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Entries tagged: Steven Latourette

Just hours after the Dangerous By Design report revealed an ongoing epidemic of pedestrian deaths on American roadways, 10 U.S. Senators introduced the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 yesterday. Led by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), the measure would direct states and regions to adopt policies to provide for the needs of all users of the transportation system, including people of all ages and abilities who are walking, bicycling, and taking the bus.

“In many places across the country, there is a complete lack of sidewalks and bike lanes,” Senator Tom Harkin said in a press release. “This not only makes our roadways more dangerous for pedestrians, it discourages people from being more active by walking or riding a bike. The legislation I am introducing today aims to address this issue by making streets safer for everyone and promoting healthier living. It is truly a double win for our communities.”

Thanks to the hard work of the National Complete Streets Coalition — and advocates at the state and local level — momentum is building in Congress. The Senate bill comes on the heels of a measure introduced in the House earlier this month by Representatives Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Steve LaTourette (R-OH). The Coalition’s Executive Director, Barbara McCann, highlighted those efforts in a story that aired on National Public Radio yesterday.

“Senator Harkin and the other sponsors of this measure recognize that we must do more than fix hazards after-the-fact,” McCann said in a press release. “Complete Streets policies at the state and local level are already proving that routinely providing for the needs of everyone using the roadway results in dramatic safety improvements. Our Coalition thanks Senator Harkin and all the co-sponsors for working to ensure that federal investments create safe streets for everyone.”

Read more about both bills on the Complete Streets blog.

Thanks, in part, to some dedicated advocates in Cleveland, the federal Complete Streets Act is now a bipartisan bill.

For many, the name Steve LaTourette is familiar. This spring, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood made headlines when he jumped on a table at the National Bike Summit in animated support for bicycling and walking. LaTourette caught some media attention too, when he jokingly quipped that LaHood must be on drugs to suggest cycling deserved significant federal funding.

While that off-the-cuff comment went viral on the internet, LaTourette quickly wrote a public clarification, noting his “ardent support” for bike facilities. Now, another story is spreading across the country. The Ohio Congressman is getting some deserved attention for putting that “ardent support” into action, leading his conservative colleagues and proving that complete streets is a concept that transcends politics.

Last week, LaTourette signed on to the Complete Streets Act — a bill now in Congress that would ensure that communities across America design, build and operate their roadways with all users in mind, including bicyclists, public transit users and pedestrians. Because of his position on the prestigious House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, LaTourette’s opinions on transportation policy and infrastructure spending are critical. Not to mention, the Congressman is the first Republican to join the growing ranks of lawmakers who support complete streets.

So what nudged LaTourette to add his name? Action from advocates at Walk+Roll Cleveland and local bike shop owners.

First, the Ohio advocates kickstarted communications and meetings between LaTourette and national organizations like Bikes Belong, the Alliance, the League of American Bicyclists and the National Complete Streets Coalition.

Next, they showed LaTourette the numbers. Walk+Roll’s founder, Lois Moss, and owners of Eddy’s Bike Shops and Solon Bicycle met personally with the Congressman’s staffers. They came prepared with copies of Minnesota Business magazine, which reported that bicycling has added millions to the state economy and that many thousands of Minnesotans use bicycles for transportation, despite the chilly climate. They also cited stats from the Outdoor Industry Association that show bicycle facilities create jobs — in fact, generating more jobs per million dollars spent than massive highway and bridge reconstruction projects.

Then, they rallied the community. On September 17th, more than 1,000 residents walked, rolled and bused to Cleveland’s Progressive Field for an “Access for All Party,” a festive event promoting complete streets. Lo and behold, a few days later, LaTourette was signing on as a Complete Streets co-sponsor.

“Congressman LaTourette has historically been generally supportive of recreational bicycling,” Moss said in today’s press release. “Agreeing to co-sponsor Complete Streets demonstrates an understanding that bicycling and walking can also be transportation.”

Check out the National Complete Streets Coalition to learn more about the federal bill.