Advocacy Alert: Tell the U.S. DOT that bicyclist and pedestrian safety counts

The League of American BIcyclists has released an advocacy alert about the recent national transportation goals set by the US Department of Transportation.  As the League points out, there were some very serious omissions from the DOT's proposed goals.  If we speak up now, we have the chance to make a real difference: 

US Department of Transportation has issued national transportation goals that are missing something important: Bicycle and pedestrian safety

There is only one acceptable number: 0.

While cities like New York and San Francisco have set decisive “Vision Zero” targets to dramatically reduce bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities, the U.S. Department of Transportation has just released proposed safety measures that have no goal, no accountability and no attempt to reduce the 16% of all fatal crashes that include people who walk and bike.

Your comments count: Tell US DOT that we can’t turn a blind eye to the 45,000 bicyclists injured and 5,000 cyclists and pedestrians killed on our roadways each year — we must have a national goal to make biking and walking a safe transportation option.

In 2012, Congress asked the US DOT to set national goals to guide federal, state and local investments in our transportation system. After meeting with USDOT and FHWA officials, we knew they were unlikely to include a specific non-motorized performance measure — or goal to reduce bike/ped deaths. Unfortunately, on March 11 we were proved right: FHWA issued a “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” that acknowledged our request — but chose not to include one.

Now, they’re asking for comments —and they need to hear from you.

You can use the League's Action Center to endorse the League’s comments (see them in full here) or submit your own.

WNYC recently covered the work by bicycle and pedestrian groups across the country to encourage members of Congress to endorse a letter asking the USDOT to address the issue of bicycle and pedestrian safety goals:

A bipartisan group of 68 members of the U.S. House, responding to the advocates’ safety concerns, has signed aletter to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood asking him to order the Department of Transportation to follow through on two aspects of the MAP-21 legislation signed into law last year.

The representatives, including D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, are asking Sec. LaHood to establish a national goal to reduce bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities and to push individual states to set “performance measures” to accomplish the same.

“If we don't set performance goals for states and cities there will be no incentive for them to look at what many don't even recognize,” Norton said in an interview with WAMU 88.5. “More people are walking and more people are taking their bikes. Thus, there will be no incentive to try to make the roads easier to navigate.”

Letter signers include Missouri Congressmen Emanuel Cleaver and Lacy Clay.