By admin 
As dozens of children buckled their helmets outside the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in Davis for a morning bike ride Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson was inside making the case for legislation aimed at making bicycling safer and more accessible nationwide.
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Widely regarded as the nation’s bicycle capital, Davis provided a fitting backdrop as Thompson, whose district includes the city, promoted his bipartisan America Bikes Act. Introduced in May, the bill would expand federal investment in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, encourage bicycle commuting and incentivize domestic bicycle manufacturing.
Thompson was joined by Olympic bronze medalist Donny Robinson and local bicycle advocates in support of the legislation.
“We have the highest percentage of bicycle commuters in the country, and that didn’t happen by accident. That was done with dedication and with good planning, smart investments. The payoff has been phenomenal,” Thompson said. “So it’s time, in my view, for other communities to follow the lead of the great city of Davis.”
Bicycle commuting has grown 60% over the past two decades, Thompson said, yet about half of Americans say they lack safe places to ride. About 1,000 bicyclists are killed in traffic crashes each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“We see roads designed for fast-moving cars, leaving bicyclists to travel on the edge of the road, often with no dedicated space or protection from fast-moving vehicles,” said Kendra Ramsey, executive director of the California Bicycle Coalition.
Ramsey said the America Bikes Act would help communities address those safety gaps by providing funding for local governments to plan and build safer bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
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The legislation also seeks to make bicycling a more practical commuting option by funding projects that better connect bicycles with public transit and expanding employer-sponsored benefits that help workers cover the costs of biking to work.
Beyond encouraging more Americans to ride, the bill seeks to strengthen the U.S. bicycle industry. It would temporarily eliminate tariffs on imported components used to assemble bicycles, which Thompson said would lower manufacturing costs and encourage domestic production.
Robinson, who won a bronze medal in BMX at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, said bicycle-friendly communities are about more than transportation — they help children create memories that stay with them well into adulthood.
“The last time I was in this building, I was talking about my journey to the Olympic medal stand in Beijing,” Robinson said. “Now we’re back over a decade later with like-minded individuals who, no doubt, have their own Hall of Fame memories of riding bikes when they were kids.”
Robinson said those childhood memories often begin with kids asking their parents to air up their tires and head out for a family ride.
“Doing something as a family … We’re struggling for that nowadays, and we want that, and I think that is celebration enough to ensure that every single community is bicycle friendly,” Robinson said.
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