According to a recent report by the Alliance for Biking and Walking, just 1.2 percent of federal transportation funding is spent to make cities safer for people who get where they need to go by no-carbon means like biking or walking. So it's no wonder that while 3.3 percent of all commutes and 10 percent of "all trips" made in the U.S. are by bike or by foot, a disproportionate 13 percent of all traffic fatalities are cyclists or pedestrians.
We can do better for our bicycling and walking commuters.
Write to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and ask him to make cyclist and pedestrian safety a priority.
To find a link to the report and read more about this issue, visit the Change.org Environment blog.
Make cyclist and pedestrian safety a priority
Dear Secretary LaHood,
I'm writing to urge you to make cyclist and pedestrian safety a priority of the Department of Transportation. These no-carbon forms of transportation are good for the planet and public health, but we are not doing enough to make sure our streets are safe for cyclists and pedestrians.
A recent report by the Alliance for Biking and Walking shows that while 3.3 percent of all commutes and 10 percent of "all trips" made in the U.S. are by bike or by foot, a disproportionate 13 percent of all traffic fatalities are cyclists or pedestrians. This is a direct result of the fact that we currently spend just 1.2 percent of federal transportation dollars to make cycling and walking safe for Americans.
If the Department of Transportation were to make bicycle and pedestrian safety a priority, I'm confident we could not only do a better job of making our streets safe for bicyclists and pedestrians, but encourage more Americans to shed a few pounds and lighten their carbon footprint by taking their bike or walking to get where they need to go.
[Your name]