will at Wi...@bikeleague.org.
National Bike Summit
We want to make a statement in March on the Hill. That is why we are doing the one-day registration for lobby day. We are working hard to get unrepresented districts to the Summit, and show a broad and robust contingency.
You can help by:
Come to the Summit, even if you can only come on lobby day.
Advertise the Summit on social media. Say why this is an important year.Ā
If you get an AirBnB that has an extra room, consider hosting someone who is interested in coming to the Summit but might need a place to stay. (We are working with WABA and others to find homestays.)Ā
Know any college students in the DC area registered from your state? We have a youth registration (up to age 21) that is $40 for lobby day only. Invite them to come and participate.Ā
For every state that gets representation from 5 districts we'll give a free lobby day or AO day registration!
This is a bigger threat to federal funding for biking and walking than we have seen since 2012. Then, we were able to maintain bike/ped funding but took a hit to the level of funding (and that was during the Obama Administration.) In some ways we are in a better position, because we have some bipartisan support. However, we have never faced both a Congress and an Administration this connected, and this outwardly hostile.Ā
This is going to take all of us, and I hope you can help us in these next steps. We will continue to keep you updated on progress, threats and next steps in our plan as they become relevant.Ā
Thanks,
Caron
CA...@BIKELEAGUE.ORGĀ |Ā 202-215-3908
WWW.BIKELEAGUE.ORG
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