Federal Policy & Funding

Federal Policy & Funding

Maximizing Federal Support for Bicycling

The federal transportation law is the largest source of U.S. bicycle facility funding. The main reason Bikes Belong formed in 1999 was to maximize federal funding for bicycling in this law, which is reauthorized every five or six years. Funding for bicycling also comes in other forms, such as through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act or TIGER grants.

Federal funding for biking and walking projects make streets more accessible for everybody, reduce preventable traffic fatalities, help boost local economic development, and create construction jobs.

In 2011, bicycling received more than $791 million from federal investments, despite the poor economic climate. Federal funding for bicycling in 2012 will likely be at a similar level. In June 2012, a new, multi-year federal transportation bill was signed by the House, Senate, and President that will dramatically cut funding for bicycling once it is signed into law Oct. 1, 2012. This new bill reverses years of progress on biking and walking policy and eliminates all dedicated funding for local safety projects such as bike lanes, bike paths and sidewalks. Read more.

Federal Transportation Legislation
Why Invest in Bicycling
Lobbying
National Bike Summit
BikesPAC