We are always saddened by the loss of one of our fellow bicycling community members. Even one death is too many as far as we're concerned, and right now there is a bill in Congress that aims to hold the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) and state DOTs accountable for the lives of all road users. Simply put, the US should have a national goal to reduce pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities. And this bill could start it!

Please contact your members of Congress to ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 3494 / S. 1708, which requires USDOT to account for and work to reduce bicyclist and pedestrian deaths.

Last year, people who bike and walk represented 16.3 percent of all traffic deaths, a total of 5,469 people killed, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. As mandated by Congress, USDOT sets performance goals (including ones dealing directly with safety) for motorized traffic. USDOT has refused to set a safety goal for non-motorized transportation (which includes people who walk, bike, and other vulnerable road users).

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Act states that the lives of all roadway users are important and creates accountability toward ending needless deaths.

It gives US DOT the flexibility to determine the best method to meet these safety measures, and calls on our leaders to reduce the number of people biking and walking who are killed or injured on our streets every year.            

It’s time that we all stand together to say that the deaths of bicyclists and pedestrians deserve to be counted and prevented, too. Please help us build the momentum for this important legislation by contacting your members of Congress to ask them to co-sponsor these bipartisan bills.
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We need you to do 3 things right now:

1. Contact Senator Markey and Senator Warren and ask each of them to co-sponsor S. 1708, which requires USDOT to account for and work to reduce bicyclist and pedestrian deaths.

Contact Senator Warren:
Phone: (202) 224-4543
Email: http://www.warren.senate.gov/?p=email_senator

Contact Senator Markey:
Phone: (202) 224-2742
Email: http://www.markey.senate.gov/contact.cfm

2. Contact your Representative and ask him or her to co-sponsor H.R. 3494, which requires USDOT to account for and work to reduce bicyclist and pedestrian deaths.


District |  Representative, Office Number, Link to Email Form

1   |   Rep. Neal, Richard, 202-225-5601, Email
2   |   Rep. McGovern, James, 202-225-6101, Email
3   |   Rep. Tsongas, Niki,  202-225-3411, Email
4   |   Rep. Kennedy III, Joseph P.,  202-225-5931, Email
5   |   VACANT
6   |   Rep. Tierney, John, 202-225-8020, Email
7   |   Rep. Capuano, Michael, 202-225-5111, Email
8   |   Rep. Lynch, Stephen, 202-225-8273, Email
9   |   Rep. Keating, William, 202-225-3111, Email

Don’t know who your U.S. Representative is? Click here and enter your zip code to find out.

3. Let us know who you contacted (and any feedback you receive) by cc’ing or emailing [email protected].

Thank you so much for your help in this effort to ensure that the USDOT values the lives of all roadway users.