For a quick, easy-to-understand overview of trends in U.S. bicycle use and federal bike investments, read Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's Fast Lane blog post from June 16.

The number of annual trips Americans make by bike has more than doubled since 1990. Meanwhile, bike rider injuries and deaths have dropped--both as raw numbers and as a percentage of overall roadway mishaps. While the federal investment in bike and walking facilities and programs hit an alltime high in 2009, the sum is still less than two percent of transportation spending. Bike and walking trips now constitute nearly 12 percent of all trips American make.