Earl Blumenauer: “My amendment deals specifically with the Conserve by Bike program. This was unanimously adopted in the Energy Policy Act…”

“My amendment deals specifically with the Conserve by Bike program. This was unanimously adopted in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and subsequently signed into law. It was authorized at $6.2 million, a program that would establish 10 pilot projects across the country. These projects would utilize education and marketing tools to encourage people to replace some of their car trips with bicycle trips. The law also directs the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a national study to help us understand the benefits from converting cars to bike and how to educate people about these benefits. Nationally, less than 1 percent of trips are by bicycles currently. But in many bicycle-friendly communities, the percentage is much higher. In my home town of Portland, Oregon, like yours, Madam Chairman, that percentage is 2 or 3 percentage points.”