I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1539
To amend title 23, United States Code, to provide a minimum level of
funding for bicycle transportation facilities and pedestrian walkways,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 2, 1995
Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts (for himself, Mr. FROST, Mr. DELLUMS, Mr.
MOAKLEY, Mr. KENNEDY
of Rhode Island, Mr. BEILENSON, Mr.
FATTAH, Mr. SABO, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. SKAGGS, Mr. GEJDENSON, and
Mr. SERRANO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
A BILL
To amend title 23, United States Code, to provide a mini-
mum level of funding for bicycle transportation facilities
and pedestrian walkways, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bicycle and Pedestrian
Transportation Improvement Act of 1995’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States transportation system
requires greater diversification in order for the coun-
try to retain and improve its economic competitive-
ness in relation with other nations.
(2) Bicycling and walking have been overlooked
as modes of transportation by policymakers.
(3) It is possible and desirable to dramatically
increase the number of persons who commute by bi-
cycle or foot; since 54 percent of Americans live
within 5 miles of their workplace and 75 percent live
within 10 miles of their workplace and, of the over
100,000,000 bicycles owned by Americans, only 1 in
40 is used to commute to and from the workplace.
(4) A transportation system that includes facili-
ties for bicycle and pedestrian transportation pro-
vides numerous advantages for commuters and the
Nation as a whole, including reduced traffic conges-
tion, reduced air pollution, reduced dependence on
imported oil, increased conservation of nonrenewable
resources of energy, reduced deaths and injuries due
to accidents between pedestrians and cyclists on the
one hand and motorized travelers on the other, in-
creased health for those who travel by bicycle or
foot, and improved preservation of natural habitats,
particularly environmentally sensitive areas such as
wetlands.
(5) Traffic congestion is a serious threat to our
Nation’s economic well-being. In 1994, traffic in the
10 largest urban areas of the United States cost mo-
torists $28,000,000,000 in wasted time and motor
fuel. Traffic congestion currently causes over
2,000,000,000 hours in delays per year. Over the
next 14 years, congestion will rise on highways by
400 percent and on urban thoroughfares by 120 per-
cent.
(6) The transportation needs of many parts of
the country cannot be met simply by expanding the
size and number of roadways. In urban areas, one-
half of all urban space is devoted to roads, parking
spaces, and other motor vehicle facilities. Through-
out the country, it is infeasible to meet increased
travel demands by expanding existing roadways. For
example, Interstate Route 95 between Miami and
Orlando, Florida, would have to be expanded to a
40-lane highway to meet expected traffic flows by
the year 2005.
(7) Motor vehicles contribute significantly to air
pollution. Cars and trucks generate 80 percent of
carbon dioxide emissions. The average automobile
emits 9 pounds of hydrocarbons and 62.5 pounds of
carbon dioxide each year. Accordingly, reduced reli-
ance on cars and trucks can contribute significantly
to meeting the goals of the Clean Air Act.
(8) Diminished reliance on motor vehicles re-
duces America’s reliance on foreign oil. Currently,
approximately one-half of all oil used in the country
is imported. Of that amount, 63 percent is used for
transportation.
(9) Nationwide, 20 percent of fatalities on road-
ways involve pedestrians or bicyclists, and in cities,
the figure is 50 percent.
(10) Constructing bicycle and pedestrian facili-
ties is far less expensive than building new road-
ways. A one-mile stretch of bicycle and pedestrian
path costs approximately $46,000. One mile of a 4-
lane highway costs approximately $1,000,000.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are as
follows:
(1) To diversify the Nation’s transportation
system to enable it to remain efficient into the next
century and to improve our Nation’s ability to com-
pete economically with other nations.
(2) To reduce deaths of and injuries to bicycle
and pedestrian commuters.