Ray LaHood at 2010 National Bike Summit

US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood recently addressed atendees of the 2010 National Bike Summit in Washington DC, here he spoke on behalf of infrastructure development for bicycles and pedestrians:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhlaMnwxKP0&feature=player_embedded]

After the speech, he wrote a post on his blog that reflected on his energetic appearance at the summit:

Today, I want to announce a sea change. People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.

Ray LaHood

From Ray LaHood’s blog post:

To set this approach in motion, we have formulated key recommendations for state DOTs and communities:

Treat walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes.
Ensure convenient access for people of all ages and abilities.
Go beyond minimum design standards.
Collect data on walking and biking trips.
Set a mode share target for walking and bicycling.
Protect sidewalks and shared-use paths the same way roadways are protected (for example, snow removal)
Improve nonmotorized facilities during maintenance projects.