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:
- Take a Complete Streets approach
- Identify and address barriers to make streets safe and convenient for all road users, including people of all ages and abilities and those using assistive mobility devices
- Gather and track biking and walking data
- Use designs that are appropriate to the context of the street and its uses
- Capture opportunities to build on-road bike networks during routine resurfacing
- Improve walking and biking safety laws and regulations
- Educate and enforce proper road use behavior by all
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.