The Bicycle Lobby Comes Of Age

The bicycle industry and a united front of national advocacy groups succeeded in bringing billions for bicycing into the new federal transportation bill, SAFETEA-LU.

"Bicycle advocates say that Burke's speech of three years ago electrified the audience and helped to spur a fractured industry to fund a first-of-its-kind $2 million campaign lobbying Congress to use the highway bill to promote bicycling. With those dollars -- and with the help of such key lawmakers as House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee ranking member James Oberstar, D-Minn. -- bicyclists mounted their most sophisticated lobbying effort in Washington to date."

[Editor's note: Access to National Journal requires a paid subscription.]

Thanks to Barbara McCann