The League of American Bicyclists has issued an action alert in the wake of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) requesting that the US Department of Transportation weaken their guidance on accommodating bicyclists and pedestrians. The request amounts to a challenge to Complete Streets as a concept, asking the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to withdraw their guidance on the meaning of “due consideration” of bicyclists and pedestrians to make it easier for states to ignore the needs of non-motorized travelers. AASHTO prefers the guidance to “consider where appropriate,” which is far broader and easier to disregard.
The League urges cyclists to contact DOT officials and has provided a form and form letter from which to do so. As ever, I strongly urge anyone considering making such contact to heavily customize the letter and refer too programs within your state that accommodate cyclists and the value in those programs — form letter campaigns are okay, but do not have the power of personal anecdotes in the influence process.
