U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx

The U.S. Department of Transportation wants what we want: Improvements to bicycle and pedestrian safety.

As recently as 2010, the U.S. DOT put out a policy statement on bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, which called for, among other things, “Pedestrian and bicycle facilities … meet accessibility requirements and provide safe, convenient, and interconnected transportation networks.”

Now, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx is challenging local civic leaders to take a stand on that policy statement.

In a recent press release, Foxx has created something called the “Mayors’ Challenge,” in which he calls upon mayors and local leaders to issue public statements about the importance of bicycle and pedestrian safety, form a local action team to advance some safety and accessibility goals, and take local action through a number of challenge activities.

Among those challenges:

If those challenges sound familiar, it’s because, in so many words, they’re exactly what the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and our partners in the Better Mobility Working Group have been pushing the next mayor and City Council to make a dedication to. We’re hosting a Better Mobility forum for all the mayoral candidates on March 19, in which the candidates will be asked to go on the record regarding their transportation and mobility priorities.

Read more about the Better Mobility 2015 platform here.

RSVP to the forum here.

And in the meantime, let’s urge our city leaders to join Secretary Foxx’s call to action. Click here to learn more.

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