Ride IllinoisRide Illinois
March 06, 2017

ACTION ALERT: Ask Congress to Support Funding for Bicycling

On Wednesday, March 8, Ride Illinois led Illinois’ delegates at the National Bike Summit in Washington DC. We met with most of our U.S. House and Senate offices and urged them to include bicycling in any transportation infrastructure packages that are introduced this year.

Dedicated federal funding for transportation enhancements has been the top source of funds for trails, bike lanes, and sidewalks since 1991. This includes hundreds of projects distributed well throughout Illinois, improving the safety of those who bike and walk by choice or by necessity.

Currently, less than 2% of federal transportation funds are dedicated for these uses. A national poll shows 58% of Americans believe that percentage should increase, and another 30% feel it should be maintained. This level of support is increasing over all demographics including party affiliations; age; urban/suburban/rural areas; and most significantly in the Midwest. Also, these enhancement projects create more jobs per dollar than other transportation project types.

Please take a minute to send an emailed letter to reinforce our in-person requests and let your representative know that biking and walking should be included in any transportation package. Our influence relies on our numbers and every supporter strengthens our voice and ensures our message is taken seriously.

Please select transportation as your letter topic.