National Network of Bike Trails!

As noted at FABB and BikeLeague, DDOT Director Gabe Klein and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood were on NPR'S All Things Considered to talk about making cycling as important as driving.

Klein referenced DDOT new plans and how Portland is the urban model of the future. He also talked about the 15th St NW road diet that allowed for the installation of a contraflow bike lane and retrofitting bike lanes into the city. "We want to build support amongst all people in the city, including drivers, for our bike and ped programs." He also said "we're going to have a very large bike sharing program" and he talked about plans to have separated lanes. And in response to criticism that we shouldn't invest in cycling when only 2-3% of people use bikes for transportation, he notes that where they've added bike facilities they've seen a sizable increase in cycling.

LaHood called bike trails "equal components" to other transportation elements. "We’ve put almost all of our resources into roads," LaHood says. "Our commitment at DOT is to create options." He talked about creating a national bike route system so that people can bike around the country, and about how there is space enough for both highways for trucks and routes for cyclists. He also talks about biking the C&O Canal with his wife on weekends.